Are you a fan of Greek mythology? Well then,
do we have a list for you! Known for their
bizarre characteristics, Greek mythical creatures
have been the subject of popular culture for
thousands of years. These mythical monsters
are some of the strangest, most bizarre, and
terrifying creations ever, ranging from glorified
animals to humanoid mythical creatures. I'm
Mike with List25 and are you ready to take
a look at these 25 Most Legendary Creatures
From Greek Mythology?
25.
Python
Usually represented as a serpent, he presided
over the Delphic oracle. Unfortunately, the
Olympian deity Apollo ended up killing him
out of revenge and taking the oracle for himself.
24.
Orthrus
A two headed dog tasked with guarding a huge
herd of red cattle, he was killed by Heracles,
who then kept all the cattle as proof of his
victory. Some accounts also hold that Orthrus
was also the father of a number of other monsters,
including the Sphinx and the Chimera.
23.
Ichthyocentaurs
These were a pair of centaurine sea-gods with
the upper body of a man, the lower front of
a horse, and the tail of a fish. They are
often associated with Aphrodite at her birth.
They were set in the sky as the astronomical
constellation Pisces.
22.
Scylla
Scylla was a monster that lived on one side
of a narrow channel of water, opposite its
counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the
strait were within an arrowâ€™s range
of each otherâ€”so close that sailors
attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too
close to Scylla with disastrous results.
21.
Typhon
Considered the personification of volcanic
forces, Typhon was also believed to be the
most deadly monster of Greek mythology. His
human upper half supposedly reached as high
as the stars, and his hands reached east and
west. Instead of a human head, a hundred dragon
heads erupted from his neck and shoulders.
20.
Ophiotaurus
Ophiotaurus was a creature that was part bull
and part serpent. Itâ€™s entrails were
said to grant the power to defeat the gods
to whoever burned them. Because of this, a
supporter of the Titans killed the beast,
but Zeus sent an Eagle to get the entrails
before they were sacrificed and Olympus was
ruined.
19.
Lamia
Lamia was said to be a beautiful queen of
Libya who became a child-eating daemon. In
the myth, she is a mistress of the god Zeus,
causing Zeusâ€™ jealous wife, Hera, to
kill all of Lamiaâ€™s children (except
for Scylla, who is herself cursed) and transforms
her into a monster that hunts and devours
the children of others.
18.
Graeae
The Graeae were three sisters who shared one
eye and one tooth among them. Not surprisingly,
they werenâ€™t known for their beauty.
To top it all off, their charming names were
Deino (death), Enyo (horror), and Pemphredo
(alarm).
17.
Echidna
Half woman half snake, Echidna known as the
â€œMother of All Monstersâ€ as many
of the monsters in Greek mythology were considered
her offspring. She's also known for her romantic
relationship with Typhon. It's said she could
produce a venom that would cause madness.
16.
Nemean Lion
The Nemean Lion was a vicious monster in Greek
mythology that lived at Nemea. It was eventually
killed by Heracles. It could not be killed
with mortal weapons because its golden fur
was impervious to attack, so Heracles ended
up strangling it with his bare hands. The
only way Heracles was able to skin the beast
was by using its own claws.
15.
Sphinx
With the haunches of a lion, the wings of
a great bird, and the head of a woman, the
Greek version of this creature is mythicized
as treacherous and merciless. Those who couldn't
answer her riddle suffered a fate typical
in such mythological stories, as they were
killed and eaten by this ravenous monster.
14.
Erinyes
Literally translated to the â€ the avengersâ€
from Greek, these were known as the female
deities of vengeance. They were known to punish
anyone who'd sworn a false oath, had committed
an act of evil, or said anything against one
of the gods.
13.
Charybdis
The daughter of Poseidon and Gaia, Charybdis
was a huge bladder of a creature whose face
was all mouth and whose arms and legs were
flippers. She swallowed huge amounts of water
three times a day before belching it back
out again, creating large whirlpools capable
of sinking large ships. She's often depicted
on the opposite side of the narrow channel
from Scylla.
12.
Harpies
Creatures with the body of a bird and face
of a woman, they would steal food from the
victims and take wrongdoers to the Erinnyes.
Their name literally means, â€œthat which
snatches.â€ Zeus often used them as a means
of punishment or torture.
11.
Satyr
Satyrs are often depicted as having goat-like
features such as hindquarters and horns and
are often depicted playing flutes, holding
cups of wine, and serving the god Dionysus.
They epitomize the essence of having a carefree
life as they make music and drink all they
want.
10.
Sirens
Dangerous and beautiful creatures, they were
often portrayed as femme fatales who lured
nearby sailors with their enchanting voices
to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.
9.
Griffin
The Griffin is a legendary creature with the
body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head
and wings of an eagle; and an eagleâ€™s
talons as its front feet. As the lion was
traditionally considered the king of the beasts
and the eagle was the king of the birds, the
griffin was thought to be an especially powerful
and majestic creature.
8.
Chimera
The Chimera was a monstrous fire-breathing
female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor who
was composed of the parts of three animals;
a lion, a snake, and a goat. The term chimera
has come to describe any mythical or fictional
animal with parts taken from various animals,
or to describe concepts perceived as wildly
imaginative or implausible.
7.
Cerberus
A multi-headed dog, or â€œhellhound,â€
Cerberus guards the gates of the Underworld
to prevent those who have crossed the river
Styx from ever escaping.
6.
Cyclops
A member of a primordial race of giants, each
with a single eye in the middle of the forehead,
these creatures were said to be rather lawless
and had no fear of the gods but were said
to be the workmen of Hephaestus, the god of
blacksmiths and fire.
5.
Hydra
The Hydra was an ancient serpent-like water
beast with reptilian traits that possessed
many heads, and for each head cut off, it
grew two more. It also had poisonous breath
and blood so toxic even its tracks were deadly.
4.
Gorgons
Perhaps the most popular gorgon in Greek mythology
is Medusa, the only mortal among three sisters
who had snakes for hair and whoâ€™s gaze
would turn anyone into stone. She was famously
decapitated by Perseus who was armed with
a mirror and scythe.
3.
Minotaur
The Minotaur was a humanoid mythical creature
with the head of a bull on the body of a man.
He dwelt at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth,
which was an elaborate maze designed by the
architect Daedalus and his son Icarus. The
bull-man was eventually slain by the Athenian
hero Theseus.
2.
Centaur
The centaur is a humanoid mythical creature
with the head, arms, and torso of a human
and the body and legs of a horse. Perhaps
one of the most popular centaurs in Greek
mythology is Chiron. While most centaurs are
depicted as rowdy followers of Dionysus, Chiron
was known for his wisdom and for teaching
Greek heroes like Heracles and Achilles.
1.
Pegasus
One of the best known creatures in Greek mythology,
he is a winged divine stallion usually depicted
as pure white in color. He is the offspring
of Poseidon and the blood of Medusa and legend
says every time his hoof hit the earth, a
spring of water bubbled forth.
So, what's your favorite mythological creature?
Let us know in the comments below, or tweet
your answer to us @List25.
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