Sphinx
A lion’s body, powerful and muscular, rippled beneath a woman’s torso, its every movement imbued with a predatory grace. Her head, however, was where the true terror resided. A hauntingly beautiful face, marred by a hint of cruelty in the down-turned lips, sat atop the lion’s neck. Eerie, emerald eyes glinted with an inhuman intelligence, daring any who met her gaze to challenge her. Massive wings, feathered like an eagle’s but far larger, sprouted from her back, their shadow a constant reminder of the swiftness with which she could snatch away the unwary.
Parents: Orthrus and Chimera
Killed by: Oedipus
This wasn’t a beast to be fought with brute strength alone – the Sphinx was a creature of riddle and reason, a tormentor sent by the gods to punish the city of Thebes. Her cruel amusement lay in preying on the city’s youth, devouring any who dared approach and failed to solve the riddle that spilled from her lips. The air around her crackled with an unsettling energy, a potent mix of raw power and chilling intellect. She was an enigma wrapped in a predator, a terrifying guardian who promised oblivion to those who couldn’t answer her age-old challenge.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 