Some Monsters from Ancient Greek Mythology

The peoples of ancient Greece bequeathed to Western culture a legacy of brilliant mythology. From their creative imaginations sprang a complete cast of characters: gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and monsters which continue to entertain and inspire modern readers. The tales also enable us to glimpse the lives and culture of these early people.

Many of the myths date back to 1600 BC, but were not written down until 800 BC. Because of the years of oral transmission, there are sometimes different versions of the same myth. In addition, the stories come to us written in the ancient Greek language and translation into English is not always easy or exact.

The monsters in Greek mythology were particularly threatening and gruesome. They tend to make Dracula and Frankenstein seem like nursery-rhyme characters. Outlined below are some of the more fearsome creatures imagined by the ancient Greeks.

Argus Panoptes (He who sees all.)

Argus was a giant who had at least one hundred eyes. They were situated all over his body. He was a perfect security guard because some of the eyes were always awake. He was working for the goddess Hera when Hermes lulled him to sleep playing on a lyre, and then beheaded him. Hera put Argus` eyes into the tail of a peacock, her favorite bird.

Cerberus

Cerberus was a large and powerful three-headed dog. Snake heads protruded from his back and he had the tail of a dragon. Cerberus ate raw flesh. He belonged to Hades, god of the dead. He guarded the gate to the underworld, allowing the dead to enter, but never to leave. In his final labor, Hercules went to the underworld and kidnapped Cerberus, in order to display him to King Eurydice.

The Cyclopes

These creatures were giants with a single round eye in the middle of their foreheads, They made lightning and thunderbolts for Zeus to use. One of them ate four of Odysseus’ men. Odysseus took revenge by sharpening a large log to a point and plunging it into the Cyclopes’ eye, blinding it.

The Gorgons

These were female monsters whose hair was composed of writhing snakes. They lived at the edge of the world. They were so horribly ugly that any man who looked at them would turn to stone. The hero Perseus killed the Gorgon Medusa while only looking at her reflection.

The Hydra

This monster lived in a swamp and terrorized the surrounding countryside for many years. It had the body of a massive snake and nine heads. If any head was cut off, two would grow in its place. The stench of a hydra’s breath would kill man or beast, and its venom was also deadly. When it emerged from the swamp, it would attack villagers or herds of cattle, devouring them with its many heads.

The Minotaur

It was a man-eating monster with the body of the man and the head and tail of a bull. King Minos kept it locked in a labyrinth on the island of Crete. Every year seven youths and seven maidens from Athens were imprisoned in the maze for the minotaur to feast upon. It was eventually killed by Theseus, with the help of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.

The Sirens

These were gigantic winged creatures with the heads of women who lured sailors to their deaths. The song of the Sirens was irresistible but they lived on impassable reefs in the sea. When the men in their ships tried to reach the singers, they were shipwrecked. Among those tempted were the heroes Jason and Odysseus. Odysseus filled his sailors` ears with wax and they were able to sail safely past the Sirens.

It’s been suggested that monsters are invented to make real dangers seem less threatening. The early Greeks were no strangers to perilous living. They faced natural disasters, foreign invaders, poverty, frequent famines, sieges, villains, hazardous travels, conspiracies and political treachery without the conveniences or safeguards developed by later societies. Accordingly, their monsters had to be more menacing than Dracula, Frankenstein et al.

It must be agreed that the ancient Greek myth-makers were highly successful in completing this undertaking.