In a land where gods and mortals intertwined,
Where fate's cruel threads forever bind,
I'll tell you a tale of ancient renown,
Of a man named Oedipus, and his tragic crown.

Listen closely, Dreamer, to this epic we weave,
In the language of myth, where truths often deceive.
With rhymes that enthrall, like a symphony's call,
Our story unfolds, like a tapestry on a wall.

From Oracle's curse to a kingdom's lament,
The journey of Oedipus, so heaven-sent.
With riddles and prophecies, enigmas untold,
In the annals of time, its secrets we'll unfold.

Through darkness and light, despair and delight,
Oedipus's fate, a relentless, unyielding fight.
So, Dreamer, heed well, the lessons to glean,
In the tapestry of life, the threads of fate's scheme.

Join me, dear Dreamer, as we embark on this quest,
To unravel the myth and put fate to the test.
With each chapter, a revelation unfurls,
In the ancient land of gods and mortals, where destiny whirls.

Greco-Roman Tome: Oedipus Curse

Chapter 1: The Oracle's Curse

In ancient Thebes, where shadows cast their gloom,
A prophecy did weave a tale of certain doom.
A king and queen, so noble and so grand,
Were burdened by a fate they could not withstand.

In a palace of marble, riches untold,
King Laius and Queen Jocasta ruled, strong and bold.
Yet, a shadow loomed, a prophecy dire,
A curse that set their hearts and souls afire.

The Oracle, a vessel of truth profound,
Foretold a future that made their hearts pound.
Their child, so innocent, would bring despair,
And a kingdom once cherished, it would tear.

Oedipus, the babe, so pure and sweet,
Innocence marred by a destiny replete.
He'd spill his father's blood, it was decreed,
And wed his mother, a ghastly, wicked creed.

The palace walls whispered secrets untold,
As the gods spun a tale of darkness and gold.
Dreamer, heed this tale of sorrow and strife,
For Oedipus's fate is woven with the thread of life.
Stay with me, Dreamer, and you shall see,
How the threads of fate weave a tragic tapestry.

Chapter 2: The Road to Corinth

In the land of Corinth, where destiny's song did hum,
A tale of Oedipus, an adopted prince, had just begun.
His cradle had rested, far from Thebes' domain,
In the royal courts of Corinth, where he did gain.

His life, though seemingly sheltered and well-bred,
Was a tapestry of secrets, all carefully spread.
For he knew not the truth of his lineage fair,
And the weight of fate's unseen, looming snare.

The city's noble court, a façade so grand,
But behind closed doors, Oedipus could not understand.
A simple twist of fate, a chance encounter on the road,
Would soon unveil the secrets that destiny bestowed.

To Corinth, he believed he was the heir,
The king's beloved son, free from every care.
But in the shadows of the past, a truth did hide,
That destiny's cruel hand would never be denied.

From his princely life, he did suddenly flee,
Seeking answers, the truth, and his true family tree.
The journey was fraught with perils and strife,
As Oedipus sought to decipher his life.

He traveled the roads, rough and unkind,
In search of the answers he hoped to find.
Yet, little did he know, as his footsteps strayed,
That destiny's trap had already been laid.

Now, Dreamer, heed this tale with bated breath,
As Oedipus' journey leads to life and death.
Stay close, dear Dreamer, as the plot does thicken,
In the heart of Corinth, where secrets shall quicken.
For Oedipus, unknowing, treads the fateful line,
Where past and future, inextricably entwine.

Chapter 3: Encounter with Fate

Now to the land of Thebes, where shadows grew long,
Our hero Oedipus journeyed, both resolute and strong.
At a crossroads, fate whispered in the evening breeze,
And a chance encounter soon brought him to his knees.

A group of travelers, they blocked his path that day,
An altercation brewing in a most peculiar way.
Unbeknownst to Oedipus, his real father stood before,
And in that fateful moment, blood would stain the floor.

Innocence shattered, destiny unfurled,
He killed his own father, in this strange and twisted world.
The prophecy fulfilled, the curse it did ignite,
As Oedipus unknowingly plunged into the night.

