The Sphinx was a mythical monster, whose upper part was a female body, while her legs and tail were those of a lion and her wings those of a bird of prey. In Greek mythology; it is mainly associated with the legend of Oedipus and the Theban mythical cycle. She was the daughter of Chimaira (a mythical monster) and Orthros (a two-headed dog) and sister of the lion of Nemea, while according to another version of the myth her parents were the mythical monsters Typhon and Echidna (a monster with the body of a reptile). In mythical tradition, she is also mentioned as the illegitimate daughter of Laius, king of Thebes. The Sphinx lived on Mount Phikion, located to the west of Thebes, and there she killed passers-by, after first posing riddles which they could not solve. Oedipus managed to solve the riddle and killed the Sphinx or she killed herself by falling off a cliff. The Sphinx as an apotropaic figure was a favourite subject in ancient Greek art.