TIRESIAS
Blindness, Gender, and Prophecy The myth of Tiresias (Greek: Τειρεσίας ) stands as one of the most psychologically profound and enduring narratives in classical mythology. As the blind seer of Thebes, Tiresias represents a bridge between opposing realms: humanity and the divine, life and death, man and woman, physical blindness and spiritual illumination. His figure serves as a crucial narrative pivot across some of the greatest epics and tragedies of antiquity. Literary Context and Authorship The character and legends of Tiresias are documented by several foundational classical authors, each embedding him within distinct literary currents: Homer (Greek: Ὅμηρος ) – In the Odyssey (Book XI), written around the 8th century BCE within the tradition of Archaic Greek Epic Poetry, Tiresias is the only dead soul in the Underworld who retains his intellect and memory without drinking sacrificial blood. Sophocles (Greek: Σοφοκλῆς ) – Writing in the 5th century BCE during the Classical Greek ...