Sphinx of Naxos

The Sphinx stood on a 10 meter column that culminated in one of the first Ionic capitals, and was erected next to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the religious center of Ancient Greece, in 560 BCE.

It was originally set up on a stele around 560 BC as a votive offering to the Temple of Apollo by Naxos, one of the richest Cycladic islands at the time.

The Greek sphinx, a lion with the face of a human female, was considered as having ferocious strength, and was thought of as a guardian, often flanking the entrances to temples.

According to tradition and its mythological representation, the Sphinx had the face of a woman bearing an enigmatic smile, prey bird wings, and the body of a lioness.

The solid construction combined elements that gave the statue a character of motion and vitality, such are the details that depict the hair, chest, and wings.