Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus deals with the hero's death in the sacred enclosure of the Eumenides. This essay examines the traditions about the presence of Oedipus in Attica (probably more ancient than Sophocles' tragedy), and the peculiar treatment of this topic in Sophocles' tragedy with a specific regard to the figure of the protagonist. The first section deals with the mythical and cultual traditions about Oedipus after his departure from Thebes, with special reference to the Attic versions as they can be drawn from the atthidographers (Androtion), and to the Boiotian ones (Lysimachus, with reference to the death and burial of Oedipus at Eteonos). The second and major section examines Sophocles' treatment of these more ancient versions and exploits the many features of originality of this tragic version. The essay gives special emphasis to Oedipus' new relationship with Thebes, his status as hero-cult, his new relationship with the goddesses of Colonus, and finally to his exceptional death. Oedipus' death is strongly tied to the resting place of Colonus and to Athens, but the future prosperity of the city does not concern the destiny of the protagonist. Oedipus aims only at finding in Colonus an end to his long sufferings.
