In Greek mythology the Sphinx had a lion's body, legs and claws, a snake's tail, eagle's wings and a woman's head. The story says that she sat at the door of the ancient city of Thebes to guard it. To go into the city people had to answer the Sphinx's question. If they ...
The Egyptian name for the sphinx has been lost to history; the word comes from a Greek word which means “to strangle,” a reference to the Greek version. In Greek mythology, the creature had the face of a woman, and she challenged passersby to answer riddles. If they failed to answer...
In Greek mythology the Sphinx had a lion's body, legs and claws, a snake's tail, eagle's wings and a woman's head. The story says that she sat at the door of the ancient city of Thebes to guard it. To go into the city people had to answer the Sphinx's question. If they go...
Hawass arranged for workers to drill test holes in the bedrock around the Sphinx. They found the water table was only 15 feet beneath the statue. Pumps have been installed nearby to divert the groundwater. So far, so good. “Never say to anyone that we saved the Sphinx,” he says. “...
sphinx (sfĭngks) n. 1.pl.sphinx·esorsphin·ges(sfĭn′jēz′) a.MythologyA figure in Egyptian myth having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk. b.oftenSphinxGreek MythologyA winged creature having the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for kil...
Sphinx Is the largest surviving statue from the ancient world, the product of extraterrestrials, Atlanteans, or a long-forgotten civilization? To unlock the key to the riddle of the Sphinx would be to change all of human history. In Greek mythology, the sphinx was a half-woman, half-lion ...
Ancient Greek Sphinx from Delphi The Sphinx sometimes appears in Greek mythology as a monster with a woman's head and breasts, dog's body, lion's paws, wings of an eagle, and the tail of the serpent-who questioned Oedipus. Egypt
In Greek mythology, the Sphinx sat outside of Thebes and asked this riddle of all travelers who passed by. If the traveler failed to solve the riddle, then the Sphinx killed him/her. And if the traveler answered the riddle correctly, then the Sphinx would destroy herself. The riddle:What...
SPHINXES (Mythology)OEDIPUS (Greek mythology)GREEK literatureTALE (Literary form)ANCIENT (Literary period)The article explores the association between the riddle of the Sphinx and Oedipus, the mythical Greek king of Thebes. It highlights the importance of riddles in folk-tales. It also cites the ...
What Egyptians called the Great Sphinx during its prime remains a riddle, because the word sphinx originates from Greek mythology some 2,000 years after the statue was built. It’s also unclear in what regard Egyptians held the Great Sphinx during the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 B.C.), ...