List of Greek mythological creatures
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of creatures from Greek mythology
. The list does not include gods and other divine and semi-divine figures; for these, see List of Greek mythological figures.
, or giants, were a class of unnaturally large and often monstrous men who were closely related to the gods.
were serpentine monsters. They include the serpent-like Dracones, the marine-dwelling Cetea and the she-monster Dracaenae.
or "She-Dragon" was a creature with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a dragon or sea monster.
. The Athenian inventor Daedalus
also manufactured automatons.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. The list does not include gods and other divine and semi-divine figures; for these, see List of Greek mythological figures.
Mythical monsters
Greek myth includes many monstrous beings.- CerberusCerberusCerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
, the three-headed, giant hound that guarded the gates of Hades - CharybdisCharybdisCharybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
, a sea monster whose inhalations formed a deadly whirlpool - EmpusaEmpusaEmpusa is a demigoddess of Greek mythology. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate ....
, a vampiric demon with a leg of bronze and a hoofed foot of a donkey; she seduced men in order to feed on their flesh and blood - GorgonGorgonIn Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
s, monstrous sisters with wings of gold, brazen claws and serpents for hair; capable of turning men to stone with their gaze- EuryaleEuryaleEuryale , in Greek mythology, was the second eldest one of the Gorgons, three vicious sisters with brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living, venomous snakes. She and her sister Stheno, unlike their sister, Medusa, were not able to turn any creature to stone with her gaze...
- MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
- SthenoSthenoStheno , in Greek mythology, was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of living venomous snakes. The daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, she was born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus...
- Euryale
- GraeaeGraeaeThe Graeae , were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth among them. They are one of several trios of archaic goddesses in Greek mythology. The Graeae were daughters of Phorcys and Ceto...
, three old women with one tooth and one eye between them- Deino
- Enyo
- Pemphredo
- Harpies, winged monsters with the bodies of birds and the heads and torsos of women
- AelloAelloAello in Greek mythology was one of the Harpy sisters who would abduct people and torture them on their way to Tartarus. Her names are:*Aello , "she of the whirlwind"*Aellopus , "whirlwind-footed"...
- Nicothoe
- OcypeteOcypeteOcypete was one of the three harpies in Greek mythology. She was also known as Ocypode or Ocythoe . Ocypete was the swiftest of all the three harpies...
- PodargePodargeIn Greek mythology, Podarge referred to several different beings.*One of the Harpies is named Podarge and, due to her union with Zephyrus, the god of the West Wind, was the mother of Balius and Xanthus, the horses of Achilles.*The rainbow/messenger goddess Iris is sometimes also referred to as...
- Aello
- KobaloiKobalosThe kobalos was a sprite from Greek mythology, a mischievous creature fond of tricking and frightening mortals. Greek myths depict the kobaloi as "impudent, thieving, droll, idle, mischievous, gnome-dwarfs", and as "funny, little triksy elves" of a phallic nature...
, a species of mischievous creatures, fond of tricking or frightening humans - MormoMormoIn Greek mythology, Mormo was a spirit who bit bad children, said to have been a companion of the goddess Hecate. The name was also used to signify a female vampire-like creature in stories told to Greek children by their nurses to keep them from misbehaving. This reference is primarily found in...
, a vampiric creature who bit bad children - TaraxippiTaraxippusThe Taraxippus was a presence, either a ghost or a site, that frightened the horses during races at the Panhellenic Games....
, ghosts that frightened horses - LamiaLamia (mythology)In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon. Aristophanes claimed her name derived from the Greek word for gullet , referring to her habit of devouring children....
, a vampiric demon which preyed on children
Mythical hybrids
These creatures combine human and animal attributes, or the attributes of several animals.- CentaurCentaurIn Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
s, a race of half-man, half-horse beings- AsbolusAsbolusIn Greek mythology, Asbolus was a centaur. He was a diviner who read omens in the flight of birds. When Heracles came to visit the centaur Pholus, Pholus opened a jug of wine for him which belonged to all the Centaurs; Asbolus saw Pholus do this and brought the other Centaurs running...
- CharicloCharicloChariclo is the name of two nymphs in Greek mythology.Chariclo, daughter of Cychreus and Stilbe married Chiron and became the mother of Hippe, Endeis, Ocyrhoe, and Carystus....
