Where did the legend of the sphinx originate?

Answer 1

There is the Sphinx from Greek mythology, which would insist that people traveling by the town of Thebes, in Greece, solve a riddle or be killed. If the traveler was lucky enough to guess the correct answer, the Sphinx promised to kill "herself". The riddle went like this: "What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?" According to Greek mythology, Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx destroyed herself. The correct answer to the riddle was: "A man, who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age." This refers to the different stages of life - baby, adult, old age. See this website: http://www.jimloy.com/puzz/sphinx0.htm