eMuseumStore.com

Guarding the gates of Thebes was a terrible monster with the body of a lion and the head and torso of a woman. She allowed no one to enter or leave the city without answering the riddle that she posed. If the traveler could not answer correctly, she would kill and devour him. As no one had yet come up with the right answer, the sphinx was well-fed, and the city of Thebes was effectively cut off from all trade and all contact with the world outside the city walls.. Oedipus one day on his travels meets the Sphinx and is asked, "What animal walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?" Oedipus solved the riddle, answering that man crawls on all fours in infancy, walks upright on two legs in adulthood, and uses a cane as a third leg in old age. The sphinx was so frustrated that Oedipus had answered her riddle that she threw herself from the city walls, and died there on the road in front of the city that she had terrorized for so long. In the early 8th century, the artist has begun to admit figure decoration to his vases, and marks the introduction of the most fundamental element in the later tradition of Classical art, the representation of men, gods, and animals. A warrior and his stately horses are depicted on this Oedipus and Sphinx Black Figure Vase. Gallery quality reproduction made in Greece from terra-cotta, hand spun on the wheel, certified by the Greek Ministry, and measures 9.5"H x 4.5"D.

Product Review: Write your own review

Related Categories: Greek Vase , Greco-Roman