The kingdom of Thebes was going through a plague and as the ruler of Thebes, Oedipus was anxious to find out how to end it. He found out from the Pythian oracle of Apollo that the plague on Thebes was caused by the murder of Laius, the previous king of Thebes. The oracle told him that the murderer was born in Thebes and still lives there, and if they can find him and banish him, the plague can be ended. Oedipus from then on was determined to find the former king's murder in fear that Laius's killer might attack him next. Oedipus called a meeting with the townspeople and asked them if they knew anything about Laius's killer. No one answered and Oedipus decided to consult with Teiresias, the blind prophet. Teiresias, in regret of even meeting with Oedipus, told the king that he himself murdered Laius. Oedipus was then shocked at what Teiresias said. Teiresias then predicted that Oedipus will be more hated and more scorned than any other man.
             Jocasta, the wife of Oedipus and queen of Thebes, told him to ignore what Teiresias said because all prophecies weren't true. She then told Oedipus about the prophecy an oracle once made about Laius, stating that he would be killed by his own son and that his wife would marry the killer. She told him that never happened because Laius was killed by robbers at the meeting of three roads. She also told him that as an infant, the son of Laius was exposed on a hillside with a pin through his ankles to prevent the prophecy that was predicted from coming true. Jocasta's story, however, sounds extremely familiar to Oedipus. Oedipus then told her that it was then, on his journey from Cornith to Thebes, that he was confronted and harassed by a group of travelers, who he killed in self-defense, at the same crossroads where Laius was killed. Hoping that he wasn't Laius's murderer, Oedipus sent for the shepherd who was the only witness to survive the attack.
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