Sphinx's Riddle

[sdi]

WAIT A SECOND

When Sphinx asked Oidipous, "What is that which has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed," he answered "man, for as a babe he is four-footed, going on four limbs; as an adult he is two-footed; and as an old man he gets besides a third support in a staff."

This is a myth, and so a mystery teaching; therefore, while Oidipous's answer is "correct," it also hides the true answer, which is man's greater life. The one voice is the soul, which reincarnates in many bodies; the four limbs is when the human soul is originally incarnated in beastly lives, living without virtue; the two limbs is when the human soul is as a "normal" human, living the civic virtues; and the three limbs is when the human soul is initiated (cf. Hesiod receiving a laurel-wood staff from the Mousoi and Teiresias receiving a cornel-wood staff from Athene), living the purificatory virtues. Prior to that, the soul isn't individuated (being a part of the undifferentiated group-soul); after that, it isn't strictly human (or, indeed, strictly individual anymore).

Comments

[k_a_nitz]

And it is interesting that the traditional answer requires no spiritual development/transformation and is quite static whereas the mystery teaching answer is a call to change and is dynamic. There are times when I think the key difference between simplistic answers and more in-depth ones is that of static vs dynamic.

[sdi]

Elegantly put! Perhaps that's why Horos was found by the gods to be Osiris's (e.g. dynamic Fire) son and not Isis's (e.g. static Earth)...

[boccaderlupo]

Ahh, very interesting observations! Thank you.