The Great Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Egypt, the largest and best known Sphinx, lies near the Great Pyramid in the Giza Valley Plateau, situated about six miles west of Cairo. It is the largest single sculpted statue in the world, carved from the bedrock of the plateau. The Sphinx is oriented due east facing the rising sun near the 30th parallel, and may well be the oldest monument on the Giza Plateau since long-term water weathering has been found in the great pit in which it lays.
The Western name "Sphinx" was given to it in antiquity based on the legendary Greek creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman, though Egyptian sphinxes have the head of a man. The ancient Greek term itself is postulated to be a corruption of the ancient Egyptian Shesep-ankh. This name was applied to royal statues in the Fourth Dynasty though it came to be more specifically associated with the Great Sphinx in the New Kingdom.
In medieval texts, the names balhib and bilhaw referring to the Sphinx are attested, including Egyptian historian Maqrizi, which suggest Coptic constructions. The Egyptian Arabic name Abul-Hol, which translates as Father of Terror, came to be more widely used. No one is certain when the Sphinx was built nor what it represents, though many theories about its origin and purpose have been noted. It is commonly believed that the Sphinx was built by ancient Egyptians in the 3rd millennium BC.
Carved out of the surrounding limestone bedrock, the Sphinx is 57 metres (260 feet) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and has a height of 20 m (65 ft), making it one of the largest single-stone statues in the world. Blocks of stone weighing upwards of 200 tons were quarried in the construction phase to build the adjoining Sphinx Temple. The Sphinx faces due east, with a small temple between its paws. The temple resembles the sun temples that were built later by the kings of the 5th Dynasty.
The first attempt to dig it out dates back to 1400 BC, when the young Tutmosis IV, falling asleep beneath the giant head, dreamt that he was promised the crown if he would only unbury the Sphinx. The young prince immediately formed an excavation party which, after much effort, managed to dig the front paws out. To commemorate this effort, Tutmosis IV had a granite stela known as the Dream Stela placed between the paws. Ramesses II may have also performed restoration work on the Sphinx. In 1817 the first modern dig, supervised by Captain Caviglia, uncovered the Sphinx's chest completely. The entirety of the Sphinx was finally dug out in 1925.
The Western name "Sphinx" was given to it in antiquity based on the legendary Greek creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman, though Egyptian sphinxes have the head of a man. The ancient Greek term itself is postulated to be a corruption of the ancient Egyptian Shesep-ankh. This name was applied to royal statues in the Fourth Dynasty though it came to be more specifically associated with the Great Sphinx in the New Kingdom.
In medieval texts, the names balhib and bilhaw referring to the Sphinx are attested, including Egyptian historian Maqrizi, which suggest Coptic constructions. The Egyptian Arabic name Abul-Hol, which translates as Father of Terror, came to be more widely used. No one is certain when the Sphinx was built nor what it represents, though many theories about its origin and purpose have been noted. It is commonly believed that the Sphinx was built by ancient Egyptians in the 3rd millennium BC.
Carved out of the surrounding limestone bedrock, the Sphinx is 57 metres (260 feet) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and has a height of 20 m (65 ft), making it one of the largest single-stone statues in the world. Blocks of stone weighing upwards of 200 tons were quarried in the construction phase to build the adjoining Sphinx Temple. The Sphinx faces due east, with a small temple between its paws. The temple resembles the sun temples that were built later by the kings of the 5th Dynasty.
The first attempt to dig it out dates back to 1400 BC, when the young Tutmosis IV, falling asleep beneath the giant head, dreamt that he was promised the crown if he would only unbury the Sphinx. The young prince immediately formed an excavation party which, after much effort, managed to dig the front paws out. To commemorate this effort, Tutmosis IV had a granite stela known as the Dream Stela placed between the paws. Ramesses II may have also performed restoration work on the Sphinx. In 1817 the first modern dig, supervised by Captain Caviglia, uncovered the Sphinx's chest completely. The entirety of the Sphinx was finally dug out in 1925.
