Riddle of the Sphinx

From you oh winged monster, half women – half lion, come the true definition. You killed all who couldn’t answer your… ill faded riddle… “What goes on four feet, on two feet and three, but the more feet it goes on the weaker it be?” So simple yet obscure. It has fascinated more than one scholar, yet only when Oedipus came along… …did we finally understand. Thus came his answer and the ultimate definition. “It is a man, crawling, walking and in old age… …supported by a staff” So thus we thank you… for was it not for you, we still would ask… …What is a man?