Oidipous is driving toward the point that if Teiresias had known Oidipous to be Laios’ killer, he would have said so. By now, however, the audience may suppose that a prophet need not divulge what he knows, especially if the god requires that the information be suppressed. But in fact prophecy (the oracle at Delphi, according to Aeschylus) did mention Oidipous, though not by name, for his prophecies warned that if Laios fathered a child, that child would be his death. Thus, not only does Oidipous’s argumentation negate the conclusion he desires to reach, it allows the audience to recognize the foolishness of ever supposing either that a prophet’s silence stems from ignorance or that a prophecy once uttered can go amiss. If this appears to have occurred, the appearance should itself be treated with great skepticism, for it will eventually be proven false. [Mpea] [Mi] [Apcma] [Apao]