Kreon terms Laios a “leader” (ἡγεμών) immediately after using the term ἄναξ (“lord,” “master;” used of a god, prophet, or king) to address Oidipous. It seems that he means to accord Oidipous higher status than Laios (he may be flattering him) [Md], but to do this he misapplies the terms, for Laios inherited his position, making the term ἄναξ an appropriate descriptor, while Oidipous acquired his position by merit, which makes “leader” the better term. His position was then legitimated by an illegitimate marriage to the queen. In conjunction with the fairytale formulation with which Kreon begins, the obfuscation of actual relationships by giving them names that do not properly fit raises questions about the reliability of his speech. How is Oidipous to discover the truth if his informant feeds him misinformation? [Mpew]