Jocasta, queen of Thebes

The tragic figure behind the moon’s name.

Published 2026-10-23

In Greek mythology, Jocasta — also rendered Iocaste — was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and to her son, Oedipus.^[5]

Family

She was the daughter of Menoeceus, a descendant of Cadmus, the legendary founder of Thebes. Her siblings were Creon and Hipponome.^[5]

The prophecy

An oracle at Delphi warned Laius that a son would kill him and marry Jocasta. When a son was born, Laius ordered the child killed.^[5]

The tragedy

The child survived. Later, not knowing who he was, Jocasta married Oedipus and had four children with him: Antigone, Eteocles, Polynices and Ismene.^[5] She is best known for her death after discovering his identity.^[5]

Why a moon?

The IAU named the moon after her in October 2002, using an “e” ending because the moon is retrograde.^[1]

Numbered citations link to the sources list on the Iocaste overview page.