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Trevor Mendola

Mrs. Dietrich

Honors World Literature

March 6, 2017

Tiresias, the Blinded Prophet

Greek mythology is filled with so many interesting characters and creatures; Poseidon,

the Minotaur, Hades, or even the blinded prophet who was transformed into a woman for seven

years when he killed two mating snakes. However strange that last story may sound, there is such

a character in Greek mythology. This character is Tiresias, the Theban prophet who has advised

famous characters in Greek works such as Homers The Odyssey and Sophocles Oedipus the

King and Antigone. Tiresias also has an interesting backstory, consisting of how he was

transformed into a woman, and how he became a blinded prophet.

In the story Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the city of Thebes is suffering from a plague.

The king, Oedipus, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to speak to an oracle about the fate of

Thebes. Creon finds out that when the murderer of the previous king, Laius, is found, the plague

in Thebes will be cured. Oedipus vows to find the murderer to save Thebes. The people of

Thebes advise Oedipus to speak to the blinded prophet, Tiresias, saying, I [The Chorus] know

that what the Lord Teiresias/sees, is most often what the Lord Apollo/sees. If you should inquire

of this from him/you might find out most clearly (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 304-307). The

people of Thebes know that Tiresias prophecies are often the same as the prophecies of the god,

Apollo. They believe that Tiresias should most definitely be trusted and able to help solve the

murder. Tiresias enters and Oedipus asks him to help free Thebes of the plague. Tiresias replies,
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Alas, how terrible is wisdom when/it brings no profit to the man thats wise!/This I knew well,

but had forgotten it,/else I would not have come here (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 346-349).

Tiresias believes wisdom is awful when it does not bear anything for the one who is wise.

Oedipus becomes frustrated with Tiresias, but Tiresias just continues to ask to return home.

Oedipus begs Tiresias to help the people of Thebes, accusing him of betraying the city of Thebes

if he does not aid it (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 368-369). Tiresias continues to deny Oedipus,

infuriating the king. Tiresias says to Oedipus, You blame my temper but you do not see/your

own that lives within you; it is me/you chide (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 377-379). Oedipus

has been accusing Tiresias of being selfish and traitorous to Thebes, but Tiresias points out that

Oedipus is the one who is truly angered. Tiresias serves as a character foil for Oedipus. Tiresias

is even-tempered and remains completely calm while Oedipus continues becoming more

frustrated and hostile. This is the first occasion in Oedipus the King where Oedipus temper is

shown off, which sets up Oedipus future actions in the play (he does many awful things

including multiple murders). Oedipus mocks Tiresias for being blind and accuses him of being a

false prophet. Tiresias replies:

Since you have taunted me with being blind,/here is my word for you./You have

your eyes but see not where you are/in sin, nor where you live, nor whom you live

with./Do you know who your parents are? Unknowing/you are an/enemy to kith

and kin/in death, beneath the earth, and in this life. (Sophocles, Oedipus the King

480-486)

Tiresias acknowledges his blindness but accuses Oedipus of being truly blind. Oedipus does not

recognize his own flaws and does not even know his own parents. Because of this, even though

Oedipus thinks he is the greatest, he will die with no one remembering him. Tiresias also says
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this to Oedipus, A deadly footed, double striking curse,/from father and mother both, shall drive

you forth/out of this land, with darkness on your eyes (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 487-489).

Tiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus is cursed to be blinded and driven out of Thebes, and this

prophecy comes true at the end of the story (Oedipus gouges his eyes out and asks to be banished

from Thebes for the sins he has committed). Oedipus declares that Tiresias leave the city and

curses him (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 503), and as Tiresias is leaving he says, I tell you,

king, this man, this murderer he is hereHe shall be proved father and brother both to his own

childrento her that gave him birth, a son and husband bothGo within, reckon that out, and if

you find me mistaken, say I have no skill in prophecy (Sophocles, Oedipus the King 524-541).

In leaving, Tiresias finally gives Oedipus some insight on the murderer, but he does so in riddles.

Tiresias main role in Oedipus the King is to serve as a character foil for Oedipus and to

foreshadow future events of the story while also setting in motion the search for the murderer.

Tiresias makes a second appearance in the story, Antigone by Sophocles, which takes

place after the events of Oedipus the King. A civil war had occurred in Thebes, one side was led

by Polyneices and the other side was led by Eteocles. Polyneices and Eteocles are brothers and

they both die in battle. Creon is now the new leader of Thebes and he wants to honor Eteocles

through burial but not Polyneices, refusing him a rite of burial. Antigone, sister of both

Polyneices and Eteocles believes that Polyneices should be buried and will do it herself.

Antigone is punished for her actions and is locked up. Tiresias arrives and wants to speak to

Creon saying he has much to tell (Sophocles, Antigone 775). He tells Creon:

I was sitting in my chair of augury, at the place/Where the birds gather about me.

