The ''Oedipodea'' ( grc, Οἰδιπόδεια) is a lost

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

of the

Theban cycle __NOTOC__ The Theban Cycle ( el, Θηβαϊκὸς Κύκλος) is a collection of four lost epics of ancient Greek literature which tells the mythological history of the Boeotian city of Thebes.West, M.L. (2003), ''Greek Epic Fragments'', Loeb C ...

, a part of the

Epic Cycle The Epic Cycle ( grc, Ἐπικὸς Κύκλος, Epikòs Kýklos) was a collection of Ancient Greek epic poems, composed in dactylic hexameter and related to the story of the Trojan War, including the ''Cypria'', the '' Aethiopis'', the so-cal ...

(). The poem was about 6,600 verses long and the authorship was credited by ancient authorities to

Cinaethon Cinaethon of Sparta ( el, Κιναίθων ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος ''Kinaithon ho Lakedaimonios'') was a legendary Greek poet to whom different sources ascribe the lost epics ''Oedipodea'', '' Little Iliad'' and ''Telegony''. Eusebius ...

(), a barely known poet who lived probably in Sparta.

Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian ...

says that he flourished in 764/3 BC. Only three short fragments and one testimonium survived. It told the story of the

Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

and

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; grc-gre, Οἰδίπους "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby ...

and presented an alternative view of the

myth. According to

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC *Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...

,Pausanias. ''Description of Greece'', 9.5.10-1; West, ''Fr.'' 1. Cinaethon states that the marriage between

and his own mother,

Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered Iocaste ( grc, Ἰοκάστη ) and also known as Epicaste (; ), was a daughter of Menoeceus, a descendant of the Spartoi Echion, and queen consort of Thebes. She was the wife of first Laius, t ...

was childless; his children had been born from another engagement with

Euryganeia In Greek mythology, Euryganeia ( grc, Εὐρυγάνεια, ''Eurygáneia'') was a Theban queen. Family Euryganeia was either a daughter of Hyperphas, and thus, sister to Euryanassa. In some sources, she was described as Jocasta's sister, wh ...

(), daughter of

Hyperphas In Greek mythology, Hyperphas (Ancient Greek: Ὑπέρφαντος) was a leader of the Phlegyans and an ally of the Thebans. He was the father of Euryganeia who, according to Pausanias, married Oedipus after the death of Iocaste; Pausanias als ...

(). That is all we know about these two characters. A small glimpse of Cinaethon's style survives in

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''P ...

's ''On the Pythia's Oracles'' 407b: "he added unnecessary pomp and drama to the oracles".

References

Select editions and translations

Critical editions

* . * . * . * .

Translations

* . (The link is to the 1st edition of 1914.) English translation with facing Greek text; now obsolete except for its translations of the ancient quotations. * . Greek text with facing English translation

Bibliography

* . {{Authority control 8th-century BC books 8th-century BC poems Theban Cycle Lost poems