Moreover, it is made of remains from the sea water. In Greek mythology, the sphinx has the head of a woman instead of a man. "Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?" Then you get eaten by a riddle-telling monster. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Understanding the mythology and symbolism behind the sphinx could help to unravel the great mystery surrounding the origins of the Great Sphinx. But the later studies conducted by the geologists and researchers date back much before 5000 B.C. The sphinx is often depicted sitting on her haunches. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Sources varied, but gave well-known monsters like Typhon, Echidna, Orthrus, and Ceto as possible parents. The architectural styles and techniques in the complex of the Second Pyramid are consistent with those of the Sphinx, leading archeologists to determine they were built together. That riddle came from the tale of Oedipus, but perhaps the most famous sphinx is the one that guards over the great pyramids in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile. The 4500-year-old Great Sphinx was carved from limestone during the reign of Pharoah Khafre. The limestone bedrock holds the massive sculpture measures 66 feet tall and 240 feet long. Pharoah Khafre also ordered the construction of the second biggest pyramid in the Giza Pyramid Complex. Many pharaohs and queens are depicted as sphinxes to highlight their elevated status in society and culture as royalty. Anyone who has looked at an Egyptian statue of a sphinx may be puzzled - this does not seem like a statue of a monster. It seems strange that this one word could come to represent two such different forms of ancient statue, but the Great Sphinx itself has even greater mysteries. The Sphinx is a famous ancient wonder in the deserts of Egypt, so how did it end up in a story about a Greek king? All rights reserved. The Egyptian sphinx is a male (an androsphinx), unlike the Greek sphinx which is believed to be female. Answer (1 of 3): No! The sphinx may be a funerary monument to the pharaoh and of the god Horus in its aspect as Haurun-Harmakhis. In 1950 R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz noticed the marks of what he believed was water erosion inside the Sphinx Enclosure. The sphinx was a mythological creature that was part human and part lion that had been associated with sun worship for hundreds of years in the Middle East and Africa. Existing in both Greek and Egyptian mythology, creatures of great wisdom in both. The Historical and Ongoing Persecution Of Gypsies In Europe, The 7 Kindest Cities In The United States, The 10 Largest Universities In The United States, 9 Most Sacred Sites From Around The Globe. The sphinx responded by killing herself. According to archaeological studies, the Sphinx of Giza dates back to 2600 B.C. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons It is also the largest monolithic sculpture of the ancient world, meaning it was carved from a single huge stone. Why do we even call it 'The Sphinx'? "The Sphinx in Greek and Egyptian Legend." The Egyptian sphinx was considered compassionate and sympathetic but had similar strength to that of the vicious Greek sphinx, and both used to guard entrances of temples. In ancient mythology, a sphinx is a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a person. In mythology, a sphinx is a being with the head of a man and the body of a lion. Although there are no records to tell us the exact date of its construction, it is believed to have been built around 2500 BC for the pharaoh Khafra (c.2558- 2532 BC), builder of the Second Pyramid at Giza. Architecturally the sculpture is similar to the Second Pyramid of Egypt. The fact that the Greek Sphinx was female is also in keeping with Greek custom. Because the word sphinx is of Greek origin, the sphinx is widely associated with Greek mythology. Greek mythology tells of a mythical beast who had the body of a lion and the head of a woman. There are two creatures called a sphinx. In Egyptian mythology, the sphinx symbolizes the solar deity called Horus of the Horizon. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. Sphinxes can be depicted as men or women depending on which cultural mythology the sphinx is part of. She was sent as a curse on the city of Thebes by the goddess Hera. The Greek Sphinx was also often depicted as a guardian, but a merciless one. One sphinx is an Egyptian desert statue of a hybrid creature. The Egyptian sphinx is a male (an androsphinx), unlike the Greek sphinx which is believed to be female. Oedipus answered the riddle with the correct answer, a person. Conversation work continues to be performed on the sculpture as needed. Oedipus became the first man to survive his encounter with the Sphinx by answering her riddle correctly. The person who provided the correct answer was Oedipus. It represents an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and myth. In Egyptian myth, the Sphinx was more of a symbol than an individual entity. N.S. Many civilizations