To the riddles thus presented to him by Oidipous’s speech, Kreon’s answer is; “You will speak, and when I hear, I’ll know (εἴσομαι κλύων).” This combination recalls Oidipous’s words, when he insisted near the play’s beginning that he “thoroughly understood [about Laios] by hearing [from Kreon]” (ἔξοιδ᾽ ἀκούων; l. 105). [Gd] At that moment he in fact thoroughly understood nothing despite having received a tip from the Oracle and then having seen Laios with his own eyes. Kreon’s present wording differs significantly from Oidipous’s, however, by suggesting that rather than working outward (ἐξ) from his own assumptions, his listening (κλυών) is enhanced by looking further into the matter (εἴσομαι), which he does by asking for clarification. [Mpea] Kreon now rules in accord with his name (κρέων), but his strength comes not from knowledge or understanding that he carries with him (as Oidipous carries in his name the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle), but from knowledge that he can acquire through listening (κλύων) to both men and gods. That Oidipous has pressed once more for exile underscores his resistance to listening. He has heard, but he has not understood, apparently because he refuses to accept the decision of another. Kreon’s decision, by contrast, is guided by the commitment to hear from a more competent authority. [Md]