Sphinx (Theban)
creatureThe Greek Sphinx was a winged monster with the head of a woman and the body of a lion who posed a deadly riddle to all who approached Thebes.
The Myth
Sent by Hera as a punishment upon Thebes, the Sphinx perched on Mount Phicium and posed her famous riddle: "What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?" Those who failed she devoured. Oedipus answered correctly: "Man — who crawls as a baby, walks upright in prime, and uses a cane in old age." Defeated, the Sphinx hurled herself from the cliff. Thebes rewarded Oedipus with the crown and the hand of Queen Jocasta — his own mother.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The word sphinx comes from sphingein, "to squeeze or strangle" — the Sphinx strangled those who answered incorrectly.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
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