Oedipus Rex Riddle me this Batman As Oedipus

Oedipus Rex

Riddle me this, Batman… As Oedipus had to do, can you figure out the answers to these riddles? The first is from Oedipus Rex itself. • 1. Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? • 2. This is what some people do, For a compliment or two, Anglers do it on a bank, Others keep theirs in a tank. What am I? • 3. I am a word with two meanings. With one I can be broken, with the second I hold on. What am I? • 4. You cannot keep me until you have given me. What am I? • 5. You can swallow me, but I can swallow you. What am I? • 6. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? • 7. What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive? • 8. What has to be broken before you can use it? • 9. What goes up and doesn’t come back down?

Riddle me this, Batman… As Oedipus had to do, can you figure out the answers to these riddles? The first is from Oedipus Rex itself. • 1. Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then walks with a cane in old age. • 2. This is what some people do, For a compliment or two, Anglers do it on a bank, Others keep theirs in a tank. What am I? (fish) • 3. I am a word with two meanings. With one I can be broken, with the second I hold on. What am I? (Tie. A tie score can be broken, but when you tie a knot (as in a necktie) it holds together. ) • 4. You cannot keep me until you have given me. What am I? (your word) • 5. You can swallow me, but I can swallow you. What am I? (water) • 6. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? A clock! • 7. What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive? A glove. • 8. What has to be broken before you can use it? An egg. • 9. What goes up and doesn’t come back down? Your age.

Background information

Sophocles and Greek Drama • How was Greek drama born? • It developed from ancient rituals honoring Dionysus. The celebrations became a yearly occurrence held in Athens. • Difference between tragedies and satire plays? • Tragedies are serious plays about religious or mythic questions. • Satire plays are humorous plays about religious or mythic questions.

Religious Ideas • Contrary to common misconceptions, the Greek pantheon consisted of hundreds of deities in a complex hierarchy. The most familiar “Olympian” gods, perhaps the closest to humans, were a relatively small part of the overall scheme. The gods, while immortal and powerful, were not all-powerful in the sense of our modern concepts of God. They were themselves subject to Fate and to each other’s will. • We see much of this in Oedipus Rex, when the Delphic Oracle is the prophet of Oedipus’ doomed fate, but she is not the cause of it. • The Greeks did, to some extent, believe in Free Will, always accepting that a person would eventually have to face the human and cosmic consequences of his or her actions and decisions. Still, Free Will was not more powerful than Destiny, and Oedipus is a perfect example of the belief that, try as they might, people cannot avoid the destinies to which they are born. • Still, as Oedipus’ fate was the result of his father’s earlier misdeed, human Free Will cannot be completely dismissed either.

Sophocles and Greek Drama • The theater of Dionysus: • Semicircle • Seats carved out of stone on a hillside • Performance area in two parts: orchestra and skene

Greek Theatre

Origins of Greek Drama • Sixth Century BCE– According to legend and recorded by Aristotle, Thespis essentially invented acting by stepping in front of the chorus and performing a solo. The word “thespian” has come to mean “actor. ”

Conventions of the Greek Theater • Use of dramatic irony • Since the audience was already familiar with the plots, taken from well-known myths, they always had more information about the action than the characters on stage did. The suspense, then, was in how the well-known events would transpire and in the audience’s actually watching the events unfold before their eyes in “real time. ” • The plays were acted in the daytime, with minimal sets and props. Actors were all male. They wore masks, wigs, and high-heeled boots, which increased their visibility to the audience and added to the formality of the experience.

Conventions of the Greek Theater • To increase dramatic intensity, the plays observed three unities described by Aristotle: • unity of time– all the action of the play took place within twenty-four hours, in continuous time; dialogue and the Chorus provided background information; • unity of place– all of the action was limited to a single setting; • unity of subject – one single main plot focused on the main character. There were no sub-plots. • Due to the religious intent and dignified style, no violence was shown on stage. The messenger ran on stage and spoke to the audience of any deaths or killings.

