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List Of Greek Mythological Creatures
A host of legendary creatures, animals and mythic humanoids occur in ancient Greek mythology. Mythological creatures * Aeternae, creatures with bony, saw-toothed protuberances sprouting from their heads. * Alcyoneus, a giant. * Almops, a giant son of the god Poseidon and the half-nymph Helle. * Aloadae, a group of giants who capture the god Ares. * Amphisbaena, a serpent with a head at each end. * Arae, female daemons of curses, called forth from the underworld. * Argus or Argus Panoptes, a hundred-eyed giant. * Asterius, a giant. * Athos, a giant. * Basilisk, a snake that kills anyone who lays eyes on it. * Briareus, a Hundred-hander. * Catoblepas, buffalo-like creature with shaggy fur, large horns and a heavy head whose toxic breath or ugly looks could kill. * Centaur and Centauride, creature with a head and neck of a giraffe, the torso of a human, and the body of a horse. ** Centaurs ***Agrius, one of the centaurs who fought with Heracles *** Amycus, one of the centaurs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legendary Creature
A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ... (including myths and legends), but may be featured in historical accounts before modernity. In the classical era, monstrous creatures such as the Cyclops and the Minotaur appear in heroic tales for the protagonist to destroy. Other creatures, such as the unicorn, were claimed in accounts of natural history by various scholars of antiquity. Some legendary creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and were believed to be real creatures, for example dragons, griffins, and unicorns. Others were based on real encounters, originating in garbled accounts of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catoblepas
The catoblepas (pl. catoblepones; from the Greek καταβλέπω (katablépō) "to look downwards") is a legendary creature from Ethiopia (Africa), first described by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to resemble a cape buffalo, with its head always pointing downwards due to its great weight. Its stare or breath could either turn people into stone, or kill them. The catoblepas is often thought to be based on real-life encounters with wildebeest, such that some dictionaries say that the word is synonymous with "gnu". It is sometimes known as an African version of a Gorgon. Ancient and medieval descriptions Pliny the Elder (''Natural History'', 8.77) described the catoblepas as a mid-sized creature, sluggish, with a heavy head and a face always turned to the ground. He thought its gaze, like that of the basilisk, was lethal, making the heaviness of its head quite fortunate. Pomponius Mela (''Chorographia,'' 3.98) echoes the description given by Pliny t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pirithous
Pirithous (; grc-gre, Πειρίθοος or , derived from ; also transliterated as Perithous), in Greek mythology, was the King of the Lapiths of Larissa in Thessaly, as well as best friend to Theseus. Biography Pirithous was a son of "heavenly" Dia, fathered either by Ixion or by Zeus. He married Hippodamia, daughter of Atrax or Butes, at whose wedding the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred. By his wife, he became the father of Polypoetes, one of the Greek leaders during the Trojan War. Peirithous was also the close friend of the hero Theseus. Early years According to Homer, Dia had sex with Zeus, who was disguised as a stallion, and gave birth to Pirithous; a folk etymology derived Pirithous' name from ''peritheein'' (), because that was what Zeus did to seduce Dia. His best friend was Theseus. In the ''Iliad'' I, Nestor numbers Pirithous and Theseus "of heroic fame" among an earlier generation of heroes of his youth, "the strongest men that Earth has b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nestor (mythology)
In Greek mythology Nestor of Gerenia ( grc, Νέστωρ Γερήνιος, ''Nestōr Gerēnios'') was a legendary king of Pylos. He is a prominent secondary character in Homer's ''Iliad'' and ''Odyssey'', where he appears as an elderly warrior who frequently offers long-winded advice to the other characters. The Mycenaean-era palace at Pylos is known as the ''Palace of Nestor'', though there is no evidence that he was an actual person. Description In the account of Dares the Phrygian, Nestor was illustrated as ". . . large, broad and fair. His nose was long and hooked. He was a wise adviser." Family Nestor was the son of King Neleus of Pylos and Chloris, daughter of King AmphionApollodorus, '' Bibliotheca'' 1.9.9; Scholia on Homer, ''Odyssey'' 11.281 citing Pherecydes of Orchomenus. Otherwise, Nestor's mother was called Polymede. His wife was either Eurydice or Anaxibia; their children included Peisistratus, Thrasymedes, Pisidice, Polycaste, Perseus, Stratichus, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chthonius
In Greek mythology, the name Chthonius or Chthonios (, , "of the earth or underworld") may refer to: *Chthonius, an Egyptian prince as one of the sons of King Aegyptus.Apollodorus, 2.1.5 His mother was the naiad Caliadne and thus full brother of Eurylochus, Phantes, Peristhenes, Hermus, Potamon, Dryas, Lixus, Imbrus, Bromius, Cisseus and Polyctor. In some accounts, he could be a son of Aegyptus either by Eurryroe, daughter of the river-god Nilus, or Isaie, daughter of King Agenor of Tyre. Chthonius suffered the same fate as his other brothers, save Lynceus, when they were slain on their wedding night by their wives who obeyed the command of their father King Danaus of Libya. He married the Danaid Bryce, daughter of Danaus and the naiad Polyxo. *Chthonius, one of the five surviving Spartoi in Thebes, father of Lycus and Nycteus. (but see Hyrieus). *Chthonius, son of Poseidon and Syme, who founded the first colony on the island of Syme, which was named after his mother. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for his youth-nurturing nature. His personal skills tend to match those of his foster father Apollo, who taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy, and made him rise above his beastly nature. Chiron was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine, and thus was credited with the discovery of botany and pharmacy, the science of herbs and medicine.Pliny the Elder, ''Naturalis Historia'7.56.3/ref> Like satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind, because he was not related directly to the other centaurs due to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Centaurus (Greek Mythology)