and cultures included sphinx in their histories including the Greek, Egyptians, Persians, and more. The other type of sphinx is a Greek demon with a tail and wings. Create your account. The Egyptians believed that the sphinx was a representation of their solar deity, Sun God, Horemakhet or Horus of the Horizon. View ENG101-Answers-5.pdf from ENG 101 at Caltech. The other type of sphinx is a Greek demon with a tail and wings. The Great Sphinx is among the world's largest sculptures, measuring some 240 feet (73 metres) long and 66 . The Great Sphinx of Giza is a huge statue located in the Giza Necropolis which also houses the two largest pyramids that were ever built in Ancient Egypt, the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Pyramid of Khafre. And with that answer, Oedipus became king of Thebes. The oldest Sphinx statue ever found was discovered in Turkey. 997 Words4 Pages. Sphinx (from the Greek word, ) is the Hellenized name of a fabulous being that is usually represented as a reclining lion with a human head.. Sphinxes were devised by the ancient Egyptians and formed part of their complex mythology. So how did the Sphinx transform into a classical Greek monster? As a result of this death, the ancient Greeks abandon their spiritual practices that the Sphinx represented and began to worship the deities that Oedipus represented. It has a leonine body and the head of another creature -- typically, human. However, the exact origin of the Egyptian sphinx is still obscure. Carved from limestone, measuring 240 feet long, and dating back to approximately 2550 B.C., the Great Sphinx is the oldest monument in Egypt at 4500 years old. Submitted On March 09, 2010. The nine hundred sphinx statues of the Egyptian Thebes, which was named for the Greek city, had the heads of rams to honor the god Amun. The Sphinx - A Greek Or Egyptian Creation? Some historians believe that the Sphinxs name may have come from the fact that she strangled those who crossed her. The sphinx is located in the Great Giza Plateau, South Egypt. The sphinx has come to symbolize strength and wisdom. The Sphinx had finally challenged a man who could outwit her. This monster the Greeks called a sphinx, from the Greek word which means 'to strangle' the result is that all such monuments of a mythical beast with the body of a lion, whether Greek Status or Egyptian statues are now called 'sphinx'. This statue is 241 feet long, 63 feet wide, and 66 feet tall, making it the largest monolith statue in the world. Sphinxes can be found in ancient Greece, Babylon, Persia, and even East Asia. We do know that the Great Sphinx is so old that the Pharaohs (including Rameses II) regarded it as an incredibly old and sent workers to restore it, as in their time almost all of the ancient statue had disappeared beneath the sands. In 1989 a further investigation by geologist, RobertSchoch, revealed that this 'weathering' had been caused by rain, yet the average annual rainfall in the area since 2600 BC (when archaeologists believe the sphinx was built) was only one inch. Sphinx. The 2 types of sphinx are similar because they are hybrids, having body parts from more than one animal. Much later, in the 14th century AD, a major alteration was made when the nose was removed. This one is female, with broad wings and a terrible reputation. She was human-headed with the body of a lioness. Read on to find out how the Sphinx mythology was brought to ancient Greece! The Sphinx riddle in Greek mythology was a word puzzle that Oedipus has to solve to become the King of Thebes. The Great Sphinx is thought to be a protective sculpture for the Khafre pyramid and funerary pyramids associated with the reign of Khafre. Sphinx is a greek world of ancient Egyptian name known as "Ssp" Ankh which means the living image. We print the highest quality egyptian sphinx statue t-shirts on the internet The Great Sphinx was reportedly partially excavated by Thutmose IV around 1400 B.C. However, in Egyptian mythology, the sphinx will embody both men and women. That means that it was normal t. Article Source: There are two sisters. No one could pass into the city without answering her riddle. There are differing reports of what happened to the nose, but the most widely accepted theory is that in the 14th century, a Sufi Muslim leader known as Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahr destroyed the nose in an attempt to deface the religious icon. The approximate construction date is around 2500 B.C. Ancient Egypt Sphinx A sphinx is a mythical creature with a head of a human (a king or a pharaoh) and a body of a loin (sometime with wings). The sphinxes shown in Egyptian and Near Eastern art differed from the Greek monster in many ways. Though uncertain, sources believe that it was sculpted around 2500 BC and its face resembles that of Pharaoh Khafra. The statue has been dated to approximately 9500 B.C. The wings and snake tail of the Greek Sphinx were common traits of mythological monsters there. Mysteries Of Egypt: Who Built The Great Sphinx Of