Having insisted that the eyewitness cannot change his report, Iokaste reverses herself and begins to consider the possibility that he might indeed “veer” (ἐκτρέποιτο) from his original story. This verb calls attention to itself; Oidipous used it less than 50 lines earlier (ἐκτρέποντα, l. 806) to describe the action of the charioteer, who by driving his vehicle straight at Oidipous forced him to veer off the path. Iokaste, or perhaps the god speaking through her, now seems to suggest that the sole survivor has something in common with Oidipous. What is the parallel? Oidipous was made to veer by an aggressive force; can the same be said of the eyewitness? If he does veer, it will be because he is compelled to do so by Oidipous, who is in pursuit of the truth, having been set on this course by instructions received from Delphic Apollo. A parallel does begin to emerge, for Oidipous was at the time he encountered Laios’ party at the crossroads in flight from a prophetic message received from Delphic Apollo, while Laios’ party was en route to Delphi to consult Apollo. Apollo is a force behind the movements of all parties touched upon by this parallel. This suggests that the god is behind the summoning of the witness and the recantation that can be expected from him, and this in turn further suggests that the witness’s original testimony may also have had the god’s backing, for had he spoken up soon enough, this might have averted the marriage between Iokaste and Oidipous. Not only is it possible, then, for a mortal to change his statement, this change might accord with the god’s will and have the force of the god’s authority behind it. On the other hand, the parallel shows that no mortal can veer from the path laid out by prophecy. When Oidipous thought he was forced to veer off the path by a belligerent driver, he was in fact subject to the force of the god, who was holding him to the course revealed to him at Delphi. In defeating the men who contested him for the crossroads, Oidipous failed in his determination not to be his father’s murderer. Such obstinacy in regard to prophecy is about to cost Oidipous and Iokaste everything. [Md] [Apao] [Mi]