The Chorus A Chorus was used to present exposition and to provide commentary on the action and characters: • 15 to 20 men represented the citizens. • They were always on stage, and they frequently sang and danced. • They always had a leader who carried on a dialogue with the main characters or with the rest of the chorus. The function of the chorus was to: • set the tone • give background information • recall events of the past • interpret and summarize events • ask questions • offer opinions • give advice, if asked • stay objective, in the sense that it did not disagree with the leading character • act like a jury of elders or wise men who listened to the evidence in the play and reached a moralistic conclusion at the end.

Greek Dramatic Structure • The Prologue (Prologos): the opening portion of the play, which sets the scene and contains the exposition • The Parados: the entrance song of the Chorus. The Parados is named after the broad aisle on either side of theatre where the Chorus entered or exited. • According to Aristotle, every piece of drama and poetry must have a beginning, middle, and end. The prologue and parados would equate to Aristotle’s “protasis. ”

Greek Dramatic Structure • The Episodes (Scenes): scene in the action of the drama. The Episodes alternate with the Stasimons (Odes) • The Stasimons (Odes): A Choral passage, alternating with the Episodes of the plot of the drama. An Ode is a type of lyric poem. The tragic ode consists of Strophes (Chants) and Antitrophes (Responses) in stanzas of the poems. The third past of the Ode is the Epode. • These would equate to Aristotle’s “epitasis. ”

Greek Dramatic Structure • Exodus: the concluding section of the tragedy. The Exodus ends with the Chorus singing their final lines as they exit • Before this exodus, Aristotle would have an end, or “catastrophe, ” where fortunes are reversed and the protagonist meets their fate.

Greek Dramatic Structure • A CLASSIC GREEK TRAGEDY CONSISTS OF: • • • PROLOGUE PARADOS SCENE 1 (EPISODE 1)- action ODE 1 (STASIMON 1)- chorus SCENE 2 (EPISODE 2) - action ODE 2 (STASIMON 2) - chorus SCENE 3 (EPISODE 3) - action ODE 3 (STASIMON 3) - chorus SCENE 4 (EPISODE 4) - action ODE 4 (STASIMON 4) - chorus EXODUS

Prologue of Oedipus Rex • The drama begins with the people of Thebes entering, led by a priest. The city is suffering famine and plague and all are desperate to discover its cause. In Greek thought, there was no dividing line between natural and moral law. If the gods were punishing the city, there must be some reason for it; someone was guilty of some offense. • Oedipus enters and asks why they have come to see him. The priest answers, telling of the great travail they have endured. They have come to see Oedipus as the one man most likely to be able to solve the problem. After all, he solved the riddle of the sphinx and freed them from its oppression, for which they made him their king. Surely now he can help them once more.

Prologue and Parados of Oedipus Rex • Oedipus tells them he has anticipated their visit and has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to Delphi to seek the Oracle's advice. Creon returns as they are talking and delivers the Oracle's message. The former king, Laios, was murdered. The plague will not be lifted until that murderer is discovered and punished. Oedipus questions Creon, learning that Laios was killed while on a pilgrimage. One of his servants escaped and said that the king and his attendants were set upon by a band of highwaymen. Oedipus promises to find and punish the guilty party. PARADOS: • After the stage empties, the chorus makes its entrance for the parados, the first of six choral interludes. They describe the city's suffering and implore the gods to send them deliverance.

• Aristotle’s Three Act Structure • Aristotle believed that every piece of poetry or drama must have a beginning, middle and end. These divisions were developed by the Roman, Aelius Donatus, and called protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe. The three act structure has seen a revival in recent years, as cinema blockbusters and hit TV shows have adopted it. The beginning (protasis) consists of setup, the middle (epitasis) contains conflicts, thwarted protagonist, or complications, and the end (catastrophe) is where fortunes are reversed and the protagonist meets their fate. • Example Oedipus Rex Three Act Structure • Protasis • A terrible plague is upon Thebes and Oedipus sends Creon to oracle at Delphi to get answers. He finds out that they only way to lift the curse is by expelling the former king's murderer. • Epitasis • Wanting to hear the prophecy for himself Oedipus summons the blind prophet, Tiresias, who declares Oedipus himself is the killer. In disbelief, he goes home to question his wife, a messenger, and others to uncover the truth. • Catastrophe • In despair Jocasta and Oedipus both realize that the prophecy is true. Jocasta is, in fact, Oedipus's mother, and he has murdered his father, Laius, long ago. After this realization, Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs his own eyes out. He leaves Creon in control of Thebes and exiles himself.

