Oedipus he was her son, begged him to stop his search for Laius' murderer. Oedipus misunderstood her motivation, thinking that she was ashamed of him because he might have been born of low birth. Jocasta in great distress went into the palace where she hanged herself. Oedipus sought verification of the messenger's story from the very same herdsman who was supposed to have left Oedipus to die as a baby. From the herdsman, Oedipus learned that the infant raised as the adopted son of Polybus and Merope was the son of Laius and Jocasta. Thus, Oedipus finally realized that the man
Ascalaphus (son of Acheron) and released him from his prison but then Demeter transformed Ascalaphus into an owl. According to another myth Persephone herself changed him into an owl by sprinkling him with water of the river Phlegethon. Ovid mentions: "So he became the vilest bird; a messenger of grief; the lazy owl; sad omen to mankind." As an owl, he became the familiar bird of Hades, god of the underworld. Ascalaphus (son of Acheron) In Greek mythology, Ascalaphus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀσκάλαφος "Askalaphos") was the son of Acheron and Orphne. Ascalaphus was the custodian of the orchard of Hades. He told the other