They were all a-chatter,/As is their habit, when suddenly I heard/A strange note in

their jangling, a scream, a/Whirring fury; I knew that they were fightingAnd I
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was afraid./I began the rites of burnt-offering at the altar,/But Hephaistos/failed

me: instead of bright flame,/There was only the sputtering slime of the fat thigh-

flesh/Melting: the entrails dissolved in gray smoke,/The bare bone burst from the

welter. And no blaze!/This was a sign from heaven. My boy described it,/Seeing

for me as I see for others. (Sophocles, Antigone 782-795)

Tiresias explains that as he was listening to the birds, which he does to receive his knowledge of

the future, he heard something strange and when he tried to burn an offering for a sign, there was

no blaze. Tiresias then tells Creon that he has brought this catastrophe upon himself in refusing

to bury Polyneices. He says that the gods are no longer listening to the people of Thebes. He tells

Thebes, Think: all men make mistakes,/But a good man yields when he knows his course is

wrong,/And repairs the evil. The only crime is pride (Sophocles, Antigone 804-806). Creon

refusing to bury Polyneices is wrong but he can be the better man and put everything behind him

and just bury Polyneices to save the city. However, Creon refuses to accept what Tiresias says

and refuses to offer Polyneices burial. Tiresias leaves saying that Creon will be punished for his

sins and will lose his own flesh (Sophocles, Antigone 841-849). In the end, Creons wife

Eurydice and his son Haemon both take their own lives. Tiresias was correct yet again, Creon

lost his own flesh, his son. Tiresias is used in Antigone to foreshadow Creons fate.

Tiresias last major appearance in Greek literature is in Homers The Odyssey. Odysseus

is on his voyage home from Troy but experiences many challenges on his odyssey. Odysseus is

instructed by the nymph, Calypso, to visit Hades to find the prophet Tiresias. Odysseus goes to

Hades and encounters the spirit of Tiresias. Tiresias has still retained his prophetic abilities in

death and recognizes Odysseus immediately. Tiresias tells Odysseus:

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Anguish lies ahead;/the god who thunders on the land prepares itWhen you

make landfall on Thrinacia firstyoull find the grazing herds of Heliosavoid

those kineBut if you raid the beeves, I see destruction/for ship and crew.

Though you survive aloneshall you come home, to find/your own house filled

with trouble: insolent men/eating your livestock as they court your lady. (Homer

79-96)

Tiresias tells Odysseus that Poseidon is angered at what Odysseus did to Polyphemus, Poseidons

son. He also tells Odysseus to avoid the cattle of Helios, or else his crew and ship will be

destroyed. Lastly, he tells Odysseus that there are suitors in Ithaca courting his wife, Penelope

(Homer 79-96). Tiresias role in the Odysseus is to foreshadow events in the future, the suitors in

the land and the death of Odysseus crew.

Not much of Tiresias backstory are revealed in these three works, but he does have some

interesting lore in Greek mythology. According to greekmythology.com, Tiresias is the son of the

shepherd, Everes, and the nymph, Chariclo (Tiresias). Chariclo is the daughter of the goddess

Athena (Wilson), making Tiresias the grandson of Athena. One myth states that, Tiresias was on

Mount Cyllene in the Peloponnese when he found a pair of snakes and killed them. Hera was

angry at his action and decided to change his sexOn the seventh year, Tiresias again found a

pair of snakes, which this time he decided to leave alone, releasing himself from the curse and

becoming a man again (Tiresias). In his time as a woman, according to Erin Tigro, Tiresias

married and had children, and according to greekmythology.com, he served as a priestess of Hera

(Tiresias).

There are two stories surrounding how Tiresias went blind and became a prophet. In the

first story:
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Hera and Zeus disagreed about which of the sexes experienced more pleasure

during sex, with Hera arguing that the answer was men, by far. When they

consulted Tiresias, he asserted that women had greater pleasure than men, and

Hera thereupon struck him blind. Zeus, in thanks for his support, gave him the

gifts of prophecy and longevity (greekmythology.com).

In the second story, according to Encyclopdia Britannica, says that, Tiresias was blinded by

Athena after he saw her bathing. Chariclo begged her to help him, so Athena, instead of restoring

his ability to see the physical world, gave him the ability to see the future. Both of these stories

are very interesting takes on Tiresias and they offer interesting connections between certain gods

and goddesses and Tiresias.

Tiresias, the blinded prophet, has been featured in the famous Greek works Oedipus the

King, Antigone, and The Odyssey. In each work he has had a very similar role, foreshadow

events of the future. His audience was different in each work, however. In Oedipus the King and

Antigone, both people he tried to help refused his prophecy but eventually faced exactly what

Tiresias had predicted. In The Odyssey, Odysseus takes Tiresias advice and lives a good life

after returning to Ithaca. Tiresias is an important character to the Greek pantheon for his role in

Greek works and his interesting lore in Greek mythology.

