Destinations … “The crossroads of Oedipus … “
“The crossroads of Oedipus … “
Destiny and Crossroads Symbolising Dilemma …
Where Oedipus killed his father Laius, the roads from Thebes, Delphi and Daulis meet and behind rises the massive Mount of Parnassus where Oedipus was abandoned to die … You all know the plot from Sophocles’ Tragedy ,”Oedipus the King” … Daulis ( Greek : Δαύλεια) as it is written on the road sign,is the City at the End of the Road not Taken by Oedipus …
Mount Parnassus
~ Here is part of the plot to keep you busy my friends until I manage to reach your places … ~
King Laius of Thebes and his wife Jocasta were warned by the Delphic Oracle that should they have a son that son would kill Laius and marry Jocasta.When she gave birth to a son,fearing the prophecy Laius pierced and bound the infant’s feet and left him to die in Mount Parnassus.A shepherd found the child and brought him to his king, King Polybius of Corinth. Polybus raised the child as his own, naming him Oedipus, which means “swollen-foot” …
Heading for Daulis
~ Story goes on … and to make it short … Oedipus becomes a Patricide when he discovers his Destiny. He learns from the Delphic oracle that his Destiny is to kill his father and marry his mother. … Oedipus does not know that King Polybus is not his real father, so he leaves Corinth to avoid his Destiny… When he arrives at Thebes,he finds the town under the curse of the Sphinx, who will not free the city unless her riddle is answered. The Sphinx outside the gates of the town,was asking everyone who tried to enter,a riddle:
~ “What has four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?” ~
If they guessed correctly she would leave.If incorrectly,she got to eat the unfortunate people;Oedipus took a stab at the riddle, and guessed the correct answer: ” A Man ”
A Man … Alas,that simple it was … The Sphinx left,people were overjoyed and made Oedipus their King, and he married Jocasta, the queen … Do you believe in Destiny … ?
~ Just a simple Road Sign with long (Hi)story behind … ~ Sophecles’ Tragedy and the myth of Oedipus is very old. It first appeared in written form in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. Aeschylus and Euripides wrote plays about the hero, as did Julius Caesar, Ovid and Seneca. But the greatest version of all is the play “Oedipus The King” by Sophocles, first staged in 429 B C E ~
~ Is Destiny an Irresistible Power we cannot control,or we make our own Destiny?
~ Is Destiny Unavoidable ? ~ Long-Standing Questions …
which we left behind and we took the road to Daulis,Greek: Δαύλεια,to avoid our Destiny … A storm was brewing,we had to rush and close enough there was a pub nicely sheltered by a stream.It was somewhere near here that baby Oedipus was left to die …
At one with the Roof …
That’s what we needed to weather the storm,a warm and cozy corner to have a cup of mountain tea,or a glass of wine to keep us warm and to make our own Destiny …
As we were leaving, a lovely piece of Alternative Art,caught my attention,and I thought that creativity has no limits …
Raw Materials & Alternative Art
~ Road Signs and Raw Materials that Pre-determined a Course of events on a Wintry day in Mount Parnassus ~ ~It was my Destiny … ~
My Space in the Immense Universe 
Perhaps destiny cannot be avoided. The landscapes accompanying your story are beautiful. Perhaps it’s my destiny to visit one day.
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By: Lignum Draco on 18/11/2017
at 04:47
There are moments when I feel that everything is predestined and other times that I can be the master of my life.Obviously,we have everything we need within us,but it takes time to develop our spiritual growth and understand the real purpose of our existence in this emphemeral world.Thank you for your thoughtful response,dear Draco.
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By: DG MARYOGA on 18/11/2017
at 16:29
[…] The riddle of the sphinx was: […]
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By: ►Greek Mythology: “The Sphinx and her Riddle”.- | La Audacia de Aquiles on 12/03/2015
at 04:36
Excellent post dear Doda… I am adding a tracback to this post from my post “The Sphinx and her Riddle”… Much love & best wishes! Aquileana 🙂
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By: Aquileana on 12/03/2015
at 04:33
Thanks a million times over for appreciating it ! Glad to see your Sphinx post here! All the very best to you Aquileana Dear! Doda 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 12/03/2015
at 04:50
My pleasure to link to your great post Doda ❤ Love ! Aquileana 😀
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By: Aquileana on 12/03/2015
at 04:54
Always thankful!You have ny depest love ~ Doda 🙂 ❤
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By: DG MARYOGA on 12/03/2015
at 05:16
that is a gorgeous landscape 🙂
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By: joshi daniel on 05/03/2015
at 10:46
Thank you so much Joshi,glad you enjoyed it my friend!:)
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By: DG MARYOGA on 05/03/2015
at 15:14
Yes, I remember that famous and tragic story dear Doda. It makes me wonder if Oedipus would be less unlucky if he didn`t try to avoid destiny? I don`t know.