But the tale of his journey, dear Dreamer, is not yet complete,
For Oedipus's path is fraught with trials, bittersweet.
So, Dreamer, hold tight to this tapestry of woe,
As Oedipus's saga continues to ebb and flow.

With courage in his heart and purpose in his stride,
Oedipus ventured forth, his fate he could not hide.
To the city of Thebes, where despair did reside,
A monstrous Sphinx held sway, its riddles far and wide.

Chapter 4: The Riddle of the Sphinx

In Thebes, a city gripped by fear and woe,
There lurked a monstrous beast, the Sphinx, you know.
With wings of eagle and a lion's mien,
A riddle she posed, a puzzle yet unseen.

Her voice, a siren's song, both enchanting and dark,
As she blocked the city's gate, a menacing mark.
She challenged each soul who dared draw near,
To answer her riddle, to quell their fear.

"Listen closely, Dreamer," I softly implore,
As Oedipus faced the Sphinx at the city's door.
With furrowed brow and courage ablaze,
He stepped forward, his destiny to embrace.

"Speak your riddle, Sphinx," he boldly proclaimed,
For Oedipus's intellect, the gods had acclaimed.
Her riddle, a puzzle of cunning design,
Was a test of wit, a challenge divine.

"In the morning, I crawl upon four,
At noon, I stand on two legs, no more.
But as evening descends, I'm feeble and slow,
On three legs, I hobble, my weakness to show."

Dreamer, can you decipher this cryptic lore?
It's a riddle of life, of our essence at its core.
Oedipus pondered, his mind awhirl,
Seeking the answer, the key to unfurl.

The hours passed by, but Oedipus stayed true,
To unravel the riddle, his purpose in view.
With wisdom and insight, he finally spoke,
"The answer, fair Sphinx, is humankind's yoke!"

Yes, Dreamer, you see, the riddle's decree,
Is a reflection of life's complexity.
In the dawn of our days, we're born and we crawl,
In the noon of our lives, we stand proud and tall.

But as evening approaches, our strength does wane,
And we lean on a cane, a symbol of pain.
The Sphinx was defeated, her power undone,
By Oedipus, the hero, the chosen one.

With the city of Thebes now free from her grasp,
Oedipus had triumphed in a courageous clasp.
But little did he know, as the future unfurled,
More trials and tribulations would yet be hurled.

With a grateful city, he was crowned their new king,
He married Jocasta, his mother queen, praises she did sing.
Yet shadows of the past, like specters they loom,
And destiny's threads continue to consume.

A plague descended, a curse from above,
A city in torment, a kingdom without love.
Oedipus, with a heavy heart and furrowed brow,
Vowed to save his people, to find a way somehow.

He sought the counsel of seers and sages,
To decipher the gods' enigmatic messages.
And in his quest for truth, he would uncover,
A revelation so cruel, it would make him suffer.

Chapter 5: Shattered Illusions

Life was not of worth… shadows grew long,
As Oedipus' fate had all gone wrong.
Blinded by truth, he wandered afar,
Just to return and inflict a scar.

On the aftermath, he roamed the night,
Seeking solace, a flicker of light.
His eyes may be shrouded in endless night,
But his heart still yearned for the morning's light.

With every step, the echoes resound,
A once-proud king, now humbled, unbound.
The weight of his sins, he bore on his back,
A heavy burden, an eternal lack.

In darkness deep, his tears did flow,
As he faced the truth, the depths of woe.
He couldn't escape the cruel decree,
The twisted fate that would always be.

Now, dear Dreamer, heed this tale's plea,
For in Oedipus' agony, there's wisdom to see.
The threads of fate, we cannot control,
But our actions can shape our very soul.

The moral of this tale, clear and true,
Is that destiny's path, we all must pursue.
But in facing our flaws, and embracing the pain,
We find the strength to begin again.

So, Dreamer, remember Oedipus' plight,
As you journey through your own endless night.
In the darkest hour, when all seems lost,
Find the courage to pay the ultimate cost.

For in the depths of despair, we can find our way,
And emerge from the shadows into the day.
In the face of fate, let your spirit be free,
And shape your own myth, for all to see.