Tragedy • Greek tragedy focuses on the reversal of fortune (peripeteia) and downfall of the tragic hero and the events leading to that downfall. As in Oedipus Rex, both fate (destiny) and free will (tragic flaw) played a role illustrating that, while on the one hand, a man could not completely control the circumstances of his life, still he was subject to the consequences of the choices he did make. This tension between fate and free will, and the destruction of an otherwise good man due to a single misstep and an angry deity were what made tragedy so powerful for the ancient Greek audience.

Tragedy • As the hero accepts the consequences of his errors, he teaches the audience some truth about life. The audience experiences a heightening of emotions, as they watch the hero suffer, and they identify with his problems. In the end, the audience has a catharsis, feeling purged or drained of its emotions, and better able to understand life.

Tragedy • The tragic condition was often the result of the tragic hero’s hamartia. Often, the hamartia is defined simply as the tragic flaw, the character trait (like wrath or pride) that leads to the tragic hero’s downfall. More accurately, however, the hamartia is an error in judgment or perception, the hero’s inability to see his flaw or to accurately foresee the consequences of his decisions or actions. Often, the misperception is the result of a character flaw: the hero is blinded by his anger to who his friends really are; the hero’s pride will not allow him to back down and avoid a fatal fight.

Tragedy • One common trait associated with hamartia is hubris. Hubris, or hybris, is exaggerated self-pride or self-confidence, which often results in fatal retribution. • Of course, the most pertinent example is Oedipus. While on the road to Thebes, Oedipus meets King Laius of Thebes and kills him over which of them has the right of way. This rash and arrogant act is also the act by which Oedipus fulfilled the prophesy of killing his father, thus sealing his doom. • Hubris against the gods is generally regarded as a character flaw of the heroes in Greek tragedy and the cause of their destruction.

Common in Greek Tragedy: • Dramatic irony: When the audience knows something that the characters don’t know • Hubris: Hubris is excessive pride. Many tragedies deal with human pride leading to arrogant behaviors that anger the gods. Thus, man must be punished. • Fate vs. Destiny: Many tragedies feature characters who try to escape unfavorable prophecies. This is futile, however, as man does not often have the power or luck to change his/her fate as determined by cosmic forces or gods/goddesses.

Characteristics of a Tragic Hero • Must have a fall from greatness (either power, wealth, or social standing) • Must be an extraordinary person, yet have a tragic flaw • Tragic flaw: often a positive character trait that, when taken to the extreme, causes tragedy • Must experience a moment of realization that he/she has erred • Must suffer greatly due to his/her actions or flaw (often, but not always, this means death)

Sophocles and Greek Drama • Sophocles was born in Athens, Greece, in 497 BCE and was the best-known of the ancient Greek playwrights. • The Athenian government was an “exclusionary democracy, ” run by elected officials in the form of an open assembly. Only about 10% of the population was eligible to participate. Women, slaves, and other “non citizens” were excluded. • Although he was a member of the ruling class, Sophocles was aware of the social inequalities in Athenian society. His plays include repeated attempts to warn his fellow Greeks of the divine retribution that would come to them as a result of their prejudices and injustice to the poor.

Sophocles and Greek Drama • Sophocles surprised Athenians by: • Winning first prize for tragedy at the festival of Dionysus, beating Aeschylus. • Who was Aeschylus? • The leading playwright of the time (think Steven Spielberg) • How many tragedies did Sophocles write? • He wrote more than 120 tragedies… only 7 still survive today.

