Myth and Symbol

Monsters

The heros of Greek myth were often confronted by monstrous creatures. These are some of the most notable:

Echidna, a creature with the upper body of a nymph and the lower body of a repulsive serpent, was the mother of several other monsters: Cerberus, the Hydra, the Chimaera, the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion.

Gorgons, three snake-haird women, Stheno, Euryale and Medusa, whose look could turn people to stone.

Sirens, female creatures often depicted with wings who lured sailors to their deaths with their bewitching song.

The Sphinx literally "strangler", a being with the face of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings o a bird. It asked riddles and destroyed those would could not answer.

Graeae, "ages ones", three old sisters of the Gorgons, who had to share one eye and one tooth.

The Hydra, "water snake", a huge serpent with nine more heads.
Cerberus, a monsterous three-headed dog which guarded the gates of the underworld.

The Chimaera, a lion-like, fire-breathing creature with a goat's head on its back and a serpent for a tail.

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