# Who is Theseus in Oedipus at Colonus?

> Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles

## Answer

Theseus is king of Athens, the host who welcomes Oedipus to Colonus despite fear of pollution and Theban threats. He pledges protection, rescues Antigone and Ismene from Creon, and alone accompanies Oedipus to the secret death rite. His virtue is lawful strength — he can fight but prefers justice and oaths.

Theseus embodies the civic ideal Sophocles praises: a ruler who honors gods, strangers, and promises. Oedipus rewards him with Athens’s future safety through the hidden tomb. For students, Theseus is the counterweight to Creon and to the sons — kingship that listens and shields rather than grabs. Link him to hospitality theme names and to the play’s historical context praising Athens while warning against betrayal of suppliants.

## Evidence

- [oedipus-at-colonus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/oedipus_at_colonus_se/chapters/oedipus-at-colonus.md): Theseus grants asylum and confronts Creon over the kidnapping.

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