Oidipous reasons that the people have nothing to fear, because the enormity of the crime bears solely upon him, yet the audience understands that Thebes was already polluted at the play’s opening tableau, when it showed that its faith in its ruling family eclipsed its faith in Apollo. Thebes’ citizenry has everything to fear from proximity to him–especially to his attitudes. The audience should consequently question the statement with which Oidipous concludes and find that he is not alone among mortals capable of bearing the ills of impious behavior (κακά); any mortal population that behaves as inconsistently towards its gods as he has can expect to meet with equally grievous treatment at their hands. The plague that Apollo has inflicted on Thebes is not directed solely or even primarily at Oidipous’s suffering, it is aimed at making a display of the consequences that can be expected of Theban-style impiety. Similarly, the audience can now view the Athenian plague as a divine response to Theban-style impiety to be met with in Athens. [P] [Mpea] [Aj] [Mw] [Gt-a]