Oedipus in Transit
On the occasion of the conference Parents and Children. The Sagas of Hate and Love Between Isolation and Dependence, Catania (Italy), May 31st - June 2nd, 2025.
Oedipus in Transit explores the myth of Oedipus not merely as a narrative, but as a symbolic matrix—a lens through which human identity, desire, and knowledge are examined. The title itself suggests movement and transformation, mirroring the dynamic process of analysis and the continuous unfolding of the human psyche.
In psychoanalytic terms, the myth acts as a collective transitional object, bridging internal psychic reality with external cultural structures. As Bion suggested, myths reside alongside dreams on his grid, offering shared meaning across generations.
The guiding compass on this symbolic journey is the Delphic maxim, “Know thyself”. Unlike the Socratic interpretation, for Oedipus, this imperative triggers a tragic, inevitable self-discovery. His inability to recognize his own feet—the very symbols of his path—reflects an unresolved enigma. The act of naming man doesn’t solve the riddle but deepens it. Man, in essence, is the enigma.
This inquiry transcends generational libidinal or aggressive bonds, asking instead: Who am I? Where do I come from? Oedipus becomes both the subject and object of a sequence of events that blur generational boundaries. The Sphinx embodies repressed conflicts and the human confrontation with unknowing—Oedipus represents the state of “not knowing that we do not know”.
Gilda De Simone interprets Oedipus as multifaceted: a child in conflict with family, a seeker of truth, even a metaphor for Freud—caught between resistance and discovery. Bion viewed Oedipus as the triumph of resolute curiosity over intimidation, a symbol of scientific integrity.
Anna Baruzzi notes that the desire to know often reflects an emotional disconnection, especially in children. When emotional contact is re-established, the compulsive need for invasive knowing recedes, revealing deeper needs for understanding maternal emotions, and ultimately, the self.
This path of knowledge is lifelong, rooted in preverbal, sensory, and embodied experience, shaping how we perceive and symbolize the intangible: feelings, identity, and emotional objects.
Freud, in his essay on Leonardo, argued that human destiny often depends on chance—our origins, our psychic makeup—all part of nature’s vast experimentation. We must abandon illusions of divine protection and instead confront the raw contingency of existence.
Oedipus’s journey unfolds across three symbolic cities:
Corinth – the realm of illusion and ignorance, where Edipo is raised in comfort, unaware of his true origins. The apparent harmony masks a lie. This family avoids conflict through denial, raising a child to fulfill their needs, not his own. The absence of a true history leads to an inability to face trauma.
Thebes – the place of revelation and collapse. The mythic plague reflects repressed aggression. Here, Oedipus discovers the truth, shattering his identity. Thebes represents the unconscious and the unavoidable eruption of what is denied. Freud’s “plague” metaphor refers to this psychic confrontation. The truth about Oedipus’s origins is traumatic not because of morality, but because it exposes structural desire.
Colonus – the place of transformation and peace. No longer king or sinner, Oedipus becomes a sacred figure. Athenian soil, unlike Theban denial or Corinthian illusion, holds space for human complexity. Colonus symbolizes the maturity of accepting limits and reconciling with fate. His final disappearance in the sacred grove marks a metaphysical passage, almost shamanic in nature.
Oedipus’s death is sacred and mysterious. Guided by Theseus, he vanishes— no longer a man, but a protective spirit for Athens, a genius loci. This mirrors the transformative arc from human tragedy to spiritual transcendence.
In the end, Oedipus is not just a tragic character, but a map of subjectivity. His families—biological, symbolic, psychological—reflect ways we relate to knowledge, conflict, and growth. Corinth, Thebes, and Colonus become psychic landscapes. To think with Oedipus means to engage in a journey of inner transformation.
Thus, the Oedipus myth isn’t something we leave behind—it’s a story we continually inhabit, through different roles: as children, as parents, as analysts. It challenges us to see how we face truth, how we cope with illusion, and how we turn trauma into meaning.