The phrase “at a child’s hand” suggests both that the gods employ mortal hands to allow them to intervene in mortal lives and that the gods’ time frame differs from that of mortals, for it was no child that killed Laios. [Apamu] That Oidipous is only now, well into middle age, being led to discover that he killed his father and married his mother in accordance with a prophecy first delivered to his father before he was born indicates that the gods have time on their side. [Mp] That Laios’ child executed the killing as prophesied shows that the god can engage mortals as unaware media in the performance of deeds, yet clearly the gods wish mortals to gain a better understanding of the relationship between them, for Apollo is presently at great pains to bring awareness to Oidipous. [Dnc] Since this awareness will necessarily cause Oidipous great suffering, the audience will infer that the god requires for Oidipous to suffer. As the audience has just inferred (cf. m713.1), Oidipous’s suffering is made necessary by his lack of receptivity. The greater this lack, the greater the suffering. [Md] [Mw]