is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion      A sphinx In Greek tradition it has the head of a human  the haunches of a lion  and sometimes the     wings of a bird  It is mythicised as treacherous and merciless  Those who cannot answer its riddle suffer a fate typical in such mythological stories  as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster  This deadly version of a sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus  Unlike the Greek sphinx  which was a woman  the Egyptian sphinx is typically shown as a man (an androsphinx)  In addition  the Egyptian sphinx was viewed as benevolent but having a ferocious strength similar to the malevolent Greek version and both were thought of as guardians often flanking the entrances to temples