Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Fall 2005)
pp. 71-80

Did Oedipus Have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder?
Ernest L. Abel

One of the great puzzles about Sophocles' play, Oedipus Tyrannus, is that the prophecy around which the story is built seemingly has no basis. Likewise puzzling is Oedipus' many character flaws, least of which is his total obliviousness to his city's immediate past. This article argues that although Sophocles framed the story as a man condemned by a prophecy, the original legend attributed his fate and his flawed character to the consequences of being conceived by a drunken father.