What Was the Sphinx Riddle?
The Ancient Greek Myth and Riddle
The Sphinx was a mythical creature with the head of a woman and the body of a lion. It was said to guard the entrance of the Greek city of Thebes and ask travelers a riddle before they could pass. If they could not answer the riddle correctly, the Sphinx would devour them.
The Riddle
The riddle that the Sphinx asked was “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?”
The Answer
The answer to the riddle is “Man”. As a baby, a person crawls on all fours. As an adult, a person walks on two legs. As an elderly person, a person walks with the help of a cane, which makes them walk on three legs.
The Meaning of the Riddle
The riddle is symbolic of the cycle of life. It is meant to represent how a person’s life progresses from infancy to adulthood and then to old age. It also serves to remind people to appreciate and make the most of the time they have in life.
The History of the Sphinx
The Sphinx was first mentioned in the writings of the Greek poet Hesiod, who wrote about it in the 8th century BCE. It is believed to have been created by the Greek gods to guard the entrance of the city of Thebes. The story of the Sphinx and its riddle is one of the most famous ancient Greek myths.