Are you a fan of Greek Mythology? Then you probably know a few monsters on this list.
There are three things that are a staple in Greek Mythology. Gods, heroes, and monsters. The final category is where the heart of the action is in Greek Mythology. Monsters are birthed by gods at times, slain by heroes at other times and all of them highlight why Greek Mythology is still popular today. Below, you’ll find our top 15 monsters and what they’re famous for!
15. Sphinx
The Sphinx is described as a creature with the body of a lion and the torso of an attractive woman. Artistic interpretations of the Sphinx has changed over the years; however, the story has remained the same. The Sphinx was plaguing the city of Thebes when Oedipus solved its riddle and it killed itself.
Greek Mythology always did have a flair for dramatics.
Do you know the answer to its riddle: What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon and three feet in the evening? Scroll down to find out if you’re right.
The Sphinx is best known for:
- Asking riddles
- Eating those who failed the riddle.
- Waiting on the outskirts of Thebes.
Oedipus’ Answer: Man: as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a walking stick.
14. Nemean Lion
The great hero Hercules was tasked with twelve labours in order to atone for killing his wife, Magara. The first of these labours was to kill the Nemean Lion. The lion that besieged Nemea had a hide so tough that not even an arrow could pierce it. After stunning the lion, Hercules strangled it to death, before using its own sharp claws to skin it and wear it.
The Nemean Lion is best known for:
- Its impenetrable hide
- Terrorising the countryside of Nemea
- Hercules wearing its skin as a headpiece and cloak.
13. Argus
Art by RONNIE DEMETRIO Here: https://ronniedemetrioart.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/argus/
Argus (also spelt Argos) was a monster by birth but he was really the victim of Zeus’ infidelity. The story begins with Zeus’ lust for Hera’s priestess, Io.
To protect Io from Hera’s wrath, he transformed her into a white heifer. Argus was then appointed to guard the white heifer, Io, as he was Hera’s servant.
Zeus sent Hermes to lull the all-seeing giant into sleep, before killing him. So that Zeus could do what Zeus does best. If you know, you know.
Argus is best known for:
- Being an all-seeing giant.
- Being the servant of Hera.
- Being honoured by Hera after his death by putting his eye on the tail of the peacock, her favourite animal.
12. Erymanthian Boar
Art by Przemo Hoff here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8eGEaQ
The fourth of Hercules’ labours, capturing the Erymanthian Boar, proved difficult for the hero. Hercules chased the monster up the mountain, deep into the snowdrifts. There, he caught the creature in a net and brought it back to the king of Tiryns, who was so afraid of the creature, he hid it in a giant bronze jar. You’d wonder why he wanted it in the first place, right?
The Erymanthian Boar is best known for:
- Causing trouble for the people living on Mount Erymanthus.
- Hercules exhausted the creature before capturing it.
- He arrived back at the halls of the Mycenaeans with the boar on his left shoulder.
11. Echidna
Art by Steven Bellshaw here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ZGJgAG
The mother of many of the monsters on this list, Echidna was a half beautiful woman, and half serpentine. She was known to live by herself in a cave. Echidna was the mother of both the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion.
Echidna is best known for:
- Being named the “Mother of Monsters”.
- The pseudo-Apollodorus named her death at the hands of Argus.
- The location of her cave is highly debated between scholars
10. Sirens
Art by Vasylina here: https://www.deviantart.com/vasylina/art/Slavic-mythology-Sirin-490773751
The Sirens are well known Greek Mythology monsters; however, they’re often depicted more as mermaids than what they were originally described as. The sirens were bird-like creatures with the heads of women. They are similar but not to be confused with harpies, who are definitely the angrier of the two
The Sirens are best known for:
- Luring sailors to the death with their beautiful singing.
- Living on rocks that can sink a ship
- Odysseus filled his men’s ears with wax to stop them from hearing their siren call.
9. The Cyclopes
Art by Russell Marks here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/LwzV5
The race of one-eyed giants is often portrayed in modern media. From the character with the same name in X-Men to movies such as Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Cyclopes are well-known monsters. In Greek Mythology, the Cyclopes are amongst the toughest monsters due to their size, strength, and ability.
The Cyclopes are best known for:
- Making the Lightning Bolt for Zeus.
- Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, was blinded by Odysseus.
- Their weakness is their vision or lack of.
8. Scylla
Art by Saby Menyhei here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RYJbAO
Scylla is one part of a duo of monsters that wreaked havoc in the seas in Greek Mythology. Sailors would have to choose between Scylla, the monster with many heads that would eat people alive, or Charybdis, who created whirlpools that would suck entire ships in. Not the best options.
