Sphinx

Sphinx

Attic red-figure pyxis, 2nd half of the 5th century BC. From Nola, Italy.
Grouping	Legendary creatures
Similar entities	Griffin, Manticore, Cherub, Lamassu, Narasimha
Region	Persian, Egyptian, and Greek

A sphinx (/sfɪŋks/ SFINKS; Ancient Greek: σφίγξ, pronounced [spʰíŋks]; Boeotian: φίξ, romanized: phíx, pronounced [pʰíːks]; pl. sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle.

In Greek tradition, the sphinx is a treacherous and merciless being with the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. According to Greek myth, she challenges those who encounter her to answer a riddle, and kills and eats them when they fail to solve the riddle.^[1] This deadly version of a sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus.^[2]

In Egyptian mythology, in contrast, the sphinx is typically depicted as a man (an androsphinx (Ancient Greek: ανδρόσφιγξ)), and is seen as a benevolent representation of strength and ferocity, usually of a pharaoh. Unlike Greek or Levantine/Mesopotamian ones, Egyptian sphinxes were not winged.

Both the Greek and Egyptian sphinxes were thought of as guardians, and statues of them often flank the entrances to temples.^[3] During the Renaissance, the sphinx enjoyed a major revival in European decorative art. During this period, images of the sphinx were initially similar to the ancient Egyptian version, but when later exported to other cultures, the sphinx was often conceived of quite differently, partly due to varied translations of descriptions of the originals, and partly through the evolution of the concept as it was integrated into other cultural traditions.

However, depictions of the sphinx are generally associated with grand architectural structures, such as royal tombs or religious temples.