Sophocles and Greek Drama • What was Sophocles concerned about? • He was concerned with the individual’s need to find his/her place in the world within the existing moral/cosmic order. • Moral lessons against too much pride and religious indifference. • What did Sophocles add to Greek drama? • A third actor (originally two- used masks) • Painted sets • Larger chorus (from 12 to 15 members)

Oedipus Rex: Characters • Oedipus- King of Thebes • Jocasta- Queen of Thebes • Creon- Jocasta’s brother; acted as king when Laius was murdered • Tiresias- blind prophet • Messenger from Corinth (city that Oedipus is originally from) • Shepherd • Antigone and Ismene- Oedipus and Jocasta’s daughters • Chorus and Chorus leader (Choragus) - act as the “voices of society”

Oedipus’ Backstory • Sophocles’ audience would most likely already have known the events leading to the curse of Laius and his descendants that resulted in Oedipus’ tragic destiny, and the playwright’s intent was clearly to illustrate the downfall of the great Oedipus and not chronicle the family saga, so he does not share the backstory with us.

Oedipus’ Backstory • Laius, Oedipus’ birth father, was the son of Labdacus, the King of Thebes. When Labdacus died, Laius was raised by his mother, who ruled Thebes as his regent. Two cousins (Amphion and Zethus) usurped the throne and plotted to kill young Laius, so he was smuggled out of Thebes and given to Pelops, King of Pisa, to raise. • Laius eventually became the tutor of Pelops’ favorite son, Chrysippus, whom he abducted and took back to Thebes. Amphion and Zethus having died, Laius claimed his throne and kept Chrysippus captive. Pelops raised an army to demand the return of his son, but it was discovered that Chrysippus was already dead.

Oedipus’ Backstory • Because of his poor treatment of his host and his host’s son, Laius and his house were cursed. • When he married Jocasta, he was warned not to have children by her because his son by Jocasta would one day kill him. One night, while drunk, Laius imprudently disregarded the prophesy—some sources say Jocasta intentionally got Lauis drunk—and Oedipus was conceived. • Thus, while Oedipus is, to a large extent, a pawn of Fate, at the root of that ill destiny is an act of Free Will that went against nature and angered the gods.

Tiresias • a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo • How Tiresias obtained his information varied: sometimes, like the oracles, he would receive visions; other times he would listen for the songs of birds, or ask for a description of visions and pictures appearing within the smoke of burnt offerings, and so interpret them. • On Mount Cyllene in the Peloponnese, as Tiresias came upon a pair of copulating snakes, he hit the pair with his stick. Hera was displeased, and she punished Tiresias by transforming him into a woman. As a woman, Tiresias became a priestess of Hera, married and had children, including Manto, who also possessed the gift of prophecy. According to some versions of the tale, Lady Tiresias was a prostitute of great renown. After seven years as a woman, Tiresias again found mating snakes; depending on the myth, either she made sure to leave the snakes alone this time, or, according to Hyginus, trampled on them. As a result, Tiresias was released from his sentence and permitted to regain his masculinity. This ancient story is recorded in lost lines of Hesiod. • Different stories were told of the cause of his blindness, the most direct being that he was simply blinded by the gods for revealing their secrets. An alternative story, Tiresias was blinded by Athena after he stumbled onto her bathing naked. His mother, Chariclo, a nymph of Athena, begged Athena to undo her curse, but the goddess could not; instead, she cleaned his ears, giving him the ability to understand birdsong, thus the gift of augury. • In a separate episode, Tiresias was drawn into an argument between Hera and her husband Zeus, on theme of who has more pleasure in sex: the man, as Hera claimed; or, as Zeus claimed, the woman. As Tiresias had experienced both, Zeus and Hera called upon him to settle the debate. Tiresias replied, "Of ten parts a man enjoys one only. " Hera instantly struck him blind for his impiety. Zeus could do nothing to stop her or reverse her curse, but in recompense he did give Tiresias the gift of foresight and a lifespan of seven lives.