Giza? My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) When a traveler answered incorrectly, she strangled and devoured them without mercy. Architecturally, the Great Sphinx is similar to the Pyramid of Khafre. She had come from far away and, according to some, there were others of her kind in Africa. Some accounts said that the Sphinx tried to keep Oedipus from passing by asking a second riddle. This was the riddle of the Sphinx, a creature from mythology that had the body of a lion and head of a person. We do not know what name the statue originally held; the term sphinx comes from ancient Greece. The exact origin of the Sphinx has different opinions. Part of Oedipus' ancient legend is that he saved the day when he answered the riddle of the sphinx, who had been ravaging the countryside. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rob_Mabry/345940, 2022 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide, How Art Reflected The Philosophy of The Ancient Egyptians, Set In Stone - The Race To Translate The Hieroglyphs. The 2 types of sphinx are similar because they are hybrids, having body parts from more than one animal. In Greek mythology, the sphinx is viewed as an evil creature who eats humans. The Sphinx represents the power of . 414 lessons, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | An aerial image of the Giza Pyramid Complex. When Oedipus, the lost prince of that city, was traveling toward Thebes he encountered the monster. Some sphinx sculptures were built in front of a temple (avenue of sphinxes) based on the belief that they came to life at night to protect the temple. A monstrous, winged creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human woman, the Greek Sphinx devoured anyone who tried to pass by her. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. A sphinx (or sphynx) is a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human, with some variations. The Egyptian Sphinx is also adorned with the royal headdress that was worn by the pharaohs and many Pharaohs and Queens of Egypt would depict themselves as sphinxes. Within the Giza Pyramid Complex, there are three large pyramids: the Pyramid of Mankaure, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Khufu. However in ancient greek culture, the creature had the head of a women. The Great Sphinx was likely built during the reign of Pharoah Khafre and has undergone many physical changes throughout its long history. 1. Oedipus became the first man to correctly answer the Sphinxs riddle. The Great Sphinx of Egypt is a colossal statue, possibly the oldest in the world. She was cunning, vicious, and thirsty for blood. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. If he could answer correctly, he would be made the King of the city of Thebes, but if he answered incorrectly, the sphinx would eat him. Apart from the Sphinx of Giza, there were other well-known sphinxes in Egypt including the one granite carving and Pharaoh Hatshepsut's head. Legend has it that there is a maze below the paws of the . Great Sphinx of Giza, colossal limestone statue of a recumbent sphinx located in Giza, Egypt, that likely dates from the reign of King Khafre (c. 2575-c. 2465 bce) and depicts his face. The great Sphinx is believed to have originally had a long beard with braids and a nose that has been struck down. The Sphinx asked ""What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?"". This Greek legend is quite different from the Egyptian images of the sphinx. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.The face of the Sphinx appears to represent the pharaoh Khafre.. According to most sources, the riddle of the Sphinx was What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs during the day, and three legs in the evening?. Visiting the site it is impossible to be unmoved; the Sphinx is huge; 241 ft long, 20 ft wide, and 66.34. The Sphinx represents different things in various cultures. A sphinx is a mythological creature that has the head of a man but the body of a lion. It is one of the oldest AND largest statues in the world, but apart from those measurements, we know very little about it. The Greeks, however, speculate that a sphinx has a birds wings, a human's head, and a lion's haunches. The monster then leaped from the cliff where she lived, to her death. The sphinxes shown in Egyptian and Near Eastern art differed from the Greek monster in many ways. Many creatures, including those that the Sphinx was sometimes said to be related to, had similar traits. But although the sphinx is lodged in with our modern ideas of Egypt, in antiquity its prevalence was spread across the ancient world. While the Egyptian sphinx was a royal guardian, the Greek version was less noble. Sphinxes appear in Greek and Egyptian mythology and are characteristically strong, protective, and dominant. This was necessary to carve the full body of the lion including paws and tail. During the New Kingdom, the Giza Pyramid Complex was abandoned, and during this time, the statue was buried in sand due to drifting. The Great Sphinx. Antique 1920's-era