, wife of the centaur Chiron - ChironChironIn Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
, the eldest and wisest of the Centaurs - EurytionEurytionIn Greek mythology Eurytion , "widely-honoured", was a name attributed to six individuals....
- NessusNessus (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose tainted blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths. He became a ferryman on the river Euenos....
, a ferryman at the river EuenusEuenusEuenus of Paros, , was a 5th century BC philosopher and poet who was roughly contemporary with Socrates. Several fragments of his poetry exist in the Palatine Anthology and Euenus is mentioned several times in Plato's Phaedo, Phaedrus , and Apology of Socrates. He is quoted in the Nicomachean... - PholusPholus (mythology)In Greek mythology, Pholus was a wise centaur and friend of Heracles who lived in a cave on or near Mount Pelion.The differing accounts vary in details, but each story contains the following elements: Herakles visited his cave sometime before or after the completion of his fourth Labor, the capture...
- Asbolus
- Chimera, a three headed monster, with the foreparts of a lion, the hind-parts of a goat and goat's-head rising from its back, and the tail of a headed-serpent; slain by BellerophonBellerophonBellerophon or Bellerophontes is a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside of Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and his greatest feat was killing the Chimera, a monster that Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a...
- HippalectryonHippalectryonA hippalectryon is a type of fantastic hybrid creature of Ancient Greek folklore, half-horse and half-rooster, with yellow feathers...
, a creature with the fore-parts of a rooster and the body of a horse - HippocampHippocampThe hippocamp or hippocampus , often called a sea-horse in English, is a mythological creature shared by Phoenician and Greek mythology, though the name by which it is recognised is purely Greek; it became part of Etruscan mythology...
i, sea creatures with the fore-parts of horses and the tails of fish - IchthyocentaursIchthyocentaursIn Greek mythology ichthyocentaurs were a pair of centaurine sea-gods with the upper body of a man, the lower front of a horse, and the tail of a fish. Also, they wore lobster-claw horns. The two sea-gods were named Bythos and Aphros...
, a pair of marine centaurs with the upper bodies of men, the lower fronts of horses, and the tails of fish - IpotaneIpotaneIn Greek mythology, Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus.-Evolution of the character:The original Silenus resembled a folklore man of the forest with the ears of a horse and sometimes also the tail and legs of a horse...
, a race of half-horse, half-humans - ManticoreManticoreThe manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
, a monster with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion - MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man - OphiotaurusOphiotaurusIn Greek mythology, the Ophiotaurus was a creature that was part bull and part serpent. Its sole reference is found in Ovid's Fasti , where the creature's entrails were said to grant the power to defeat the gods to whoever burned them...
, a creature that was part bull and part serpent - OrthrusOrthrusIn Greek mythology, Orthrus or Orthus was a two-headed dog and a doublet of Cerberus, both whelped by the chthonic monsters Echidna and Typhon.He was owned by the three-bodied giant, Geryon...
, a two-headed, serpent-tailed dog, slain by Heracles - Panes, a tribe of nature-spirits which had the heads and torsos of men, the legs and tails of goats, goatish faces and goat-horns
- SatyrSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
s and SatyressSatyressSatyresses are the female equivalent to satyrs, depicted with a human head and torso, generally including bare breasts, but the body of a goat from waist down. They were a late invention by poets and artists and are comparatively rare in classical art...
es, a tribe of nature-spirits with the upper bodies of men, and the lower body concerns the lower half of a goat. - SileniSilenusIn Greek mythology, Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus.-Evolution of the character:The original Silenus resembled a folklore man of the forest with the ears of a horse and sometimes also the tail and legs of a horse...
, a race of elderly Satyrs with the bodies of old-men, pug-noses, the tails of horses, and donkeys' ears - SirenSirenIn Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
s, three winged bird-women whose irresistible song lured sailors to their deaths - SphinxSphinxA sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
, a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman - TelchinesTelchinesIn Greek mythology, the Telchines were the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, and were known in Crete and Cyprus....
