The Sphinx — The Riddler

I. What Was the Sphinx?

The Sphinx was a fearsome monster sent by the gods to plague the city of Thebes — a creature with the head and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. She perched on a high rock outside the city gates and posed a riddle to every traveler who passed. Those who could not answer were strangled and devoured. None could solve her puzzle, and the roads to Thebes became littered with bones.

Her famous riddle was: "What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?" The answer, which the hero Oedipus finally gave, was "Man" — who crawls as a baby, walks upright in adulthood, and uses a cane in old age. When Oedipus solved the riddle, the Sphinx hurled herself from her rock and perished. Oedipus was hailed as Thebes's savior and made king — though his triumph set in motion one of the most tragic stories in all of mythology.

The Greek Sphinx was distinct from the Egyptian Sphinx (which was male and benevolent). The Greek version represented the dangers of hidden knowledge and the devastating consequences of confronting the truth — themes that permeate the entire Oedipus cycle.