Laius
- son of Labdacus, king of Thebes, and father of Oedipus, Cic. Tusc. 4, 33, 71; id. Fat. 13, 30; Stat. Th. 2, 7; 66.
- —Hence, Lāĭădes, ae, m., a male descendant of Laius, i.e. Oedipus, Ov. M. 7, 759.
Vestimenta alio colore non induatis, nisi Laia, lactina et nigra nativa.Idem in Regula ad Virg. cap. 40 :
Omnia vero indumenta simplici tantum et honesto colore habeant, nunquam nigra, non lucida, sed tantum Laia, vel lactina.Cap. seq. :
Tinctura in Monasterio nulla alia fiat, nisi, ut supra dictum est, Laia et lactina.Idem repetit Cæsarius in Recapitul. cap. 7. ut et S. Aurelianus in Reg. ad Virg. cap. 22. et S. Donatus in Reg. cap. 63.
(Λάϊος).
1. A son of Labdacus, and father of Oedipus. After his father's death he was placed under the guardianship of Lycus, and on the death of the latter, Laius was obliged to take refuge with Pelops in Peloponnesus. But when Amphion and Zethus, the murderers of Lycus, who had usurped his throne, had lost their lives, Laius returned to Thebes, and ascended the throne of his father. He married Jocaste (Homer calls her Epicaste), and became by her the father of Oedipus, by whom he was slain without being known to him. His body was buried by Damasistratus, king of Plataeae. (Hdt. 5.59; Paus. 9.5.2; Apollod. 3.5.5, &c.; Diod. 5.64; comp. Oedipus.)
2. A Cretan, who, together with Aegolius, Celeus, and Cerberus, entered the sacred cave of bees in Crete, in order to steal honey. They succeeded in their crime, but perceived the cradle of the infant Zeus, and that instant their brazen armour broke to pieces. Zeus thundered, and wanted to kill them by a flash of lightning; but the Moerae and Themis prevented him, as no one was allowed to be killed on that sacred spot, whereupon the thieves were metamorphosed into birds. (Ant. Lib. 19; Plin. Nat. 10.60, 79.) [L.S]
(Λαΐος). King of Thebes, son of Labdacus, husband of Iocasta, and father of Oedipus, by whom he was slain. See Oedipus.
- king of Thebes: Hdt. 5.59; Paus. 9.5.5-10
- the government of Thebes usurped in his childhood: Apollod. 3.5.4
- expelled by Amphion and Zethus: Apollod. 3.5.5
- received by Pelops in Peloponnese: Apollod. 3.5.5
- loves Chrysippus, son of Pelops, and carries him off: Apollod. 3.5.5
- succeeds to the kingdom of Thebes and marries Jocasta (Epicasta): Apollod. 3.5.6
- exposes his son Oedipus: Apollod. 3.5.7
- has sons by concubines: Paus. 9.26.3
- reveals oracle to his bastard daughter: Hdt. 5.43; Paus. 9.26.3
- slain by Oedipus at Cleft Way: Apollod. 3.5.7, Apollod. 3.5.7; Paus. 10.5.3ff.
- buried by Damasistratus: Apollod. 3.5.7
- games in honour of, at Thebes: Apollod. 3.15.7
- his tomb: Paus. 10.5.4
- his Furies: Paus. 9.5.15
- his guilty descendants: Paus. 4.8.8