, skilled metal-workers with the heads of dogs and flippers of seals in place of hands
Mythical animals
These animals possess some fantastic attribute.- AmphisbaenaAmphisbaenaAmphisbaena , amphisbaina, amphisbene, amphisboena, amphisbona, amphista, amphivena, or anphivena , a Greek word, from amphis, meaning "both ways", and bainein, meaning "to go", also called the Mother of Ants, is a mythological, ant-eating serpent with a head at each end...
, a snake with two heads, one at each end of the body - ArionArion (mythology)In Greek mythology, Arion or Areion is a divinely-bred, extremely swift immortal horse which, according to the Latin poet Sextus Propertius, was endowed with speech....
, the immortal horse of AdrastusAdrastusAdrastus or Adrestus , traditionally translated as "nonparticipant" or "uncooperative", was a legendary king of Argos during the war of the Seven Against Thebes.-Mythological tradition:... - Balius and XanthusBalius and XanthusIn Greek mythology, Balius and Xanthus were two immortal horses, the offspring of the harpy Podarge and the West wind, Zephyros ; following another tradition, their father was Zeus.Note: Balius and Xanthus are the Latin forms of the Greek names Balios and Xanthos.-Horses of Achilles:Poseidon...
, the immortal horses of AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy.... - Calydonian BoarCalydonian BoarThe Calydonian Boar is one of the monsters of Greek mythology that had to be overcome by heroes of the Olympian age. Sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia because its king failed to honor her in his rites to the gods, it was killed in the Calydonian Hunt, in which many male...
, a gigantic boar sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon and slain in the Calydonian Boar Hunt - Ceryneian HindCeryneian HindIn Greek mythology, the Ceryneian Hind , also called Cerynitis, was an enormous hind , who lived in Keryneia, Greece. It was sacred to Artemis, the chaste goddess of the hunt, animals and unmarried women. It had golden antlers like a stag and hooves of bronze or brass, and it was said that it could...
, an enormous deer which was sacred to Artemis; Heracles was sent to retrieve it as one of his labours - ChrysomallusGolden FleeceIn Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, a flying, talking, golden-fleeced ram - Cretan BullCretan BullIn Greek mythology, the Cretan Bull was either the bull that carried away Europa or the bull Pasiphaë fell in love with, giving birth to the Minotaur.- Origin :...
, the bull which impregnated Pasiphaë, resulting in the Minotaur - Erymanthian BoarErymanthian BoarIn Greek mythology, the Erymanthian Boar is remembered in connection with The Twelve Labours, in which Heracles, the enemy of Hera, visited in turn "all the other sites of the Goddess throughout the world, to conquer every conceivable 'monster' of nature and rededicate the primordial world to its...
, a gigantic boar which Heracles was sent to retrieve as one of his labours - Karkinos, a giant crab which fought Heracles alongside the Hydra
- LaelapsLaelaps (mythology)Laelaps was a Greek mythological dog who never failed to catch what he was hunting. In one version of Laelaps' origin, he was a gift from Zeus to Europa. The hound was passed down to King Minos. Minos had been cursed by his wife; he ejaculated scorpions and spiders that would devour the genitals...
, a dog destined always to catch its prey - Mares of DiomedesMares of DiomedesThe Mares of Diomedes, also called the Mares of Thrace, were four man-eating horses in Greek mythology. Magnificent, wild, and uncontrollable, they belonged to the giant Diomedes , king of Thrace, a son of Ares and Cyrene who lived on the shores of the Black Sea...
, four man-eating horses belonging to the giant Diomedes - Nemean LionNemean LionThe Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Heracles. It could not be killed with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack...
, a gigantic lion whose skin was impervious to weapons; it was strangled by Heracles - PegasusPegasusPegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
, a divine winged horse - PhoenixPhoenix (mythology)The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, a golden-red bird whose feathers shone with the light of the sun - Stymphalian BirdsStymphalian birdsIn Greek mythology, the Stymphalian birds were man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and were sacred to Ares, the god of war. Furthermore, their dung was highly toxic...
, man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims - Teumessian foxTeumessian foxIn Greek mythology, the Teumessian fox or Cadmean vixen, was a gigantic fox that was destined never to be caught. The fox was one of the children of Echidna. It was said that it had been sent by the gods to prey upon the children of Thebes as a punishment for some national crime...
