Mythologis
The Sphinx: The Complete Guide to the Sphinx in Egyptian and Greek Myth

Mythical Creatures Mythology

The Sphinx: The Complete Guide to the Sphinx in Egyptian and Greek Myth

The Guardian of Egypt and the Riddler of Thebes

The complete guide to the sphinx: the great guardian sphinxes of Egypt, the deadly riddling sphinx of Greek myth, the Riddle of Thebes that Oedipus answered, and the meaning of the lion with a human face.

160 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Egyptian and Greek traditions
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01Two Sphinxes, One Image
  2. 02The Lion with a Human Face
  3. 03The Guardian Sphinx of Egypt
  4. 04The Great Sphinx of Giza
  5. 05From Egypt to Greece: The Travelling Image
  6. 06The Monster of Thebes
  7. 07The Riddle of the Sphinx
  8. 08Oedipus and the Answer
  9. 09The Sphinx in Greek Art and Tragedy
  10. 10Sphinxes Beyond Egypt and Greece
  11. 11The Eternal Symbol of Mystery

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

The sphinx of Egypt is a calm guardian with the face of a king. The sphinx of Greece is a winged monster who strangled those who failed her riddle. This is the complete guide to both.

There are really two sphinxes, and they could hardly be more different. The Egyptian sphinx is male, calm and protective, the face of a king on the body of a lion, set to guard temples and tombs for eternity; the most famous of all, the Great Sphinx of Giza, has watched the desert for forty-five centuries. The Greek sphinx is female, winged and deadly, a monster who sat outside Thebes, asked travellers a riddle, and strangled everyone who failed to answer until a stranger named Oedipus walked up the road.

This is the complete guide to the sphinx, both of them. The guardian sphinxes of Egypt and what they meant; the Great Sphinx of Giza and the riddles it still poses to archaeologists; the journey of the image from Egypt through the Near East to Greece; the Riddle of Thebes and the doom of Oedipus; and the sphinx as a symbol of mystery itself, from antiquity to the present.

The book follows the sphinx across two civilizations, drawing on the Egyptian record, the Greek myth and the modern scholarship, and every chapter cites its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Why the sphinx of Egypt is a protector and the sphinx of Greece is a killer
  • The Great Sphinx of Giza and the questions it still raises
  • How the image travelled from Egypt to Greece
  • The Riddle of Thebes and how Oedipus answered it
  • The sphinx in Greek tragedy and vase painting
  • How the sphinx became the very symbol of mystery

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length160 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Does this cover both the Egyptian and the Greek sphinx?

Yes, and the contrast is the heart of the book. The calm male guardian of Egypt and the deadly winged riddler of Greece are two very different beings that share one image, and the book follows that image from Giza to Thebes.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Egyptian monuments and inscriptions, Sophocles, Apollodorus and the Greek sources for the Theban myth, and the evidence of ancient art, with references to the standard editions.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 160 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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