Sphinx - Mythology.

Sphinx - Mythology. Greek A monster, half woman, half beast, the offspring of Echidna and Orthos. She lived near Thebes and was supposed to set impossible riddles, one of which went something like this: What goes on four feet, on two feet, and three, But the more feet it goes on, the weaker it be? The answer is a human being, who as an infant crawls on all fours, as an adult walks on two feet, and in old age supports both legs with a walking stick. It is said that Oedipus solved this riddle and thus delivered the Thebans from the curse of the Sphinx. The Greek Sphinx has nothing to do with the Egyptian Sphinx, except that both creatures were half beast, half human.