The Thebans
probably did not chase Laius' murderer because they were distracted by the lifting of the plague
laid on the city of Thebes by the Sphinx. Whenarrived in the city and solved the riddle of the
Sphinx (What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the
afternoon? Answer: man), the plague that the city has suffered is gone, and the city rejoices.
They reward Oedipus by giving him the queenin marriage and making him their new king.
Another reason may be that the only man who survived the attack at the place where
three roads meet when Laius was killed reported that a band of murderers killed the king and his
entourage. Only one man escaped. This man chooses to leave Thebes to become ain the mountains
without telling the truth, that only one man--the man who has just been crowned king--was
responsible for Laius' death. The citizens of Thebes may figure that attempting to locate all of
this so-called band of murderers is a futile search.
More than likely,
however, the reason is their celebration because the deadly plague is
over.
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