Greek Mythology Creatures
1. Cyclops The Cyclops were gigantic one-eyed monsters. They were the sons of Uranus and Rhea. They were also the first blacksmiths. When Cronus came to power, he imprisoned the Cyclops in Tartarus. They were released by Zeus, and they fought with him against the Titans. As a reward for their release, the Cyclops gave Zeus his weapons of lightning and thunder, Hades his helmet of invisibility, and Poseidon his trident. They continued as his workers at Mt. Olympus forging his thunderbolts.
2. Hecatoncheires Hecatoncheires means “hundred-handed.” They were gigantic and had fifty heads and one hundred arms, each of great strength. They were the sons of Gaea and Uranus. They participated in Gaea’s rebellion against Uranus. When Cronus came to power, he imprisoned Hecatoncheires in Tartarus along with the Cyclops. Zeus freed them, and they fought along his side against the Titans. They were able to hurl as many as one hundred boulders at a time against their opponents. One of them, Briareus, served as Zeus’ bodyguard.
3. Giants They were generated from the blood of Uranus (like Aphrodite). They became so powerful that they tried to unseat Zeus and the Olympians early in their rule. When the gods won, they imprisoned the giants in Tartarus.
4. Nymphs and Dryads They are female spirits of woodland and water. Dryads are tree-nymphs whose life is linked to that of their tree. They had extremely long lives. They are generally followers of Dionysus. They can generally be found near water, trees, or mountains, depending on the type of nymph they are. They are very lovely and beautiful women, and often both gods and mortal men would fall madly in love with them.
5. Typhoeus Typhoeus was a fire-breathing dragon with a hundred heads that never rest. It was birthed by Gaea as a last ditch effort to keep the Olympians from defeating her children, the Titans. It came close to succeeding, setting most of the gods to flight and capturing Zeus. Zeus was able to escape by using his thunderbolts. He then buried Typhoeus under Mt. Etna in Sicily, which is now an active volcano.
6. Cerberus Cerberus is the three-headed dog with a dragon tail which guards the entrance to the underworld, allowing the dead to enter but never leave. He is feared by most who enter the underworld, but because he is a servant of Hades, he will not harm those who enter. He will only attack those who try to escape. His drool produces aconite flowers, which contain the poison “wolf’s bane.”
7. Sirens They were beautiful half-women, half-birdlike creatures. They had beautiful voices, and sang such sweet songs that the listener forgot everything and died of starvation. The Sirens are sisters who lure sailors to their death. The song of the Siren is irresistible, but they live beyond unpassable reefs and jagged rocks that destroy sailors’ ship when they try to reach the Sirens.
8. Centaurs Centaurs are half- human and half- horse. They are human from the waist up and horse from the waist down. Some are known to be wild and savage, known for lustfulness and drunkenness. However, most were employed as teachers of heroes. They were unrivalled in their ability to teach riding, shooting bow and arrows, and give advice at the same time. The only immortal centaur was Chiron. He was known for his exceptional goodness and wisdom.
9. The Gorgons They are the three sisters who were once very beautiful. However, they offended the goddess Athena. She turned the sisters into horrible monsters. Their faces are so ugly that anyone who looks at them will be turned to stone. Their lair could easily be recognized because of the numerous statues that were their victims. They had bronze claws, wings, and snakes for hair. The most famous Gorgon is Medusa.
10. Argus Panoptes He is a servant to Hera who had one hundred eyes that were never all closed at once. He guarded things for Hera because he always had some of his eyes open. However, he was lulled to sleep by Hermes (who could play his pipes beautifully) and was killed. Hera set his eyes in the tail pattern of the peacock, which became her symbol.
11. Chimera This monster is extremely fierce, having three heads- a lion, a goat, and a snake. Its body is also mixed, having the front part of a lion, middle of a goat, and a snake’s tail. It can breathe fire and is lethal to all mortals.
12. Echidna She was a female monster that was half- woman or nymph and half- serpent. She lived in a cave and only came out to eat those passing. She was ageless, but not immortal. She was killed by Argus Panoptes while sleeping. She had many offspring, including Cerberus, Hydra, and Chimera.
13. Harpies They are large birds with nagging female heads. They screech and steal food so their victims can neither eat nor rest. They are persistent and tireless, and their flying and harassing abilities make for a deadly combination.
14. Hydra This creature has the body of a giant dog and many serpent heads. It specializes in death and destruction, and does not like humans. It has a very vicious personality. If one of its heads is cut off, it grows right back again. This can only be prevented by sealing the severed neck with fire.
15. Pegasus He is a shining white horse with wings. He is the unusual offspring of Poseidon and Medusa. He served many heroes during their adventures, until one hero attempted to fly Pegasus up to Mt. Olympus, and Zeus unseated the rider. Pegasus continued on to Mt. Olympus, where he carries thunderbolts to Zeus. He is good natured, obedient, and loyal to any master, so there is danger that he might be used for evil.