antigone • Antigone is the subject of a story in which she attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother Polynices. Oedipus's sons, Eteocles and Polynices, had shared the rule jointly until they quarreled, and Eteocles expelled his brother. In Sophocles' account, the two brothers agreed to alternate rule each year, but Eteocles decided not to share power with his brother after his tenure expired. Polynices left the kingdom, gathered an army and attacked the city of Thebes in a conflict called the Seven Against Thebes. Both brothers were killed in the battle. • King Creon, who ascended to the throne of Thebes after the death of the brothers, decrees that Polynices was not to be buried or even mourned, on pain of death by stoning. Antigone defies the order but is caught. • In the oldest version of the story, the burial of Polynices takes place during Oedipus' reign in Thebes, before Oedipus marries his mother, Jocasta. However, in other versions such as Sophocles' tragedies Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, it occurs in the years after the banishment and death of Oedipus and Antigone's struggles against Creon. • Antigone is brought before Creon and states that she knew Creon's law regarding no mourning for Polynices but chose to break it, expounding upon the superiority of 'divine law' to that made by man. She puts the will of the gods ahead of man-made laws, responding to the decision of not granting Polynices a burial with courage, passion, and determination. • Sophocles' Antigone ends in disaster, with Antigone being locked in a tomb on Creon's orders. Although Creon has a change of heart and heads to the tomb to release Antigone, Creon's son Hæmon (who was engaged to Antigone) stabs himself after seeing that Antigone has hanged herself in the tomb. Queen Eurydice, wife of King Creon, also kills herself following her son's death. She has been forced to weave throughout the entire story and her death alludes to The Fates.

Oracle of delphi • The Pythia, commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi, was the name given to the High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who also served as the oracle. • The name Pythia is derived from Pytho, which in myth was the original name of Delphi. In etymology, the Greeks derived this place name from the verb "to rot, " which refers to the sickly sweet smell of the decomposition of the body of the monstrous Python after he was slain by Apollo. Pythia was the House of Snakes. • The Pythia was established in the 8 th century BC and was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by being filled by the spirit of the god (or enthusiasmos), in this case Apollo. The Pythian priestess emerged pre-eminent by the end of 7 th century BC and would continue to be consulted until the 4 th century AD. • During this period, the Delphic Oracle was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks, and she was without doubt the most powerful woman of the classical world. The oracle is one of the best-documented religious institutions of the classical Greeks. Authors who mention the oracle include Aeschylus, Aristotle, Clement of Alexandria, Diodorus, Diogenes, Euripides, Herodotus, Julian, Justin, Livy, Lucan, Nepos, Ovid, Pausanias, Pindar, Plato, Plutarch, Sophocles, Strabo, Thucydides and Xenophon. • Nevertheless, details of how the Pythia operated are missing as authors from the classical period (6 th to 4 th centuries BC) treat the process as common knowledge with no need to explain. Those who discussed the oracle in any detail are from 1 st century BC to 4 th century AD and give conflicting stories. One of the main stories claimed that the Pythia delivered oracles in a frenzied state induced by vapours rising from a chasm in the rock, and that she spoke gibberish which priests interpreted as the enigmatic prophecies and turned them into poetic dactylic hexameters preserved in Greek literature. • This idea, however, has been challenged by scholars such as Joseph Fontenrose and Lisa Maurizio, who argue that the ancient sources uniformly represent the Pythia speaking intelligibly, and giving prophecies in her own voice. • Herodotus, writing in the fifth century BC describes the Pythia speaking in dactylic hexameters.

