Teiresias
The name Teiresias was always associated with great premonition, prophecy and blinded sight – that is the sight of those mere mortal could not reach. He was indeed one of the most renowned soothsayers in Greece back in the days. He was the son of Eueres, the shepherd, and his mother, Chariclo, is the nymph. Teiresias’ name appeared in many Greek tragedies in the history of Thebes such as in ‘The Bacchae’, by Euripides, in ‘Oedipus the King’ by Sophocles, and in Aeschylus' ‘Seven Against Thebes’. Nevertheless, though there were several differences in these three plays, however, in all of these plays, Teiresias great insight of the future is always the same. There are several versions of how he was losing his visual sight and received such great insight of the future.
First, there is this legend that related to the goddess Athena. It was said that, Teiresias was blinded from his sight after he had accidentally saw the Goddess bathing. Athena was furious and splurges the water to his eyes and as the punishment, he took away his sight. When Teiresias mother found out about this, she begged the Goddess to withdrawn her curse, however the curse could not be withdrawn, so instead of healing him, she soon blessed him with the great insight of the future.
Second legend derived from the legend of which it was being said that Teiresias had killed two snakes while they were mating. Hera, the Goddess cursed him into a woman. Teiresias then became priests to Hera and got married and got children. However, soon he repeated his action and he was again turn onto man.
Third legend derived from the second legend, after that, Hera and Zeus was having an argument on who has more pleasure in sex, male or female. As Teiresias experienced both, he was asked to answer this, Hera then was not contend with Teiresias’ answer had turned him blind. Zeus could not undo them so he had bestowed upon Teiresias the gift to foreseen future and life of seven generations.
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