What challenge did Oedipus famously face in his encounters?

Oedipus is famously known for solving the riddle of the Sphinx, which is a central part of his mythological story. The Sphinx, a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman, posed a riddle to travelers and devoured those who could not answer it correctly. The riddle asked, "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?" Oedipus answered correctly with "Man," referring to the stages of human life. As a result of his intellect and bravery in confronting the Sphinx, he was able to save the city of Thebes from her terror and was rewarded by being made king. This event is pivotal in the larger narrative of Oedipus, setting off a chain of events that lead to his tragic fate.

The other challenges mentioned do not relate to Oedipus. The battle with a dragon and defeating the Minotaur pertain to different heroes in mythology, such as Cadmus and Theseus, respectively. Leading the Trojan army connects to heroes like Agamemnon and Achilles during the Trojan War, which is also outside the scope of Oedipus’ narrative.