A prophet warned King Laius of Thebes that because he had married his cousin Jocasta，he would be killed by his son．To avoid the disaster，he ordered his loyal shepherd to kill his newborn baby son．The good hearted slave，however，could not bring himself to do the evil deed． He pierced the baby' s feetand tied them with ropes． Then he turned the baby over to the care of a fellow shepherd who happened to be the servant of the king of Corinth． The child was given the name of Oedipus，He was brought up by the childless royal couple as their son and successor．The prince had never doubted that the king was not his real father until one day he heard others talking about his parentage． Deeply troubled，he went to Delphi to require about his birth．There he was warned by Apollo not to return to his native country，because，should he do so ， he would kill his father and marry his mother． The frightened young man turned his back on Corinth，determined not to return while his supposed parents lived．

　　Oedipus had not gone far on his way to Thebes when he saw a cart coming towards him． The man sitting in the cart，angry at the young man in the way，whipped him on the face with an oath ． Oedipus jumped onto the cart and killed him in his anger．of the five servants who followed their master on foot，only one escaped narrowly． Little did Oedipus think that the man sitting in the cart was King Laicus，his father． Presently the young manar rived in the kingdom of Thebes． Round about this time，the Thebans were troubled by a woman headed monster，called Sphinx， who produced a riddle to them． The crown and the hand of the widow queen were offered to anyone who could solve the riddle． Oedipus met Sphinx on a cliff． To the monster' s riddle，“What animal walks on four legs in the morning，on two at noon，and on three at night？”he offered the answer，“Man，Who creeps in infancy，walks upright in manhood，and supports his steps with a staff in old age．” Thus， Sphinx threw herself down into the valley． Oedipus became king of Thebes and husband of the queen，his mother．

　　For a long time after this event，Oedipus lived in honour and prosperity． Four unnatural childrencame out of this odd marriage，two sons and two daughters． Then the sad thing came．A plague raged throughout the land ． Every family was affected，and not a day went by without new death． A prophet warned that the trouble would not be removed until the murderer of the former king Laius was driven out of the country． An old blind seer，Tiresias by name，was brought before the king and，outraged by the kings impolite language，declared that Oedipus himself was the hunted murderer． The king was shocked and annoyed． He called the Theban and Corinthian shepherds to prove the truth． As the two old shepherds had been concerned in his adoption as an infant，the truth finally became known． The queen hanged herself． Oedipus put out of his own eyes with a pin，so that he might not look on the sun again．he was driven out of the kingdom and wandered from one city to another，until he found protection in King Theseus'Athens． There at the signal of Zeus' thunder，he mysteriously ended his poor earthly life．

　　有個預言家警告底比斯國王拉伊俄斯說：由于他和他的表妹結了婚，他可能會被他兒子殺了。為了避免殺身之禍，他命令忠實的牧羊人把剛出生的嬰兒殺死。然而，這個好心的牧羊人下不了毒手。他刺穿嬰兒的腳，并把雙腳用繩子捆起來。然后把嬰兒托給他的一個同伴照看，他的這個同伴恰好是科林斯國王的仆人。這個孩子就是俄狄浦斯。無兒無女的國王夫婦把他當作兒子和繼承人撫養成人。王子從沒有懷疑過國王是他親生父親直到有一天他聽到別人在談論他的身事。他聽到這些大惑不解，便動身到特爾斐去詢問他的身世。在那兒阿波羅警告他不要回他的故土，因為如果他要這樣做，他就會殺了他的父親并且和他母親結婚。得到這個忠告，俄狄浦斯轉向與科林斯相反的方向，并下定決心在他以為是生身父親的科林斯國王在世時決不踏上故土，決心不再回到他的父母可能住的地方。

　　俄狄浦斯在通往底比斯的路上沒走多遠就看見一輛馬車朝他駛來。坐在馬車上的人對擋道的年輕人怒不可遏，一邊咒罵一邊用鞭子抽打著年輕人的臉。俄狄浦斯一氣之下跳上馬車殺了那人。徒步跟著他們的主人的五個隨從中只有一個僥幸逃生。俄狄浦斯根本沒想到坐在馬車里的人就是國王拉伊俄斯，他的父親。這個年輕人很快到達了底比斯王國。就在這個時候，底比斯人正被一個長著女人頭的名叫斯芬克斯的怪獸困擾著，她給他們出了一個謎語，沒人能破解得了。如果誰能解開這個謎，誰就能登上皇帝的寶座并娶皇后為妻。俄狄浦斯在懸崖上遇到了斯芬克斯。對于這個怪獸出的謎：“什么動物在早晨用四條腿走路，在中午用兩條腿走路，在晚上用三條腿走路？”他回答到：“是人，在嬰幼兒時期他爬行，長大后他直立行走，老年時他柱著拐棍。”就這樣，斯芬克斯跳下了懸崖。俄狄浦斯成了底比斯的國王以及王后——他母親的丈夫。

　　這件事之后很久，俄狄浦斯過著富有和受人尊重的生活。這個奇異的婚姻給他帶來了四個奇異的孩子，兩個兒子，兩個女兒。接著悲慘的事情發生了。瘟疫席卷了整個國土。每個家庭都被傳染上了這種可怕的病，每一天都要死很多人。一個預言家告訴世人說：只有將殺害前國王拉伊俄斯的兇手趕出這個國家，這場災難才能結束。一個年老眼瞎名叫泰瑞西斯的預言家被帶到國王面前。國王粗魯的言語激怒了他，他宣稱俄狄浦斯自己就是兇手。國王大吃一驚。他叫來底比斯的和科林斯族牧羊人來證明這個事實。當那兩個牧羊人說到國王還是嬰兒的時候就收養了他，真相終于搞清楚了。王后上吊自縊了。俄狄浦斯用針挖出了自己的雙眼，使自己再也看不見明亮的陽光。他被趕出了王國。他從一個城市流浪到另一個城市，直到他在提修斯國王的雅典得到了保護，在宙斯的一次霹雷中，他神秘地結束了自己貧窮短暫的一生。

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