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Trevor Mendola

Mrs. Dietrich

Honors World Literature

February 22, 2017

Tiresias

Annotated Bibliography

Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Stephen Mitchell. New York: Atria, 2013. Print.

This source was useful because it shows how Tiresias retained his powers after death and
it was the first instance of someone listening to Tiresias advice.
Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

This source was useful because it was a story that included scenes with Tiresias, allowing
readers to have better insight as to how he behaved, and his personality.
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Trans. David Grene. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

This source was useful because it was a story that included scenes with Tiresias, allowing
readers to have better insight as to how he behaved, and his personality.
"Teiresias." Greekmythology.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Figures/Teiresias/teiresias.html>.

This source was useful because it had information about many details of Tiresias. It
included both accounts of his blindness and prophetic powers and had an account of his death.
The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Tiresias." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia

Britannica, Inc., 10 June 2016. Web. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tiresias>.

This source was useful because it included many different facets of Tiresias life. It
included both origins of his blindness and powers and how he was involved in other writings,
including The Odyssey.
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Tigro, Erin. "Tiresias of The Odyssey: Mythology, Overview." Study.com. Study.com, n.d. Web.

<http://study.com/academy/lesson/tiresias-of-the-odyssey-mythology-lesson-quiz.html>.

This source was useful because it had information about many details of Tiresias. It
included both accounts of his blindness and prophetic powers and his involvement in The
Odyssey.
Wilson, Andrew. "Tiresias." The Classics Pages. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/tiresias.htm>.

This source was useful because it had information about many details of Tiresias. It
included both accounts of his blindness and prophetic powers and his involvement in The
Odyssey.
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Tiresias Outline
I. Introduction
A. Grabber: Greek mythology is filled with so many interesting characters and creatures;
Poseidon, the Minotaur, Hades, or even the blinded prophet who was transformed into a
woman for seven years when he killed two mating snakes. However strange that last
story may sound, there is such a character in Greek mythology.
B. Thesis: This character is Tiresias, the Theban prophet who has advised famous characters
in Greek works such as Homers The Odyssey and Sophocles Oedipus the King and
Antigone. Tiresias also has an interesting backstory, consisting of how he was
transformed into a woman, how he became a blinded prophet, and his death.

II. Main Points

A. Tiresias was called to help Oedipus in Oedipus the King
B. Tiresias was called to help Creon in Antigone
C. Tiresias spirit gave Odysseus advice in the Odyssey
D. Tiresias killed two mating snakes and was transformed into a woman
E. Tiresias has two different stores surrounding how he became a blinded prophet

III. Body
A. Main Point I: Tiresias was called to help Oedipus in Oedipus the King
1. Details
a. Tiresias is called to help figure out who killed Laius and cure Thebes of the
plague
b. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he does not wish to help him and this frustrates
Oedipus
c. Oedipus becomes enraged at Tiresias and tells him to leave
d. Tiresias finally reveals some information about the future and leaves
B. Main Point II: Tiresias was called to help Creon in Antigone
1. Details:
a. Tiresias comes to Thebes to inform Creon about a sign he received
b. Tiresias tells Creon he must bury Polyneices or else Thebes will be cursed
c. Creon curses Tiresias and banishes him
d. Tiresias leaves telling Creon his fate, which comes true in the end
C. Main Point III: Tiresias spirit gave Odysseus advice in The Odyssey
1. Details:
a. Odysseus goes into Hades and encounters Tiresias, who still has his prophetic
abilities
b. Tiresias tells Odysseus that Poseidon is angered with him
c. Tiresias tells Odysseus to stay away from Helios cattle
d. Tiresias tells Odysseus that Ithaca is overrun by the suitors
D. Main Point IV: Tiresias killed two mating snakes and was transformed into a woman
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1. Details:
a. Tiresias killed two mating snakes
b. Hera was angered and transformed him into a woman
c. Tiresias married, had kids and worked as a priestess of Hera
d. Tiresias saw two mating snakes again but left them alone, lifting his curse
E. Main Point V: Tiresias has two different stores surrounding how he became a blinded
prophet
1. Details:
a. Hera and Zeus were arguing about who felt more pleasure during sex
b. Tiresias said that women did, this angered Hera and she made Tiresias blind, but
Zeus compensated and gave Tiresias the gift of prophecy
c. Tiresias saw Athena bathing and she blinded him
d. Chariclo begged Athena to give his vision back and instead gave him the gift of
foresight

IV. Conclusion
A. Restate Thesis: Tiresias is an important character to the Greek pantheon for his role in
Greek works and his interesting lore in Greek mythology.