Laius

The son of Labdakos (Labdacus); a king of the city of Thebes and the father of Oedipus.

As a young man Laius fled Thebes and took refuge with Pelops and kidnapped Pelops’ son; as punishment for this crime, Apollon told Laius that if he should have a son, that son would kill him; when Laius and his wife, Iokaste (Jocasta), had a son, they made one of their servants take the infant to Mount Kithaeron (Cithaeron), pierce his ankles and leave him for the beasts and elements to devour; the servant could not carry out the murderous act and gave the child to a shepherd from a neighboring province.

The child was finally presented to the king of Korinth (Corinth) where he was named Oedipus and raised as part of the royal household; the name Oedipus means “swollen foot” and was derived from the injury to the boy’s ankles.

After Oedipus became a man, he left Korinth and, in unconscious obedience to the prophecy of Apollon, killed Laius when he met the arrogant king on the road.