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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Sphinx riddles: how to find and defeat the mythical beast

Defeat the beast in a battle of wits with answers to all of the Sphinx's riddles

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Sphinx

How do you find and beat the Sphinx in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey? This mythical beast is one of four creatures in the game, and must be defeated in order to access the finale of one of Odyssey’s major questlines.

In order to begin your quest to defeat all of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s mythical beasts, you must first complete the main quest United Front, which is part of Story Sequence 7. Upon completing United Front you’ll unlock the side quest A Family’s Legacy. Head to the island of Thera and complete the light reflection puzzle to unlock the hidden city of Atlantis.

After discovering Atlantis, you will unlock a new quest line: The Gates of Atlantis. To operate the gate, you will need to gather four different artifacts. Each artifact is in the possession of a mythical beast. In this instance, we’ll be retrieving the artifact from Boeotia, which is held by the Sphinx.

Head to Boeotia and seek out Gorgias to start the Lore of the Sphinx quest. He is in the southern part of Lake Kopais, very close the the border. His location is easy to spot as the ruins are made of strange, angular rock, akin to the stones that make up the Ancient Forge where you upgrade the Spear of Leonidas. Talk to Gorgias to unlock the next stage of the quest: find the apprentice and get the amulet.

The apprentice can be found in the northeastern part of the Scorched Rolling Plains, near the Tomb of Menoikeus. It’s not too far from the strange ruins. Retrieve the amulet and you’ll be able to progress onto the Awaken the Myth quest.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Sphinx map

Return to the strange ruins and place the amulet in the altar. This will summon the Sphinx. While she looks ferocious, you won’t actually have to fight her. Instead, you must defeat her in a battle of wits. She will pose you three riddles, and you must select the correct answer from three options.

Many of the riddles are easy to work out, but should you be struggling, you can find the answers to all 12 of the Sphinx’s potential riddles below.

  • Riddle: This thing all things devour: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins towns; and beats high mountains down.
    Answer: Time
  • Riddle: In spring I am gay in handsome array; in summer more clothing I wear; when colder it grows, I fling off my clothes; and in winter quite naked appear.
    Answer: A tree
  • Riddle: I’m alive, but without breath; I’m as cold in life as in death; I’m never thirsty, though I always drink.
    Answer: A fish
  • Riddle: As small as your thumb, I am light in the air. You may hear me before you see me, but trust that I’m here.
    Answer: A hummingbird
  • Riddle: Never resting, never still; moving silently from hill to hill; it does not walk, run or trot; all is cool where it is not.
    Answer: The sun
  • Riddle: What can bring back the dead; make you cry, make you laugh, make you young; is born in an instant, yet lasts a lifetime.
    Answer: Memory
  • Riddle: What is always old and sometimes new; never sad, sometimes blue; never empty, but sometimes full; never pushes, always pulls?
    Answer: The moon
  • Riddle: What is large, yet never grows; has roots that cannot be seen; and is taller than trees?
    Answer: A mountain
  • Riddle: At night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen.
    Answer: Stars
  • Riddle: I create my lair with earthen string, and dispatch my prey with a biting sting.
    Answer: A spider
  • Riddle: Some try to hide, some try to cheat; but time will show, we always will meet. Try as you might to guess my name.
    Answer: Death
  • Riddle: What can run, but never walks; has a mouth, but never talks; has a head, but never weeps; has a bed, but never sleeps?
    Answer: A river

You must answer all three correctly, and also remember all three of your answers. Answer incorrectly and you will be killed and must start the sequence again.

After completing the conversation, glyphs will light up on the surrounding stones. You must activate the glyphs that represent each of your three answers. Then return to the Sphinx to claim the First Civilization artifact. Along with the Prize of the Sphinx, you’ll also receive a Sphinx Figurehead for your ship, and a Mace of the Sphinx weapon.

With the Prize of the Sphinx in hand, you can return to Atlantis and slot the artifact into the far left corner pillar. This will unlock some new First Civilization lore, and complete one stage of The Gates of Atlantis quest.