Expressing the wish it had never seen Oidipous, the Chorus may mean either that it wishes it had never found out the truth of his parentage or that he had never come to Thebes as its apparent savior. If the former is its wish, then it is wishing for ignorance, an attitude that is particularly damning in view of the lengths to which the god has gone to reveal the truth. If the latter is its wish, then it is wishing for the reversal of a reality that the god has taken a direct hand to bring about. In either case, the people are implying their preference that the god had never entered into their lives, because their lives would have been better without his interventions. The Chorus’s judgment is based on ignorance, but it is an ignorance from which it could escape, were it to recognize that Apollo is deeply invested in the town’s wellbeing and were it to appreciate that he has been utilizing Delphi to direct Oidipous’s actions on the town’s behalf. [Ad] [Mw] [Apcma] [Apa] That the town wishes away the consequences of Apollo’s engagement suggests that it is blinded by its unwillingness to suffer pain or loss, even when this is necessary to its wellbeing. The audience will begin to see the necessity of distancing itself from Thebes’ preferences, because it might now better understand that Apollo’s action is predicated upon concern for the town’s wellbeing, without the gods’ help mortals are to great suffering, and the gods’ help requires mortal cooperation. The proper wish would be that Oidipous had at the first opportunity put himself entirely into the god’s hands by asking for direction, how best to meet what necessity had in store for him. [Md] [Mpei] [Mpea] [Mw] [Ad] [Apa] [Apc] [Mip]