, a gigantic fox destined never to be caught
Giants
The GigantesGigantes
In Greek mythology, the Giants were the children of Gaia, who was fertilized by the blood of Uranus, after Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus...
, or giants, were a class of unnaturally large and often monstrous men who were closely related to the gods.
- AgriusAgriusAgrius or Agrios , in Greek mythology, is a name that may refer to:*A son of Parthaon, king of Calydon in Aetolia, and Euryte; he was the brother of Oeneus , Alcathous, Melas, Leucopeus, and Sterope. He was father of six sons, including Melanippus and Thersites, who overthrew Oeneus and gave the...
, a man-eating Thracian giant who was half man and half bear - AlcyoneusAlcyoneusAlcyoneus or Alkyoneus is a name that refers to several distinct figures in Greek mythology.-The Giant:Alcyoneus was the eldest of the Thracian Gigantes of Greek mythology. He was born in full armor with a spear in his hand...
, the eldest of the Thracian giants, killed by Heracles - The AloadaeAloadaeIn Greek mythology, the Aloadae were Otus and Ephialtes , sons of Iphimedia, queen of Aloeus, by Poseidon, whom she induced to make her pregnant by going to the seashore and disporting herself in the surf or scooping seawater into her bosom. From Aloeus they received their patronymic, the Aloadai...
, twin giants who attempted to storm Olympus - Alops, a Sicilian giant, slain by Dionysus
- Anax, a Lydian giant
- AntaeusAntaeusAntaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a half-giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, whose wife was Tinjis. Antaeus had a daughter named Alceis or Barce.-Mythology:...
, a Libyan giant who wrestled to death all visitors to his realm until slain by Heracles - Argus PanoptesArgus PanoptesIn Greek mythology, Argus Panoptes or Argos, guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor, was a primordial giant whose epithet "Panoptes", "all-seeing", led to his being described with multiple, often one hundred, eyes. The epithet Panoptes was applied to the Titan of the Sun, Helios, and...
, a hundred-eyed giant tasked with guarding over Io - ChrysaorChrysaorIn Greek mythology, Chrysaor , the brother of Pegasus, was often depicted as a young man, the son of Poseidon and Medusa. However, Chrysaor is sometimes said to be a giant or a winged boar. Chrysaor and his brother, the winged horse Pegasus, were not born until Perseus chopped off Medusa's head...
, a son of Medusa, sometimes said to be a giant - CyclopesCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
(Elder), three one-eyed giants who forged the lightning-bolts of Zeus- Arges
- Brontes
- Steropes
- CyclopesCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
(Younger), a tribe of one-eyed cannibalistic giants who shepherded flocks of sheep on the island of Sicily- PolyphemusPolyphemusPolyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
, a cyclops who briefly captured OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
and his men
- Polyphemus
- The Hekatoncheires, the Hundred-Handed Ones, giant gods of violent storms and hurricanes.
- Briareus or Aigaion (Βριάρεως), The Vigorous
- Cottus (Κόττος), The Furious
- Gyges (Γύγης), The Big-Limbed
- EnceladusEnceladus (mythology)In Greek mythology, Enceladus was one of the Gigantes, the enormous children of Gaia fertilized by the blood of castrated Uranus...
, one of the Thracian giants who made war on the gods - The GegeneesGegeneesThe Gegenees were a race of six-armed giants who inhabited the same island as the Doliones in the ancient Greek epic Argonautica....
, a tribe of six-armed giants fought by the Argonauts on Bear Mountain in Mysia - GeryonGeryonIn Greek mythology, Geryon , son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe and grandson of Medusa, was a fearsome giant who dwelt on the island Erytheia of the mythic Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. A more literal-minded later generation of Greeks associated the region with Tartessos in southern...
, a three-bodied, four-winged giant who dwelt on the red island of Erytheia - The LaestrygoniansLaestrygoniansThe Laestrygonians are a tribe of giant cannibals from ancient Greek mythology. Odysseus, the main character of Homer's Odyssey, visited them during his journey back home to Ithaca...
, a tribe of man-eating giants encountered by Odysseus on his travels - PolybotesPolybotesIn Greek mythology, Polybotes was a Gigante , therefore son of Gaea , who fought Poseidon during the battle between the Giants and the Gods.-Etymology:...
