Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta who were the king and queen of Thebes.  One day when Laius went to the oracle it warned him that his son would be his downfall, that he was to be murdered by him.  Lauis in fear and without thinking ordered that his son be slain.  However, his son was hidden and was found by peasants who raised him as their own child.  

Growing up as a young man Oedipus was completely unaware of who he in fact was! Walking on the road one day he met his biological father and became engrossed in a very heated argument with him.  Soon Oedipus and his father began to fight and the prophesy came to fruition as Oedipus struck and killed his father. 

At this time the city of  Thebes was plagued by the horrible Sphinx.  The Sphinx would routinely ask the passerby's a riddle and whoever could not answer it would be snatched up and eaten by the beast, see  The Riddle of the Sphinx. 

Oedipus then went before the Sphinx and asked it to tell him the riddle, upon telling him Oedipus responded with the correct answer to the riddle.  The Sphinx was horrified that its' riddle had been finally answered and threw itself on the surrounding rocks bringing an end to its' horrible existence.

The people of Thebes were overjoyed that they finally had been freed of the curse of the Sphinx.  To honor Oedipus's accomplishment  Oedipus was made king of Thebes, and he took as his wife the former queen Jacosta. 

The prophesy was now complete as it had foretold that Oedipus would not only kill his father but would also marry his mother!  When Oedipus finally learned what he had done to his father and mother he became insane, plucking out his eyes, wandering pointlessly across the countryside of Thebes until his death.