The tale of Oedipus reflects and reinforces ancient Greek traditions and values in more than one way. First, the myth emphasizes the importance of following traditions related to family members. The idea of killing a relative was shocking to ancient Greeks and was considered so serious that it was beyond the scope of punishment by human laws. Similarly,
When Oedipus found out that he had killed his father and married his mother—and was therefore responsible for the plague in the city he ruled—he blinded himself. This painting by Ernest Hillemaeher shows him walking blind among the victims of the plague with his daughter. THE ART ARCHIVE/MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS ORLEANS/ALFREDO DAGLI ORTI/THE PICTURE DESK, INC.
Marrying one’s own parent went against the most basic marriage traditions in Greek culture (and most other cultures). By showing how these unspeakable acts led to a tragic end for Oedipus, the myth reinforced these traditions among the ancient Greeks who knew the tale.
The myth also reflects cultural beliefs about destiny, or the idea that future events in a person’s life are already determined and cannot be changed. For the ancient Greeks, who consulted with messengers of the gods regularly, this was a widely accepted notion. The abundance of such stories in Greek myth—as opposed to stories where characters successfully defy the gods and change their destinies—indicates that the ideas of freedom and free will were much more limited in scope than they are in modern society. Stories like the myth of Oedipus would instead encourage citizens to accept their destiny, whatever it may be.
World History