 Drawing of Sphinx at Giza ca. 1757  Photograph of the Sphinx at Giza ca. 1858  Photograph of the Sphinx ca 1895  Layout of the Sphinx in relationship to the Pyramids  Satelite map of the Sphinx complex  Akhenaten as a Sphinx (Kestner Museum)  Sphinx from Avenue of Sphinxes 1.7 mile alley that connects the grand temples of Luxor and Karnak, Nectanebo I 380-362 BC  Sphinx of Senwosret III ca. 1850 B.C.  Tutankhamun's calcite sphinx at Luxor Museum  underwater sphinx statue  Sphinx in the Archeological museum in Athens  Greek Sphinx in Boston Museum  Artaxerxes I sphinx  Greek Sphinx  Author with Greek Sphinx at Athens Museum 
Phoenician Plaque with Winged Sphinx 9th-8th cent. B.C. (image courtesy of Timeline auctions)
 The Great Sphinx in profile  Close up of the dream stele 
Greek Sphinx statue (13cm) - image courtesy of Gorny and Mosch
Egypt, Alexandria Antoninus Pius, 138-161 Hemidrachm circa 138-139 (year 2), Æ 29.20 mm., 11.77 g.
Radiate head r. Rev. Sphinx reclining r., uraeus on head; in field, LB. RPC 132. Dattari-Savio - (Author's collection)
Egypt, Alexandria. Trajan, 98-117 Æ Obol Laureate bust r. Rev. Sphinx reclining (Author's collection)
 EGYPT Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius 160-181 A.D. 18mm 5.64g. Sear RC II 5115 
EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius as Caesar AD 141-161. Æ Obol 5.83g Dated RY 2 (AD 138-9). Emmett 1919 (image courtesy of Athena)
EGYPT, Alexandria. Anotninus Pius 138-161 A.D. AE Obol Egyptian Sphinx. Emmett 1781 (Author's collection)
 EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Obol |
 IONIA, Uncertain. Circa 650-600 BC. EL Stater (14.22 g). Milesian standard. Sphinx. Unpublished. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton IX)  PHOENICIA, Byblos. Shekel circa 450-410, AR 13.02 g. Sphinx crouching l. wearing double-crown of Egypt. (image courtesy of NAC)  PHOENICIA, Byblos. Shekel circa 450-410, AR 8.907g. Sphinx crouching l. wearing double-crown of Egypt. Betlyon 1, Kraay ACGC 1051  THRACO-MACEDONIAN TRIBES. Th raco-Macedonian Region, Uncertain Mint (c.500 B.C.), Silver Tetradrachm, 12.45g. Sphinx (image courtesy of NY sale)  THRACE, Islands off. Samothrace. Circa 500-475 BC. AR Hemiobol (2.15 gm). Sphinx (image courtesy of CNG/Triton V)  MYSIA, Kyzikos. Circa 500-450 BC. EL Hekte 1-6th Stater (2.71 g). Sphinx. Von Fritze I 127; SNG France 278-9; SNG von Aulock 1200 (Image courtesy of CNG/Triton XII)  LESBOS, Mytilene. Circa 412-378 BC. EL Hekte 10mm, 2.56 g, 8h. winged lion; Sphinx seated Bodenstedt Em. 63 (Author's collection)  MYSIA, Kyzikos. Circa 370 BC. EL 1-12th Stater (1.34 gm). Sphinx (image courtesy of CNG 57)  CILICIA, Nagidos. Pharnabaze 380-375. Stater 10.83g Aphrodite and sphinx.  KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander the Great, 336-323 B.C.Tetradrachm, 210-190 B.C. Chios. Restored Alexander issue. sphinx at feet of Zeus. (image courtesy of Stack's 33)  TROAS, Gergis. ca 3rd-2nd cent B.C. 18mm Sphinx  CELTIC, Britain. Catuvellauni and Trinovantes. Cunobelin. Circa 10-41 AD. AR Unit 1.26g. Winged sphinx. Hobbs 1874-78; Van Arsdell 2057; SCBC 313 (image courtesy of CNG 66) The Sphinx of Chios
The coinage of Chios featured the sphinx. Although originally an Egyptian mythological creature, the Sphinx was adapted by the Greeks and appears frequently in Greek art. The Greek sphinx (which means strangler) became famous for the tale of "The Riddle of the Sphinx". There are several versions of this story but the most recounted (and shortest, Apollodoros 3.53-54) one is that Oedipus came to the city of Thebes where the city was in a state of distress. The city's king was dead and the citizens were plagued by a monster sent by Hera, the Sphinx. This creature had learned a riddle from the Muses, which it would ask the Thebans. Failure to answer the riddle correctly resulted in being ate by the Sphinx, and it was prophesied that Thebes would only be free of the Sphinx when the riddle had been solved.