bronzed cast iron bookends in the shape of the face of the ancient Egyptian Sphinx at Giza. Egyptian Sphinx Bookend Doorstop Black Hand Carved Soapstone Sculpture VTG The Sphinx is found in both ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology. It is one of the oldest colossal statues in the world, and it served many purposes throughout its history. Anyone who has looked at an Egyptian statue of a sphinx may be puzzled - this does not seem like a statue of a . . A sphinx is a mythical creature with the body of a lion, most often with a human head and sometimes with wings. According to Hesiod, the Sphinx was the offspring of a fire breathing . The first Pharaoh to attempt and excavate it was Thutmose IV around 1400 BC, but he was only able to excavate the legs. On the west bank of the Nile River in Giza, Egypt, lies an ancient monolithic statue known as the Great Sphinx. Greeks never would have seen the bottom part of the Sphinx Just the Head! The face and headdress alone are nearly 34 feet in height. The Egyptian sphinx was considered compassionate and sympathetic but had similar strength to that of the vicious Greek sphinx, and both used to guard entrances of temples. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} While this was not the same as the Greek Thebes, it seems likely that the number of statues there may have inspired the Greek version of the guardian monster. Pliny the Elder said that many such creatures could be found in Ethiopia, but only one had been brought to Greece. In Greek mythology, a Sphinx is represented as a monster with a head of a woman, the body of a lioness, the wings of an eagle, and a serpent-headed tail. The sphinx asked Oedipus a riddle. Jessica has a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University and a Bachelors in Public History from Western Michigan University, with a State of Michigan Level 2 Professional Librarian Certification. The most common version of the story is the Sphinx threw itself from a tall rock as Oedipus passed by safely. That means that it was the Greeks that invented the concept. In Crete, the winged sphinx appears on artifacts from the 16th century B.C. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. The first identifiable Sphinx in Egypt seems to have the face of Queen Hetepheres II and dates between 2723 and 2563 BC, the dates of her political dynasty. The Sphinx killed herself since the riddle was finally answered correctly. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Lethe: The Spirit and River of Forgetfulness, Greek Sphinx were common traits of mythological. Sphinx mythology is complex and very old. And rather unlike the Egyptian sphinx, the Greek creature is a monster that, in the story of Oedipus, torments visitors and inhabitants of Thebes by posing a riddle, devouring those who failed to solve it correctly. In ancient . No-one knows for certain whose face the statue bares, who had it built or why. 54 Articles, By The Egyptian Sphinx was revered as a royal guardian, but the Greek version was much less noble. Nine hundred guardian sphinxes with the heads of rams were built in the Egyptian city of Thebes. In 1817, the first modern archaeological expedition of the sculpture was led by Giovanni Battista Caviglia. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Great SphinxThis InterOz site says "sphinx" means "strangler," a name given the woman/lion/bird statue by the Greeks. Some have wings, some are female, others bear snake-like tails, but all share the basic feline body and humanoid face. !Lion b. In Egyptian mythology, the sphinx has sometimes adorned the face of a woman, such as the Sphinx statue of the Egyptian Queen Hetepheres II . Usually said to have been brought from Ethiopia, she guarded the road to the Greek city of Thebes. The Greeks believe that Orthus and either Echidna or Chimera conceived a daughter whom they believe to be the only sphinx ever to exist. The Muslim leader Sa'im al-Dahr found peasants worshipping the Sphinx to increase their harvest, and destroyed the nose to literally deface the heretical icon. The Sphinx in Greek and Egyptian Legend. This imagery of course differs from the Egyptian Sphinx which is normally simply that of a lion's body, and the head of a man. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. 1. Sphinx babies are extremely adaptable and inquisitive. The backs are flat with a textured design and are embossed by the maker "D.A.L.". It is a prominent mythological figure in Egyptian, Asian, and Greek mythology. In Egyptian mythology, the solar deity is represented by the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx is a limestone monolithic sculpture that lies within the Giza Pyramid Complex. In Egyptian mythology, the sphinx has sometimes adorned the face of a woman, such as the Sphinx statue of the Egyptian Queen Hetepheres II who ruled approximately from 2700 to 2500 B.C. Be Unique. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2022 worldatlas.com. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rob_Mabry/345940, http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Sphinx---A-Greek-Or-Egyptian-Creation?&id=3899828. Unfortunately, the nose was never restored. It has captured the world's imagination ever since. One gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to the first. In Greek mythology the sphinxes appearance was much different - they had wings and "wore a flat cap with a flamelike projection on top" (Britannica). Touhou style myths: the Sphinx! Who are they?. Historical records from the New Kingdom show that in Egyptian culture the sphinx symbolized royalty and sacred status. Site tells about repair and reconstruction efforts.Guardian's SphinxPhotographs and physical description of the Great Sphinx which is thought to have been commissioned by the Fourth Dynasty's King Khafre.Saving the Secrets of the SandInterview and article on Dr. Zahi Hawass, director of the Sphinx Restoration Project, by Elizabeth Kaye McCall. This landmark was already nearly two thousand years old when the story of Oedipus was told. Even the myths in which it was mentioned said that it was brought from a foreign country. The word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb Sphingein, but the etymology has nothing to do with legend. She asked, "What has 4 legs in the morning, 2 at noon, and 3 at night?". flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? When the person is an adult, they would walk on two feet. A Greek sphinx statue shows a lions body, a serpents tale and the face of a woman. This monster the Greeks called a sphinx, from the Greek word which means 'to strangle' the result is that all such monuments of a mythical beast with the body of a lion, whether Greek Status or Egyptian statues are now called 'sphinx'. Part of the mouth is also missing as a result of this event. Give up? The Great Sphinx of Egypt is one of the oldest and largest monolithic sculptures in the world. Half Human, Half Beast: Mythological Figures of Ancient Times, Jocasta's Monologue From "Oedipus the King", The Story of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, Monsters and Mythical Creatures of Ancient Egypt, Mythical Creatures: The Monsters from Greek Mythology, Osiris: Lord of the Underworld in Egyptian Mythology, Biography of Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt, The Story of Menes, the First Pharaoh of Egypt, Rhetorical Analysis of Claude McKay's 'Africa', Nubian Pharaohs of Twenty-Fifth Dynasty Egypt, a funerary monument to the pharaoh and of the god Horus in its aspect as Haurun-Harmakhis, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. Others were cats, falcons, or other animals. a. Many people refuse to believe ancien. Historians believe that the Sphinx is a representation of Pharoah Khafre, who is also known as Chephren. Egypt's world-famous antiquities, including the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza, could be lost to climate change by the end of the century, experts warn.. It is one of the few existing remnants from ancient civilizations and holds great historic and symbolic purpose. The most well-known sphinxes in both the ancient world and the modern one came from Egypt. The penalty for giving a wrong answer to this riddle was an instant death. Jessica has worked with students of all ages, pre-K through college and adults. While the Great Sphinx of Giza is an icon of Egypt, the clever but merciless female version is a monster of Greek mythology. The Sphinx in Greek mythology was said to be a female monster, with the head of a woman, a lion's body, the wings of an eagle and possibly a serpent's tail. The Sphinx was a cunning creature, however, so no man could outwit her. According to the Greeks, the Sphinx was a one-of-a-kind monster. The Great Sphinx is one of the largest statues in the world, with a length of 20 meters, and a width of . The ancient Greek author Hesiod called him Phix. The earliest is the sphinx statue made from the native bedrock in the desert sands at Giza, Egypt, a portrait thought to be of Pharaoh Khafre (fourth king of the 4th dynasty, c. 2575 - c. 2465 B.C.). + a fairy and a Boggart bc this girl is who I'm writing a thing about fairies from the point of view from :) comment sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . Egyptian statues depict a prone leonine body and usually have the head of a man or other animal. Create an account to start this course today. He enjoys writing about travel, history and business. The lion is seated, her font legs vertical, but her most outstanding feature is the pair of eagles wings stretching out from her shoulders. It was most likely carved around 2500 BC under the reign of the Pharaoh Khafra. Anyone unable to answer the riddle was immediately strangled by the monster and eaten. We may not know it's age or why it was so carefully chiseled from the rock of the Giza Plateau, but we are fortunate to be able to enjoy this ancient statue and it's mysteries, and look forward to the day when they can be fully unraveled. The greatest among the Egyptian representations of Sphinxes is that of Giza. They appear in Egypt to have been set up in avenues forming the approaches to temples. The Sphinx is widely regarded in India as a Grecianesque figure, with lion, bird, and man as its primary subjects. They're made of cast iron with a golden bronze finish. What's under the Sphinx in Egypt? I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. His answer was, the man, who uses four feet as a baby, two as grownup, and needs a stick when old. The earliest accounts did not specify the riddle that the Sphinx gave him, but a later version became well-known. These details are almost never seen in Mesopotamian and Egyptian iconography. 