Greek Mythology is famous for its Gods and Heroes. It’s evident that where there is good, evil also prevails there. A hero is as good as the villain is. So let’s talk about the 10 Monsters of Greek Mythology.
10 Monsters of Greek Mythology
Typhon
Typhon is described as the father of all monsters. It’s said that if he stood his head could touch the stars. According to many sources he had 100 dragon heads. He had huge wings which could even cover the light of the sun coming towards the planet. He hated Zeus, the King of the Gods. The Giant Monster even went on to defeat Zeus before being captured by the King Of Gods. Even the mighty Olympians were scared of this monster.
Cerberus
Cerberus was the guard dog of Hade’s. He was a missive three-headed dog who used to guard the entrance of the underworld. His three heads are representation of Youth, Adulthood and Old age. The most famous story of the creature has to be the fight with Heracles. Where he fought the dog and brought it to the mortal world. But Cerberus was so scary that the King begged Heracles to take the beast back to the hell (underworld).
Medusa
Medusa is also known as Gorgons, is one of the most famous Monstrous characters of Greek Mythology. She is generally depicted with snakes on her head in place of normal hairs. In some cases she is even depicted as beautiful. Out of the three Gorgons (sisters) she was the only one who was mortal. This is the reason she was killed by Perseus, who cut her head.
The Minotaur
He was a Greek Mythology Monster who had the body of a Human but the head of a bull. He is described as one part of man and one part of a bull. Eventually the story of this monster came to an end when Minotaur was killed by the Hero of Athenian , ‘Theseus’.
The Hydra
Hydra was a water monster. The monster had a dangerous venom and ability to regrow. It’s said that when one head of the creature was cut, two heads grew in place. But even this dangerous monster was killed in the end. Again Heracles showed his heroism and killed this dangerous water monster.
The Sphinx
The Sphinx was a weird creature. It had the head of a woman, the body of a lion and wings of an eagle. This creature was confronted by Oedipus. The monster asked a riddle to Oedipus when he was traveling to Thebes. It was common for Sphinx to ask riddles to young travellers who crossed its path.
The Cyclops
They were giants born from Gaia, the earth. These creatures were known for their strength. They had just one eye which popped out of their foreheads. The monsters were captured and were prisoned in the rule of the Titans. They were only able to see freedom when the Olympians came to power and Zeus released the monsters. After that, the monsters made thunderbolts for the Olympians.
Stymphalian Birds
These are not normal birds, which we all feed. They are the real monsters who live under the rock. They are often referred to as the sea monsters as they used to swallow massive amounts of water and damage ships by creating whirlpools. Again these monsters were taken down by the hero himself (Heracles).
The Chimera
The Chimera was another weird creature with the “body and head” of a lion. A goat head also popped out from the back of this creature, and had a snake in place of the tail. According to the mythology Chimera was a female. She gave birth to Sphinx and the Nemean lion. Chimera is considered as one of the most ferocious creatures of Greek Mythology.
The Empusa
Empusa is shown as a beautiful woman. But don’t get tricked by her appearance. She can be a nightmare for anyone as she can transform into a creature with sharp teeth, flaming hairs and bat wings. Her victims are generally young travellers, traveling alone. First she would seduce the young men and when they were asleep, she would drink their blood.