Oracle of delphi • The Priestess: • In the old days, Pythia was a virgin, young girl, but ever since Echecrates from Thessaly fell in love, kidnapped and violated a young and beautiful Pythia, a woman older than fifty years old was chosen. She still had to be a virgin who dressed and wore jewelry to resemble a young maiden girl. According to tradition, Phemonoe was the first Pythia. • Though little is known of how the priestess was chosen, the Pythia was probably selected, at the death of her predecessor, from amongst a guild of priestesses of the temple. These women were all natives of Delphi and were required to have had a sober life and be of good character. Although some were married, upon assuming their role as the Pythia the priestesses ceased all family responsibilities, marital relations, and individual identity. • In the heyday of the oracle, the Pythia may have been a woman chosen from an influential family, well educated in geography, politics, history, philosophy, and the arts. During later periods, however, uneducated peasant women were chosen for the role, which may explain why the poetic pentameter or hexameter prophecies of the early period later were made only in prose. Often the priestess's answers to questions would be put into hexameter by a priest. • So it seems to have been aptitude rather than any ascribed status that made these women eligible to be Pythias and speak for the god. • The job of a priestess, especially the Pythia, was a respectable career for Greek women. Priestesses enjoyed many liberties and rewards for their social position, such as freedom from taxation, the right to own property and attend public events, a salary and housing provided by the state, a wide range of duties depending on their affiliation, and often gold crowns. • During the main period of the oracle's popularity, as many as three women served as Pythia, another vestige of the triad, with two taking turns in giving prophecy and another kept in reserve. Only one day of the month could the priestess be consulted. • Plutarch said that the Pythia's life was shortened through the service of Apollo. The sessions were said to be exhausting.

Oracle of delphi • Other officiants: • Several other officiants served the oracle in addition to the Pythia. After 200 BC at any given time there were two priests of Apollo, who were in charge of the entire sanctuary; Plutarch, who served as a priest during the late first century and early second century CE, gives us the most information about the organization of the oracle at that time. • Before 200 BC, while the temple was dedicated to Apollo, there was probably one priest of Apollo. Priests were chosen from among the main citizens of Delphi and were appointed for life. In addition to overseeing the oracle, priests would also conduct sacrifices at other festivals of Apollo, and had charge of the Pythian games. • The other officiants associated with the oracle are less well known. These are the hosioi ("holy ones") and the prophētai ("singular prophētēs”). Prophētēs is the origin of the English word "prophet", but a better translation of the Greek word might be "one who speaks on behalf of another person. " The prophetai are referred to in literary sources, but their function is unclear; it has been suggested that they interpreted the Pythia's prophecies, or even reformatted her utterances into verse, but it has also been argued that the term prophētēs is a generic reference to any cult officials of the sanctuary, including the Pythia. • There were five hosioi, whose responsibilities are unknown, but may have been involved in some manner with the operation of the oracle.

Oracle of delphi • Oracular procedure: • In the traditions associated with Apollo, the oracle only gave prophecies during the nine warmest months of each year. During winter months, Apollo was said to have deserted his temple, his place being taken by his divine half-brother Dionysus, whose tomb was also within the temple. • Once a month, thereafter, the oracle would undergo purification rites, including fasting, to ceremonially prepare the Pythia for communications with the divine. On the seventh day of each month, she would be led by two attended oracular priests, with her face veiled in purple • The Pythia would then bathe naked in the Castalian Spring then would drink the holier waters of the Cassotis, which flowed closer to the temple, where a naiad possessing magical powers was said to live. Euripides described this ritual purification ceremony, starting first with the priest Ion dancing on the highest point of Mount Parnassus, going about his duties within the temple, and sprinkling the temple floor with holy water. The purification ceremonies always were performed on the seventh day of the month, which was sacred to and associated with the god Apollo. Then escorted by the Hosioi, an aristocratic council of five, with a crowd of oracular servants, they would arrive at the temple. Consultants, carrying laurel branches sacred to Apollo, approached the temple along the winding upward course of the Sacred Way, bringing a young goat kid for sacrifice in the forecourt of the temple, and a monetary fee. • Pythia would then remove her purple veil. She would wear a short plain white dress. At the temple fire to Hestia, a live goat kid would be set in front of the Altar and sprinkled with water. If the kid trembled from the hooves upward it was considered a good omen for the oracle but, if it didn't, the enquirer was considered to have been rejected by the god and the consultation was terminated. The goat was then slaughtered and upon sacrifice, the animal's organs, particularly its liver, were examined to ensure the signs were favourable, and then burned outside on the altar of Chios. The rising smoke was a signal that the oracle was open. The Oracle then descended into the adyton (Greek for "inaccessible") and mounted her tripod seat, holding laurel leaves and a dish of Kassotis spring water into which she gazed. Nearby was the omphalos (Greek for "navel"), which was flanked by two solid gold eagles representing the authority of Zeus, and the cleft from which emerged the sacred pneuma. • Plutarch describes the events of one session in which the omens were ill-favored, but the Oracle was consulted nonetheless. The priests proceeded to receive the prophecy, but the result was a hysterical uncontrollable reaction from the priestess that resulted in her death a few days later. • Petitioners drew lots to determine the order of admission, but representatives of a city-state or those who brought larger donations to Apollo were secured a higher place in line. At times when the Pythia was not available, consultants could obtain guidance by asking simple Yes-or-No questions to the priests. A response was returned through the tossing of colored beans, one color designating "yes, " another "no. " • Between 535 and 615 of the Oracles (statements) of Delphi are known to have survived since classical times, of which over half are said to be accurate historically • Cicero noted no expedition was undertaken, no colony sent out, and no affair of any distinguished individuals went on without the sanction of the oracle. The early fathers of the Christian church could think of no explanation for the oracles but that demons were allowed to assist them to spread idolatry; so that the need for a savior would be more evident.

