The Oedipodea (Ancient Greek: Οἰδιπόδεια) is a lost poem of the Theban cycle, a part of the Epic Cycle (Επικὸς Κύκλος). The poem was about 6,600 verses long and the authorship was credited by ancient authorities to Cinaethon (Κιναίθων), a barely known poet who lived probably in Sparta.[1] Eusebius says that he flourished in 764/3 BC.[2][3] Only three short fragments and one testimonium survived.

It told the story of the Sphinx and Oedipus and presented an alternative view of the Oedipus myth. According to Pausanias,[4] Cinaethon states that the marriage between Oedipus and his own mother, Jocasta was childless; his children had been born from another engagement with Euryganeia (Εὐρυγανεία), daughter of Hyperphas (Ὑπέρφας). That is all we know about these two characters.

A small glimpse of Cinaethon's style survives in Plutarch's On the Pythia's Oracles 407b: "he added unnecessary pomp and drama to the oracles".

References

  1. ^ IG 14.1292 2.11; Euseb. Chron. Ol. 4.1.
  2. ^ Eusebius. Chronicle, "Olympiad", 4.1.
  3. ^ West, Martin L. Greek Epic Fragments. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003, pp. 250-255.
  4. ^ Pausanias. Description of Greece, 9.5.10-1; West, Fr. 1.

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