Jocasta

In Greek mythology, Jocasta (/dʒoʊˈkæstə/), also known as Jocaste (Greek: Ἰοκάστη Iokaste) or Epicaste (/ˌɛpɪˈkæsti/; Ἐπικάστη Epikaste), was a daughter of Menoeceus, a descendant of the Spartoi, and Queen consort of Thebes, Greece. She was the wife of first Laius, then of their son Oedipus, and both mother and grandmother of Antigone, Eteocles, Polynices and Ismene. She was also sister of Creon and mother-in-law of Haimon.

After his abduction and rape of Chrysippus, Laius married Jocasta. Laius received an oracle from Delphi which told him that he must not have a child with his wife, or the child would kill him and marry her; in another version, recorded by Aeschylus, Laius is warned that he can only save the city if he dies childless. One night, Laius became drunk and fathered Oedipus with Jocasta.

Jocasta handed the newborn infant over to Laius. Jocasta or Laius pierced and pinned the infant's ankles together. Laius instructed his chief shepherd, a slave who had been born in the palace, to expose the infant on Mount Cithaeron. Laius's shepherd took pity on the infant and gave him to another shepherd in the employ of King Polybus of Corinth. Childless, Polybus and his Queen, Merope (according to Sophocles, or Periboea according to Pseudo-Apollodorus), raised the infant to adulthood.

List of Rome characters

This list is intended as a guide to most characters for the HBO series Rome. More details can be found on the individual character articles linked within the tables, as well as the article Minor characters of Rome.

The historical figures upon which certain characters are based are noted where appropriate.

Additionally, episode-specific and very minor characters may be listed in each episode's article page.

Primary characters

Secondary characters

Minor

Noble characters

Jocasta (comics)

Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is an android created by the villain Ultron.

Publication history

Jocasta first appears in The Avengers (vol. 1) #162 (August 1977) and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.

Jocasta appeared as a supporting character in Avengers Academy from issue #1 (Aug 2010) through issue #21 (Jan 2012) and made sporadic appearances throughout the remainder of the series, appearing regularly again from #34 (Oct 2012) through its final issue #39 (Jan 2013).

Fictional character biography

Jocasta was built by the robot Ultron in an abandoned aerospace research center in Nassau, Long Island, New York, in order that he might have a mate. To better allow this robot sentience, Ultron based her mind and brain patterns on the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). To animate his bride, Ultron also brainwashed Hank Pym into transferring the Wasp's lifeforce into the feminine robotic shell. Ultron named her after Jocasta, the wife/mother in the legend of Oedipus (a reference to the fact that Ultron's obsession with his own creator or "father" which reflects a real-life manifestation of the Oedipus Complex). However, realizing that the Wasp would have to die in order for her to live, Jocasta alerted the Avengers, and the team defeated Ultron and reversed the process, leaving Jocasta a mindless husk.