Thebes

American  

[theebz] / θibz /

noun

1. an ancient city in Upper Egypt, on the Nile, whose ruins are located in the modern towns of Karnak and Luxor: a former capital of Egypt.

2. a city of ancient Greece, in Boeotia: a rival of ancient Athens.

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Thebes British  

/ θiːbz /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece) the chief city of Boeotia, destroyed by Alexander the Great (336 _bc )

2. (in ancient Egypt) a city on the Nile: at various times capital of Upper Egypt or of the entire country

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Other Word Forms

• Thebaic adjective
• Theban adjective

Example Sentences

Today, Karnak Temple sits about 500 meters east of the Nile near Luxor, once the religious capital of ancient Egypt known as Thebes.

From Science Daily

In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus confronts a plague that has been laying waste to Thebes.

From Los Angeles Times

A vulture is used as the hieroglyph for mother, mut being the word for them both, and for the mother goddess of Thebes.

From Salon

Because her brothers are dead, Antigone’s uncle, Creon, is the new king of Thebes.

From Salon

“Jenny From Thebes” is a rich and rewarding listen, but for the uninitiated it would be a strange place to start.

From New York Times