Scylla is best known for:
- Eating sailors alive, including some of Odysseus’ men.
- Living in a sea cave, with Charybdis nearby.
- An idiom, “Between Scylla and Charybdis” means to be forced to choose the lesser of two evils between two equally dangerous options.
7. Charybdis
Art by Polina Hristova here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/D9dOR
The counterpart to Scylla, Charybdis is sometimes considered the more dangerous of the pair. While Scylla has numerous heads to eat multiple sailors, Charybdis sucks in the entire ship. Sail too close to Charybdis and you’ll lose everything.
Charybdis is best known for:
- Creating whirlpools and sucking in ships.
- Later stories named her the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.
- For helping Poseidon, Zeus cursed her with an unquenchable thirst for the sea, thus creating the whirlpools as she drank in the water.
6. Lernaean Hydra
Art by Francesco Lorenzetti here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/vP8JO
The second of Hercules’ labours, the Hydra of Lerna was a serpentine water-based monster in Greek Mythology. Another child of Echidna, the Hydra had numerous heads, so that when one was chopped off, two would take its place. Yikes. However, the beast was defeated by Hercules, when he would chop the head off, his nephew Iolaus would cauterise the neck using a sword and fire.
The Hydra is best known for:
- Some authors claim the Hydra had as many as 50 heads.
- It had poisonous breath and blood.
- Hercules used the blood of the slain Hydra to coat his arrows to finish his other labours.
5. Stymphalian Birds
Art by Bagas Pangestu here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/gJD1ne
What monster did Hercules kill using the poisoned arrows? The pets of Artemis. The Stymphalian Birds were a group of murderous birds that lived around a lake and marsh in Arcadia. Said to have razor-sharp bronze beaks, deadly feathers they could fire at will and poisonous poop, the birds were a menace. This is one bird, you don’t want pooping on you.
The Stymphalian Birds are best known for:
- Being pets of Artemis or raised by the god of war, Ares.
- Destroying crops, trees and killing townspeople.
- Some survived their battle with Hercules, later to encounter the Argonauts at their new home.
4. Minotaur
Art by Deiv Calviz (David Villegas) here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/r89Ga
The Minotaur is the main antagonist in the stories surrounding the hero Theseus. The creature was part man, part bull and lived in the Labyrinth in Knossos, on the island of Crete. King Minos sent the youths of Athens into the Labyrinth as food for the Minotaur, only to be slain by Theseus, with the help of Minos’ very own daughter, Ariadne. The power of true love!
The Minotaur is best known for:
- Killing innocent youths from Athens.
- Living in the Labyrinth.
- Being killed by Theseus.
3. Cerberus
Art by Chang-Wei Chen here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/EVo6Ln
The three-headed dog watches over the entrance to the underworld for his master, the god of the underworld, Hades. Another child of Echidna, Cerberus is a very powerful monster and is kidnapped as the ultimate labour of Hercules, but later returned safely back to guard the underworld. No one wants to see a dog hurt, even if the dog has three heads and is super deadly.
Cerberus is best known for:
- Inspiring many modern stories, such as Harry Potter.
- Guarding the underworld.
- Some accounts state Cerberus returned to the underworld of his own volition.
2. The Gorgons, including Medusa
Art by Giorgio Baroni here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BvrD
The Gorgon, Medusa, is perhaps the most well-known monster of the Greek Mythology world. However, Medusa is one of three Gorgons. Her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, were believed to be immortal yet Medusa was not. With venomous snakes for hair and gazes that turned you to stone, the Gorgons were deadly monsters.
The Gorgons were best known for:
- Turning their onlookers to stone.
- Medusa’s slain head was attached to the Aegis shield and given to Athena.
- The blood that dripped from her slain head landed in the ocean, causing the birth of the winged horse, Pegasus.
1. Typhon
Art by Nicolas Camiade here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/6a0LXN
The mate of Echidna and the father of many of the monsters on this list, Typhon was the living embodiment of what we call monstrous. He was said to have hundreds of snakeheads on his shoulders that emitted fire and he was immensely powerful.
He rivalled Zeus, causing a duel for supremacy between the two. Zeus won the battle and buried him beneath Mount Etna. Zeus needed to throw a mountain on top of him to keep him down.
Typhon is best known for:
- Being the progenitor of many monsters.
- Attempting to overtake Zeus for ruling the cosmos.
- His name may inspire the term, Typhoon.
That wraps up our list of the top 15 Greek Mythology monsters and what they’re famous for. Did you guess who would make the list? Have any that you’d like to change for another monster? Comment below!
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