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2013 In Greek mythology, Centaurus is the father of the race of mythological beasts known as the centaurs or Ixionidae. The Centaurs are half-man, half horse; having the torso of a man extending where the neck of a horse should be. They were said to be wild, savage, and lustful. Mythology After Ixion, king of the Lapiths, fell into insanity and was ostracized by his people, Zeus sympathized greatly with Ixion and brought him up to Mount Olympus, Olympus to dine with the gods. There Ixion saw Hera, Zeus' wife and queen of the gods, with whom he fell instantly in love and began to desire her sexually. Zeus, suspicious of Ixion, set for him a trap by fashioning a figure from cloud (Nephele) in the likeness of Hera and laying it next to Ixion whilst he was asleep in a field. When Ixion awoke, he began to make love to Hera's double, which so enraged Zeus that he drove Ixion from Mount Olympus, struck him with a thunderbolt, and damned Ixion to be eternally bou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bienor (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the name Bienor (Ancient Greek: Βιήνωρ) or Bianor (Βιάνωρ) may refer to: *Bienor, a Centaur at the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia, killed by Theseus in the ensuing battle. *Bienor, a defender of Troy killed by Agamemnon. *Bienor, son of Pyrnus, a soldier in the army of Cyzicus killed in the battle against the Argonauts. *Bianor (or Ocnus), son of Manto (either the daughter of Tiresias, or of Heracles) and the river god Tuscus or Tiberis, founder of Mantua which he named after his mother. Servius on Virgil, ''Eclogues'' 9.60; on ''Aeneid'' 10.198 Notes References * Gaius Valerius Flaccus, ''Argonautica'' translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volume 286. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928Online version at theio.com.* Gaius Valerius Flaccus, ''Argonauticon.'' Otto Kramer. Leipzig. Teubner. 1913Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.* Homer, ''The Iliad'' with an Englis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asbolus
In Greek mythology, Asbolus (Ancient Greek: Ἄσβολον or Ἄσβόλη means "sooty" or "carbon dust") was a centaur. He was a seer and Hesiod calls him an augur (''oionistes'' οἰωνιστής) who read omens in the flight of birds. Mythology Asbolus foresaw the Centaurs' battle against the Lapiths at Pirithous' wedding, and unsuccessfully attempted to prevent them from attending. The above is mentioned in Ovid's Metamorphoses, He appears again when Heracles came to visit the centaur Pholus. Pholus opened a jug of wine for him which belonged to all the Centaurs; Asbolus saw Pholus do this and brought the other Centaurs, who, as it was proved by Pirithous' wedding, were unused to the drink. It resulted in a bloodbath in which Pholus and Chiron, as well as Nessus, met their deaths at Heracles' hands. It is said that Asbolus himself was crucified by Heracles' arrows.Tzetzes, ''Chiliades'5.6=22/ref> Namesake Asbolus' name was given to 8405 Asbolus, a minor plane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Centauromachy
The Lapiths (; grc, Λαπίθαι) are a group of legendary people in Greek mythology, whose home was in Thessaly, in the valley of the Peneus and on the mountain Pelion. Mythology Origin The Lapiths were an Aeolian tribe who, like the Myrmidons, were natives of Thessaly. The genealogies make them a kindred people with the centaurs: In one version, Lapithes (Λαπίθης) and Centaurus (Κένταυρος) were said to be twin sons of the god Apollo and the nymph Stilbe, daughter of the river god Peneus. Lapithes was a valiant warrior, but Centaurus was a deformed being who later mated with mares from whom the race of half-man, half-horse centaurs came. Lapithes was the eponymous ancestor of the Lapith people, and his descendants include Lapith warriors and kings, such as Ixion, Pirithous, Caeneus, and Coronus, and the seers Ampycus and his son Mopsus. In the ''Iliad'' the Lapiths send forty crewed ships to join the Greek fleet in the Trojan War, commanded by Polypoetes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amycus (centaur)
In Greek mythology, Amycus or Amykos (Ancient Greek: Ἄμυκος) was a male centaur and the son of Ophion. Mythology There is not much known about Amycus, but he is said to have been involved in the Centauromachy, a battle between the centaurs and the Lapith people; this battle is what the centaurs are best known for. The battle took place during the wedding of the King of the Lapithae, Pirithous, and his wife Hippodamia. Amycus' involvement in this battle is recognized in the ''Metamorphoses'', written by the Roman poet Ovid. In this work, it is noted that Amycus, along with many other centaurs, was invited to and attended the wedding that turned into a bloody battle. The centaurs become drunk on wine and attempted to take Hippodamia, along with other Lapith women, as they pleased. Eurytus, a centaur, could not control himself when the bride, Hippodamia, was presented; he attempted to kidnap and rape her. He inspired all the drunken centaurs to attack and violate the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heracles
Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through Amphitryon, Heracles receives the epithet Alcides, as "of the line of Alcaeus", father of Amphitryon. Amphitryon's own, mortal son was Iphicles. He was a great-grandson and half-brother (as they are both sired by the god Zeus) of Perseus, and similarly a half-brother of Dionysus. He was the greatest of the Greek heroes, the ancestor of royal clans who claimed to be Heracleidae (), and a champion of the Olympian order against chthonic monsters. In Rome and the modern West, he is known as Hercules, with whom the later Roman emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, often identified themselves. The Romans adopted the Greek version of his life and works essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
