Abstract

A painting in a tomb at the Middle Egyptian necropolis of Tuna el-Gebel devoted to paradigmatic scenes in the narrative of Oedipus is unique. Depicting two specific scenes from the life of Oedipus – his interrogation of the sphinx and his murder of his father Laios – it also refers to the third one. Though these scenes are encountered elsewhere among classical works, the episodes chosen for their representation in the Tuna el-Gebel painting are unique among extant works of art. Even more striking, however, are the three personifications that also inhabit the painting, namely: Thebe, Agnoia, and Zetema. Thebe, the nymph who personifies the birthplace of Oedipus and the city he finally rules, can be found as early as the Fifth century BCE, but her treatment here does not correspond with any previous representations; Agnoia is seen only once in extant works, and, as with Thebe, in a very different form; and the image of Zetema is unique to this painting. This essay argues against previous explanations for the personifications, as it explores sources for all the imagery in this extraordinary painting. It suggests reasons for the inclusion of each element in the image, and, adducing other imagery found painted in the tombs of the necropolis, it postulates the reason for the choice of an Oedipus cycle in funerary context at Tuna el-Gebel.