But what beautiful landscapes and pictures, I can`t get enough of them.
Hugs ❤ 🙂
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By: Aditix on 04/03/2015
at 18:54
Oh,dear Aditix,your question declares your anti-fatalistic attitude … That’s a point of a different philosophical theory,of a long-standing question,as I have mentioned above in my post,if you noticed.The Big Qestion mark,your question,has been debatable from time immemorial.Go back to Monist philosophies of the Pre-Socratics and Sophists and you might get the answer …
Did Oedipus act consciously or he was guided by an abstract concept,the so named Destiny ? If you believe in Free Will and Free Thought,then Oedipus’ decision was the mirror of his own personality … There is so much thought behind those allegorical ancient tragedies written by great tragedians and dramatists.
Glad you enjoyed my Parnassus images;it’s one of my favourite mountains,which was the Home of Poetry,Music and Learning.It was sacred to Dionysus, Apollo, and the Muses who lived there and gave artists and thinkers creative inspiration.But,let me come to your place and enjoy your beautiful wintrerscapes and read the sage quotes!
Hugs back to you ❤ 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 19:53
You are such a good story teller! I felt like we were having a cup of tea and I was just listening and sipping away.
So funny with those roads signs…one of the house we lived in carried the address ‘Moorland 22’ ..sounds very rural but it was terrace housing in the middle of city ;0)
keep on telling those stories dear friend, are you going to write a book maybe? xoxo Johanna
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By: colorpencil2014 on 04/03/2015
at 15:27
Oh,Johanna Dear!What a nice feeling to have you at my place and entertain you with a cup of mountain tea and with some Mount Parnassus stories!Alas,Δαύλεια,as you read on the road sign,is the name of the City at the End of the Road not Taken by Oedipus,according to Sophocles’ tragedy.Thank you for viewing my Parnassus photos and for reading my allegorical post …
~ No my sweet friend,I am not going to write any books or such things,I simply keep a WP site just for fun,I am a completely amateur blogger,but I love to meet remarkable and friendly people like you,from all over the world,and exchange ideas and experiences.
See you soon at your place and,who knows,it might be our destiny to enjoy having one more cup of tea together,from the Moorland rural area … lol … Indeed,funny road signs,but maybe years ago,it was rural land (for sale),before constructing the terrace housing.
Enjoy your day my friend 🙂 xxx
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 19:06
Dearest Doda it was a true delight to read your post. I am always enlightened by your knowledge of the ancients and the mythological world. That you live in the midst of these amazing ancient places is utterly awesome. I think we make our own destinies, and I think that you have made a grand one by absorbing the beauty around you that is Greece, and sharing it. I am so very glad that I have had the pleasure to “meet” you and befriend you, and I thank you for this beautiful, thought-provoking post and lovely photos. 😀 ♥ ♥
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By: Jet Eliot on 04/03/2015
at 02:20
Such an honour to have you here Jet Dear,and to know you appreciated my efforts to travel you a bit onto the slopes of Mount Parnassus,which was the Home of Poetry,Music and Learning …Love to walk some ancient trails of a mountain with a history that stretches very back in time.I feel really thrilled when I enter the cave of the Korikion Andron,which was dedicated to Apollo and his nine muses who lived there and gave artists and thinkers creative inspiration.
~Can’t thank you enough for your praiseful comment and for virtually travelling me to exotic places,which are difficult for me to reach.I have met through your narratives and Athena’s camera lens the most beautiful creatures of our planet!I feel “Fortunate” and proud I have met you.I am not an ardent fatalist either,but are we completely Immune to Fate ? I leave you with the ancient Greek motto :
“πεπρωμένο φυγείν αδύνατον “ = “You cannot Fight Fate” ,or in other words : “You cannot Change the Future” ~ and
~ with a Homeric dactylic hexameter which has almost the same philosophical sense : “Όπποτέρω θανάτοιο πεπρωμένον εστίν ” …
You have my love,my appreciation and my admiration for your exceptional work,for being such a prolific writer 🙂 xxx
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 18:15
Dearest Doda, such a joy and thrill to receive this warm and educated response filled with beautiful Greek characters, wise thoughts, and images of ancient trails and caves. My heart is filled with gratitude. ♥ ♥
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By: Jet Eliot on 05/03/2015
at 01:01
~ Mine is too ♥ ♥ ~
I could sense you would appreciate them.Always thankful for your kindness and your nice thoughts.♥ ♥
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By: DG MARYOGA on 05/03/2015
at 01:38
what a wonderful story post Doda and the images superb. The magic (and possible truth) of myth and that these places still exist are a constant source of creative inspiration!!
