The Riddle of the Sphinx: A Greek Myth
What is the riddle of the Sphinx?
The riddle of the Sphinx is a famous mythological story in Greek history. Can you solve it?
Answer:
The Riddle of the Sphinx is a famous Greek myth that challenged the inhabitants of Thebes. The answer to the riddle symbolizes the stages of a human's life.
Explanation:
The Riddle of the Sphinx is a renowned mythological tale in Greek history, prominently featured in the works of Sophocles. In this story, the Sphinx, a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human, posed a tricky question to the people of Thebes:
'What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?'
The hero Oedipus stepped forward to answer this enigma, proclaiming that the solution lay in 'human'. A human being signifies the stages of life by crawling on all fours as an infant in the morning, walking on two legs during adulthood in the afternoon, and using a walking stick as a third leg in old age during the evening.
Oedipus' correct response brought an end to the Sphinx's reign of terror over Thebes. His clever solution showcased the importance of wit and wisdom in overcoming challenges.