Tradition / Region: Ancient Mediterranean (Libya and wider Mediterranean)
Alternate Names: —
Category: Spider / Grape
The Myth
The Rhox is described in ancient sources as a deadly creature resembling a spider, known throughout parts of the Mediterranean world. Its name was said to indicate a likeness to a grape, and some associated it with a creature called the rhogalida, or “grape-spider,” spoken of on Crete. Others placed the Rhox in Libya, though it was also described as a spider commonly known around the Mediterranean.
According to descriptions attributed to Nicander, Philumenus, and Pliny, the Rhox was a kind of spider or phalangion. It was said to have a toothed mouth located in the middle of its body and short, thick legs that moved one after another in sequence. Its color was described as smoky or pitch-black.
The venom of the Rhox was believed to be instantly deadly. Those bitten were said to suffer strange and terrifying symptoms, including the appearance of web-like strands in their urine. Because of this, the Rhox was feared as one of the most lethal creeping creatures known.
Some later accounts noted that the Rhox’s form and deadly nature resembled other dangerous spiders known in the Mediterranean, though the exact identity of the creature remained uncertain. In all tellings, the Rhox endured as a small but terrifying being, whose bite brought swift and unnatural death.