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By: the dune mouse on 03/03/2015
at 23:55
Absolutely Cybele!Parnassus is one of my favourite Greek mountains,steeped in myth and history and homeland of the legentary Gods and Goddesses.It was sacred to Dionysus, Apollo, and the Muses.Awe I feel when I visit Delphi and the Castalian Spring,a well of poetic inspiration and not only.Thanks kindly for coming by,soon I’ll visit you and get your light … 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 16:52
🙂 much love!
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By: the dune mouse on 04/03/2015
at 18:27
Much love back to you;see you soon at your place … 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 19:10
Quite the story you spin for us here, Doda! And the photos pair well for a mythological powerhouse! As for the riddle about man, oh my! HUGS for your day 🙂 xo
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By: Christy Birmingham on 03/03/2015
at 22:36
Honoured to have known that a talented poetess and writer like you enjoyed my allegorical post and my “Parnassus trek ” adventures on a wintry day!
Here is an excerpt from an essay “The Over-Soul”, written by R.W.Emerson,which I treasure and I dedicate it to you wishing every possible success for your oncoming book “Versions of the Self”
… within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE. And this deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, but the act of seeing and the thing seen, the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, are one. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul …
Thank you Dear Christy,hugs & more back to you 🙂 xxx
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 03:26
Doda!! I am honored that you would dedicate Emerson’s precious words to me. Wow! You’re such a treasure, my friend. Knowing you are supporting me in my next book is truly wonderful – it makes me smile from my soul 🙂 I send you much love! xo
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By: Christy Birmingham on 04/03/2015
at 20:30
It was my pleasure dear Christy,I don’t know how,but I connected the tittles,you know,soul … ,self …
It might be irrelevant,arbitrary,however that’s how I felt then … It doesn’t matter if there are no parallelisms,it’s an inspirational excerpt.~ Looking forward to your next book ~
Love from the heart to you ❤ 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 05/03/2015
at 01:28
It doesn’t look like my comment went through… I’m trying again.
I agree with your readers that you weaved the story so well with you thoughts and photos. The questions are deep, make our own Destiny? Maybe lot of times when we think we are making our own destiny, but we are not…
Love these beautiful photos. Thank you for taking us there and get us to think a little more. ❤ xxx
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By: Amy on 03/03/2015
at 19:42
Amy Dear,your approving comment has smoothly arrived and filled my soul with warm feelings and joy!Why thank you my Lady for your soulfully written thoughts and your friendship!You are such a dear and valued friend 🙂 Love and Peace your way from this end ❤ x
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By: DG MARYOGA on 03/03/2015
at 21:47
And,I deeply appreciate your inspirational work you share with us.It never leaves me apathetic 🙂 ❤ xxx
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 02:03
🙂 ❤ xxx
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By: Amy on 04/03/2015
at 02:28
That is a question that could be debated forever… if you believe time is linear then we could possibly make our own destiny, but if it is not, it’s possible we are going around in circles! Too big a question for me to contemplate so I will have another cup of coffee and move on with the day!
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By: RMW on 03/03/2015
at 18:12
Indeed,dear Roslyn,too debatable an issue,look at what our common WP friend,Maria, wrote and where we have gone … We touched only the surface of it and we almost wrote some other posts … Enjoy your coffee and have a brilliant day my friend 🙂
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By: DG MARYOGA on 03/03/2015
at 21:01
Doda, you documented this post so well, I like the signs contradicting themselves at the beginning, and the art work at the end. I’ve read about Oedipus, and also wrote a poem putting myself in his shoes, and this helped me so much in understanding him. Poetry is such a helpful medium to understand these tragedies.
What a question you ask: “~ Is Destiny an Irresistible Power we cannot control, or we make our own Destiny?” One of the most crucial questions in life that I believe the philosopher Nietzsche and other existentialists began to question, because (apparently religion was in the way, ascribing destiny to God, and not to one’s own actions). This ‘existentialist’ revolt had to happen, but how much did that seem to shake us! Particularly Nietzsche with his ‘God is dead’ claim. Thanks for such a nice post. Maria
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By: Maria F. on 03/03/2015
at 17:15
~ Your comment an extra chapter added to my allegorical post,a philosophical analysis to my long-standing question concerning free will and destiny.Your thoughts and your insight,beyond limits and boundaries and touching deep moral issues.Do we act consciously or we are guided by an abstract concept,which is closer to religion,to God,and it’s a nice pretext of our weakness ? Is our destiny the mirror of our own personality ? And then,we determine Destiny more powerful than free thought and free will …
~ Nietzsche’s claim prompts several replies and it’s not so clear and simple as it shows;our free thought enables us to see deeper than the surface of the claim… If we start discussing it here,we’ll be caught in a vicious circle,I’m afraid.
