| abstract | - The classic riddle presented to Oedipus Rex by the Sphinx in Greek Mythology. He was the first one to solve it--all the others who failed were eaten by the Sphinx--after which she threw herself down a chasm. This is one of the oldest Stock Puzzles out there, going back to the Greek writer Apollodorus in the second century CE. The answer? As a baby, a human goes about on all fours ("four legs in the morning"; morning = childhood), until he learns to walk, which he does so well into adulthood ("two legs in the afternoon"; afternoon = adulthood), until old age requires him to use a cane to support himself ("three legs in the evening", evening = old age), finally he dies ("no legs at night", night = death). So the answer is "a man". This trope is about the riddle; it may or may not be delivered by a sphinx. The more general trope for sphinxes that ask riddles is Riddling Sphinx. Also see Riddle Me This, These Questions Three. Examples of Riddle of the Sphinx include:
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