Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative Names: Teumesian Fox, Teumessia Fox, Teumessian Vixen
Category: Fox
The Myth
The Teumessian Fox was a gigantic supernatural fox sent by the gods to ravage the countryside around Thebes as punishment for the descendants of Cadmus. Emerging from the region of Teumessus, the monstrous creature preyed upon the people of the land, devouring livestock and carrying off children. Its speed was extraordinary, allowing it to leap over hunting nets and escape every hound sent after it. No hunter could catch it, for the fox was destined never to be captured. To protect their people, the Thebans were forced to sacrifice a child every thirty days, which the beast would seize and devour.
When Creon, ruler of Thebes, asked Amphitryon to help free the land from the creature, he agreed on the condition that the fox be destroyed. Since ordinary hunting was useless, Amphitryon sought the help of Cephalus, an Athenian hero who possessed the magical hound Laelaps. This extraordinary dog was destined to catch whatever it pursued, making it the perfect hunter for a beast that could never be caught. Cephalus brought Laelaps to Thebes, and the hound was unleashed upon the fox. The two supernatural animals raced across the plain, the fox twisting and doubling back while the hound followed relentlessly, seemingly always on the verge of seizing its prey.
Zeus witnessed the impossible chase between two creatures whose destinies could not both be fulfilled: the fox could never be caught, yet the hound could never fail to catch its quarry. To resolve this divine paradox, Zeus transformed both animals into stone. The chase was frozen forever, with the fox captured in the appearance of flight and the hound poised to pounce upon it. Some versions of the myth associate the fox’s destruction with the wrath of Dionysus, while others connect the hunt with the hero Oedipus. In every telling, the Teumessian Fox remains a fearsome creature whose supernatural fate could only be ended by divine intervention.
Sources
Aaron J. Atsma. “Alopex Teumesios (Teumessian Fox).” Theoi Greek Mythology. https://www.theoi.com/Ther/AlopexTeumesios.html