How wisely you ended your thoughts,dear Maria :
“but how much did that seem to shake us ” …
~ You see how simply I put it up,just with a commonplace road sign,but there is so much behind the Oedipus tragedy and the crossroads passing … and the silly riddle … Even the Artwork with the raw materials at the very end of my post, is more than it shows,it’s an allegory having to do with life and the Matter in our Universe …
~ Our WP friends arrive here at the “crossroads”,a few will fathom their thoughts into … Some might like the Mount Parnassus scapes,or the “at one with the roof” photo,or the plot of the tragedy …
~ Interesting to hear about the poem you wrote;indeed,writing or reading poetry is a means of understanding people more … That’s what I always believe about poetry … Seemingly,Maria Dear,your plants and your flowers with the marvellous petals are a solid bridge that connects you with the Miracle of Life & Thought …
Thanks for the insightful and soulful thoughts you left under my humble post 🙂 Here comes an ancient Greek motto for you :
” πεπρωμένο φυγείν αδύνατον “
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By: DG MARYOGA on 03/03/2015
at 20:53
Thanks so much Doda! Humans definitely seem to be able to forge their own destiny, but only up to a certain extent, when Nature takes over, the cycle then ends. One thing about humans though, is that they aim for the divine, they need to capture the “spirit”, through works of art, music, architecture and technology, to solve a “human” puzzle, and countless of civilizations tried to do it, and continue to do so. This is why after Baruch Spinoza, Pantheism was born, and Einstein thought we needed religion to “humble” ourselves; because the universe was so unpredictable and divine. What a post Doda!
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By: Maria F. on 03/03/2015
at 21:06
And what discussions the free will of the mind and your philosophical attitude have raised!You send me back to Monist philosophies of the Pre-Socratics and Sophists.Name it Nature or God,Him the ever-living,the Ultimate Power is everywhere and we,particles of Cosmos, observing and seeking the Supreme Divinity in all its forms,to find peace and reunite with their source. If the source is in this Universe or in a parallel one,we are always behind the Divine Reason …
~ Thank you Maria for your light and your deep thoughts that emanate from your restless mind,your free will … ~
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 01:46
You’re welcome Doda, and I’m sorry if I wrote too much…😞
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By: Maria F. on 04/03/2015
at 01:57
Sorry ? What for ?
For your penetrating thoughts,the spiritual journeys of your soul that break any boundaries to meet the Divine ? !!!
I leave you with a content smile and :Thus Spoke Zarathustra:
O man, take care!
What does the deep midnight declare?
“I was asleep—
From a deep dream I woke and swear:—
The world is deep,
Deeper than day had been aware.
Deep is its woe—
Joy—deeper yet than agony:
Woe implores: Go!
But all joy wants eternity—
Wants deep, wants deep eternity.”
Thank you Maria Dear for looking deeper at my allegorical post,which was more than a trek in Mount.Parnassus …
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 02:43
Thank you for such a beautiful excerpt from Nietzsche, a man who knew too well the inner conflicts and sufferings of humanity. 😊
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By: Maria F. on 04/03/2015
at 03:37
Thank you;I could sense you would appreciate it Maria ⭐
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By: DG MARYOGA on 05/03/2015
at 04:47
Wow… now that was a story.. well told.. and I loved how you weaved it in to the places you have visited which held the story..
I am often in ore at these type of mythological stories.. And what with you and another blogging friend Aquileana.. I am learning much about the Greek.. 🙂
I hope the storm soon passed and you enjoyed your refreshment.
Love and Hugs Doda xxx
Sue xxx
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By: Sue Dreamwalker on 03/03/2015
at 16:52
Oh,Sue Dear ! You got the bullet train that speeds off to its destinations and here you are!So delighted to hear you liked my allegorical post and the tragedy that took place in Mount Parnassus …
Yes,the storm soon subsided and off we went to a nearby ski resort to replenish our energy and creatively guide our thoughts …
Love and hugs back to you Sue 🙂 xxx ❤
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By: DG MARYOGA on 03/03/2015
at 21:15
Glad to hear it.. and yes that bullet train gets everywhere 🙂 xxx Hugs back xx
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By: Sue Dreamwalker on 03/03/2015
at 22:01
Yes,like the Train of Thought … the Train of your own Thought that took with it plenty of passengers … My own train of thought has already started its long journey,thanks to you.Hugs and more ~ ~ xxx
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By: DG MARYOGA on 04/03/2015
at 01:55