Oracle of delphi • The experience of supplicants: • In antiquity, the people who went to the Oracle to ask for advice were known as “consultants, ” literally, “those who seek counsel. ” It would appear that the supplicant to the oracle would undergo a four-stage process, typical of shamanic journeys. • Step 1: Journey to Delphi — Supplicants were motivated by some need to undertake the long and sometimes arduous journey to come to Delphi in order to consult the oracle. This journey was motivated by an awareness of the existence of the oracle, the growing motivation on the part of the individual or group to undertake the journey, and the gathering of information about the oracle as providing answers to important questions. • Step 2: Preparation of the Supplicant — Supplicants were interviewed in preparation of their presentation to the Oracle, by the priests in attendance. The genuine cases were sorted and the supplicant had to go through rituals involving the framing of their questions, the presentation of gifts to the Oracle and a procession along the Sacred Way carrying laurel leaves to visit the temple, symbolic of the journey they had made. • Step 3: Visit to the Oracle — The supplicant would then be led into the temple to visit the adyton, put his question to the Pythia, receive his answer and depart. The degree of preparation already undergone would mean that the supplicant was already in a very aroused and meditative state, similar to the shamanic journey elaborated on in the article. • Step 4: Return Home — Oracles were meant to give advice to shape future action, that was meant to be implemented by the supplicant, or by those that had sponsored the supplicant to visit the Oracle. The validity of the Oracular utterance was confirmed by the consequences of the application of the oracle to the lives of those people who sought Oracular guidance.

Oedipus Vocabulary to Know 1. Prologue The part of the tragedy before the chorus’ entrance 2. Parados The first entrance of the chorus 3. Episodes The part of a Greek drama that takes place between the odes; spoken rather than sung A sung piece between the episodes consisting of matched lyric stanzas 4. Choric Ode 5. Exodus the final scene or departure, especially in tragedy

Oedipus Vocabulary to Know 6. Hamartia A mistake of perception or recognition 7. Third Actor/ Chorus A group of characters who act as a collective; in Oedipus, they speak for the city 8. Tragic Hero The main character in a tragedy; in order to fit the definition, the hero must have a tragic flaw which causes his or her downfall The main defect of the protagonist in a tragedy 9. Tragic Flaw 10. Hubris Extreme pride or arrogance. A loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence.

Oedipus Vocabulary to Know 11. Human Fallibility 12. Unity of Action 13. Unity of Time (of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken. The focus was on the main character. There were no sub-plots 14. Unity of Place All the action of the play took place within 24 hours; dialogue provided background information Action was limited to one setting; one unchanged scene was used 15. Crisis of Feeling An extreme crisis which ultimately consumes its character

Oedipus Vocabulary to Know 16. Catharsis Ritual purification of pollution; used by Aristotle for purging of strong emotions achieved while watching a tragedy 17. Peripateia A reversal of fortune 18. Anagnorisis the point in the plot especially of a tragedy at which the protagonist recognizes his or her or some other character's true identity or discovers the true nature of his or her own situation