No mortal endured more terrible a tragedy than Oedipus. He was the son of King Laius, King of Thebes. The Gods forbade him to have offspring, and decreed that if Laius gave birth to a son, that son would kill him. Laius removed Oedipus from Thebes, and he grew up far away from the city, without knowing his true identity or the curse that weighed upon on him.