, a giant who fought Poseidon during the GigantomachyGigantomachyIn Greek mythology, Gigantomachy was the symbolic struggle between the cosmic order of the Olympians led by Zeus and the nether forces of Chaos led by the giant Alcyoneus... - PorphyrionPorphyrionIn Greek mythology, Porphyrion was a giant, one of the sons of Uranus and Gaia. After the Olympian gods imprisoned the Titans in Tartarus, Porphyrion was one of twenty-four anguipede giants who made war on Olympus....
, the king of the Gigantes who was struck down by Heracles and Zeus with arrows and lightning-bolts after he attempted to rape Hera - TityosTityosTityos was a giant from Greek mythology.-Story:Tityos was the son of Elara; his father was Zeus. Zeus hid Elara from his wife, Hera, by placing her deep beneath the earth. Tityos grew so large that he split his mother's womb, and was carried to term by Gaia, the Earth. Once grown, Tityos...
, a giant slain by Apollo and Artemis when he attempted to violate their mother Leto. - TyphonTyphonTyphon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
, a monstrous immortal storm-giant who was defeated and imprisoned by Zeus in the pit of Tartarus
Dragons
The dragons of Greek mythologyDragons in Greek mythology
-Ladon:Ladon was the serpent-like dragon that twined round the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides and guarded the golden apples. Ladon was also said to have as many as one hundred heads. He was overcome and possibly slain by Heracles...
were serpentine monsters. They include the serpent-like Dracones, the marine-dwelling Cetea and the she-monster Dracaenae.
Dracones
Dracones were giant serpents, sometimes possessing multiple heads or deadly venom.- The Colchian Dragon, an unsleeping dragon which guarded the Golden Fleece
- CychreidesCychreidesCychreides is a fabled dragon, or serpent, from Greek mythology. It is named after Cychreus, the Greek demigod who either raised or killed it, depending on the version of the story being told.-Stories:Cychreus, son of Poseidon, either:...
, a dragon which terrorised Salamis before being slain by Cychreus - The Ismenian Dragon, a dragon which guarded the sacred spring of Ares near Thebes; it was slain by CadmusCadmusCadmus or Kadmos , in Greek mythology was a Phoenician prince, the son of king Agenor and queen Telephassa of Tyre and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix and Europa. He was originally sent by his royal parents to seek out and escort his sister Europa back to Tyre after she was abducted from the shores...
- LadonLadon (mythology)Ladon was the serpent-like dragon that twined and twisted around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides and guarded the golden apples. He was overcome by Heracles...
, a serpent-like dragon which guarded the apples of the HesperidesHesperidesIn Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean.... - The Lernaean HydraLernaean HydraIn Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...
, a nine-headed dragon which guarded the springs of Lerna; it was slain by Heracles - PythonPython (mythology)In Greek mythology, Python was the earth-dragon of Delphi, always represented in Greek sculpture and vase-paintings as a serpent. He presided at the Delphic oracle, which existed in the cult center for his mother, Gaia, "Earth," Pytho being the place name that was substituted for the earlier Krisa...
, a dragon which guarded the oracle of Delphi; it was slain by Apollo
Cetea
Cetea were sea monsters. They were usually featured in myths of a hero rescuing a sacrificial princess.- Ethiopian CetusCetus (mythology)In ancient Greek, the word ketos - Latinized as cetus - denotes a large fish, a whale, a shark, or a sea monster. The sea monsters slain by Perseus and Heracles were each referred to as a cetus by ancient sources. The term cetacean originates from cetus. In Greek art, cetea were depicted as...
, a sea monster sent by Poseidon to ravage Ethiopia; slain by Perseus - Trojan Cetus, a sea monster which plagued Troy before being slain by Heracles
Dracaenae
The DracaenaDrakaina (mythology)
In Greek mythology, a drakaina is a female dragon, sometimes with human-like features. Examples included Campe, Ceto, Delphyne, Echidna, Scylla, Lamia , Poine, and Python ....
or "She-Dragon" was a creature with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a dragon or sea monster.