The riddle was: "What is it that has one name that is four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?" As no Theban had been able to answer the riddle, the regent of Thebes, one Creon - brother of the widowed queen, offered both the throne and his sister as wife to anyone who could solve it. Oedipus was the first to do so. He replied to the Sphinx that: "Man is the answer, for as an infant he goes upon four feet; in his prime upon two; and in old age he takes a stick as a third foot." Defeated, the Sphinx threw itself off the Theban acropolis, Oedipus became king of Thebes and husband of the widowed queen, whom he later learned to be his mother. 
Ionia, Chios. ca. 500 B.C. AR Didrachm (7,69g). Sphinx. (image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch)
Islands off Ionia, Chios AR Tetradrachm. Circa 375-350 BC. Pherekles, magistrate. Sphinx seated left (image courtesy of Roma Numismatics)
 ISLANDS off IONIA, Chios. 190-84 BC. AR Drachm 19mm Sphinx, Amphora SNG Copenhagen 1562 (image courtesy of Stack's)  ISLANDS off IONIA. Chios. Civic Issue.Circa 1st century AD. Æ 3 Assaria 18.40g (image courtesy of CNG) 
ISLANDS off IONIA, Chios. Circa 190-84 BC. Æ 17mm (3.86 g). ERMONA magistrate, XIOS. Sphinx seated left Amphora. HGC 1149 (Author's collection)
Sphinx at Acropolis museum in Athens
 Roman Imperial. Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AV Aureus Pergamum mint. Struck 19 BC. Sphinx. RIC I 512; Calico 156a (image courtesy of NAC)  Roman Imperial. Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AV Aureus 7.80g. Pergamum mint. Struck 19 BC. Sphinx. RIC I 512; Calico 156a (Author's collection)  Roman Imperial. Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Cistophorus. Sphinx. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)  EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian. 81-96 AD. Æ Obol 3.48g. Dated RY 11 91-2 AD. RPC II 2646; Koln 396; Dattari 571; Milne 510; Emmett 327 (image courtesy of CNG) 
EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian. 81-96 AD. Æ Obol 3.68 gm. Dated RY 11 (91-92 AD) RPC II 2646; Koln 396; Dattari 571; Milne 510; Emmett 327 (image courtesy of Athena numismatics)
Egypt, Alexandria Domitian, 81-96 Obol circa 91-92 (year 11), Æ 19mm., 4.13g. Sphinx LIA. Geissen 395 var. Dattari-Savio Pl 22, 572 (this coin) (Author's collection)
 EGYPT, Alexandria. Anotninus Pius 138-161 A.D. AE Hemidrachm. Emmett 1731 (Author's collection)  EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Hemidrachm 28mm Emmett 1731 (image courtesy of CNG) 
EGYPT, Alexandria
Antoninus Pius 138-161 A.D.
Æ Obol 18mm
Obv: Bust of emp. r.
Rev: Sphinx reclining r.
LH=year 8 (144-145 AD).
Ref: RPC online 13567
(formerly Author's collection)
EGYPT. Alexandria. Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161). AE drachm (33mm, 22.64 gm, 1h). RY 7 (AD 143-4). Euthenia reclining l with sphinx (Author's collection)
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