One of Oedipus’ greatest qualities as a leader was his ability to solve problems. The reason that Oedipus, not even a native of Thebes, became the king of that land was due to the great intelligence and strength shown in his defeat of the Sphinx. He was able to save the Thebans from that problem, so when the city again needs help, Oedipus is very willing to show his strength again. Oedipus’ vanity in his ability to solve problems was the leading cause of his ruin. It is evident that Oedipus has a great ability to solve problems through the references made to his success with the Sphinx. He brags about being able to solve the Sphinx’s riddle when no one el