- Kampê, a monstrous she-dragon which guarded the prison-gates of Tartarus
- CetoCetoIn ancient Greek, the word ketos - Latinized as cetus - denotes a large fish, a whale, a shark, or a sea monster. The sea monsters slain by Perseus and Heracles were each referred to as a cetus by ancient sources. The term cetacean originates from cetus. In Greek art, cetea were depicted as...
, a monstrous marine goddess with the body of a sea monster - DelphyneDelphyneIn Greek mythology, Delphyne is the name of the female dragon who was appointed by her mother, Gaea, to guard the oracle of Delphi. She is sometimes called Python and may, in the stories, be replaced with or accompanied by a male dragon...
, a she-dragon which guarded the oracle of Delphi - EchidnaEchidna (mythology)In Greek mythology, Echidna was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her...
, the she-dragon wife of Typhon - ScyllaScyllaIn Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
, a she-dragon which haunted the Straits of Messina - SybarisSybaris (mythology)Sybaris was a drakaina of Greek mythology. Dwelling on Mount Kriphis, Sybaris terrorized the countryside of Delphi, devouring livestock and people. The people of the region asked the oracle how to end the depredations. The oracle answered that a young man needed to be sacrificed to the dragon...
, a she-dragon who terrorised a mountain near Delphi; slain by the hero Eurybarus
Automatons
Automatons were men, animals and monsters crafted out of metal and made animate in order to perform various tasks. They were created by the divine smith, HephaestusHephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
. The Athenian inventor Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
also manufactured automatons.
- Caucasian Eagle, a giant eagle set by Zeus to feed on the ever-regenerating liver of PrometheusPrometheusIn Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
; it was variously described as an automaton and a son of Echidna - The Hippoi Kabeirikoi, four bronze horse-shaped automatons crafted by Hephaestus to draw the chariot of the CabeiriCabeiriIn Greek mythology, the Cabeiri, were a group of enigmatic chthonic deities. They were worshiped in a mystery cult closely associated with that of Hephaestus, centered in the north Aegean islands of Lemnos and possibly Samothrace —at the Samothrace temple complex— and at Thebes...
- The Keledones, singing maidens sculpted out of gold by Hephaestus
- The KhalkotauroiKhalkotauroiThe Khalkotauroi are mythical creatures that appear in the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. They are two immense bulls with bronze hooves and bronze mouths through which they breathe fire. In the Argonautica, Jason is promised the prized fleece by King Aeetes if he can first yoke the...
, fire-breathing bulls created by Hephaestus as a gift for AeëtesAeëtesIn Greek mythology, Aeëtes , , , was a King of Colchis , son of the sun-god Helios and the Oceanid Perseis , brother of Circe and Pasiphae, and father of Medea, Chalciope and Apsyrtus... - The Kourai Khryseai, golden maidens sculpted to Hephaestus to attend him in his household
- TalosTalosIn Greek mythology, Talos or Talon was a giant man of bronze who protected Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders by circling the island's shores three times daily while guarding it.- History :...
, a giant man made out of bronze to protect EuropaEuropa (mythology)In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
Legendary tribes
- ArimaspiArimaspiThe Arimaspi were a legendary people of northern Scythia who lived in the foothills of the Riphean Mountains, variously identified with the Ural Mountains or the Carpathians...
, a tribe of one-eyed men - Hyperboreans, a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace
- MonopodesMonopod (creature)Monopods are mythological dwarf-like creatures with a single, large foot extending from one thick leg centered in the middle of their body...
or Skiapodes, a tribe of one-legged Libyan men who used their gigantic foot as shade against the midday sun - Panotii, a tribe of northern men with gigantic, body-length ears
- Pygmies, a tribe of one and a half foot tall African men who rode goats into battle against migrating cranes
See also
- List of legendary creatures
- List of legendary creatures by type
- Mythic humanoidsMythic Humanoids-Elves, fairies, nymphs, little people, and house spirits:* Arkan Sonney* Bannik* Boggart* Brownie* Bugbear* Changeling* Ciguapa* Clurichaun* Dark elf* Diwata* Domovoi* Domowije* Dryad* Dwarf* Ebu Gogo* Elf* Fairy* Fiura* Gnome* Goblin* Gremlin...