Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)

by Stephen Fry

“Haven’t you heard tell of the Sphinx?” “No. What is a ‘Sphinx’?” “I’m a poor man.” Oedipus sighed and dropped a coin into the man’s outstretched palm. “Thankee kindly, sir.” The old man wheezed and crinkled his eyes. “Some say the Sphinx was sent by the Queen of Heaven herself as a punishment to King Laius. You’ve heard of him, at least?” Oedipus had always paid attention in the schoolroom. He had been obliged to commit to memory endless lists of dull provincial kings, princes, and tribal chiefs. “Laius, King of Thebes. Son of Labdacus, son of Polydorus, son of Cadmus.” “You’ve got him. Great-grandson of the sower of the dragon’s teeth himself. Husband to Queen Jocasta and a mighty powerful king and lord.” “So why would Hera wish to punish him?” “Ah, well now. He raped Chrysippus of Pisa, so they say. The lad killed himself, at any rate.” “I heard the story. But surely that was ages ago?” “Twenty years or more. But what’s that to the gods?” “And so she sent this sphincter . . .?” “Ha! You’re a funny one. Sphinx, I said. Terrible creature, head of a mortal woman, but the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. You don’t want to mess with her. She stands at the top of the pass there, just where you was headed. She stops every traveler with a riddle. If they can’t answer it right, she throws them down to their deaths on the rocks below. Nobody’s answered the riddle yet. Trade nor traffic from the north can’t get through to Thebes. You want to go there, you’d best go all the...