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Her riddle questioned about a creature that had a unique voice and used four, two, and three legs in the morning, the day, and the night respectively. The most famous sphinx in Egypt is, of course, the enormous guardian of Giza. (2020, August 26). The Great Sphinx has become an emblem of Egypt, frequently appearing on its stamps, coins, and official documents. This beast guarded the town of Thebes, but this is Greek Thebes, not the Egyptian city of the same name. Many hybrid monsters, such as the Sirens and the Harpies, had the faces of beautiful women and the bodies of animals. On the plateau of Giza, facing the rising sun, the Great Sphinx statue still sits. The Greek Sphinx, however, was always shown as female. The Sphinx can be found in the Egyptian Zodiac after Greek influences established themselves there. It's based on a mythological creature. She specializes in historical education and research. The Greeks were familiar with these images; many ancient sources mentioned them. Furthermore, historians still do not know where the sphinx originated, as even in Greek mythology the lore suggests that sphinxes came from places such far away places as Africa. According to legend this beast asked every passing traveller a riddle. What state is the largest state of | When traveling from Cairo into Giza, the Great Sphinx is one of the first landmarks that is seen as the Giza Pyramid Complex is approached. Gill, N.S. It was a tradition that lasted many Kingdoms. One of the most unfortunate events to happen was the loss of the Great Sphinx nose. A monster with the face and breast of a woman, the body of a lion and the wing of a bird. The exact origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza remain a mystery, but the popularity of this colossal statue is no riddle. Most sources claimed that the Sphinx was so shamed by this that she killed herself, while a few said that Oedipus slayed her when she was dumbfounded by shock. This is just one example of sphinxes in Greek mythology. While many reputable archaeologists say this cannot be true and give other explanations for the water erosion effect, the fact that no other building on the Giza plateau shows any sign of this weathering leaves the question unanswered. These older Egyptian images obviously inspired the Greek Sphinx, which was said to have come from the region. Gill, N.S. In Greek mythology, the sphinx has the face of a man. Answer (1 of 4): First of all the word Sphinx is a Greek word(All Greek words that exists in other languages and have and "F" are written with "ph" for representing the original sound "F" fex Philosophy). Historians have long sought to determine the origin of the statue and why it resembles a sphinx. While it may lack the flamboyance of a winged Greek sphinx statue, the Great Sphinx is magnificent. The Greek version still has the body of a lion and head of a human, but it is invariably female and usually winged. The Greek Sphinx was very clearly based on images from Egypt. The two Sphinxes also differed in temperament for whilst . The Great Sphinx is a monumental statue carved from a single piece of limestone, and is one of the oldest colossal statues in the world, if not the oldest. In the 1920s, part of the headdress fell due to erosion. Archeologists also believe that the face of the Sphinx is Khafra's. The nearly five thousand year old statue in Egypt has been a symbol of the countrys cultural heritage for millennia. The Greek Sphinx. The oldest sphinx statue ever found was in modern-day Turkey, and dates to around 9,500 BC. The human-headed lion is the most famous because of the monument at Giza, but images also showed sphinxes with the heads of falcons, cats or sheep. The Great Sphinx is enormous with an approximate length of 241 feet. The sphinx is an evil and cruel creature that asks riddles and those who cannot answer it have suffered the fate of being killed and eaten by the monster according to mythological stories. An Egyptian sphinx statue was a guardian, the lions body represented the sun god; And that's not the only difference. After the ancient Egyptians abandoned the Giza pyramid complex, the Sphinx was buried in sand up to its neck. A sphinx is a type of mythical character that is believed to possess the human head and the lions body. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. 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