Amazing Greek Mythological Creatures

Gorgons

Composed of three frightful sisters, namely: Stheno (”the mighty”); Euryale (”the far-springer”); and the best known and the only mortal among them, Medusa (”the queen”). They had glaring eyes, sharp fangs, brazen claws and hair of living, poisonous snakes; and anyone who glanced at them were turned to stone by their direct gaze. They figure mainly in the story of Perseus, who, with the aid of Athena and Hermes, was able to defeat Medusa by cutting off her head while looking at her reflection on a shield.

Pegasus

The majestic winged stallion that sprang from the blood from the decapitated head of Medusa. Pegasus created Hippocrene, a spring sacred to the Muses, when he struck his hoof on Mount Helicon. He was also the carrier of the Zeus’ thunderbolts on Mount Olympus.

Chimera

Fire-breathing she-monster, generally represented with a lion’s head, a goat’s body and a dragon’s tail. Its sighting was taken to be an omen of shipwrecks, storms and natural disasters particularly volcanic eruptions. The Greek hero Bellerophon was able to defeat it with the help of the winged horse Pegasus by running through it with a spear.

Centaur

A race of creatures that had the head and torso of a human being, and the lower body and legs of a horse. They were typically depicted as wild, violent and barbaric beings, indulgent of their own animal desires. A notable exception would be the intelligent, kind and civilized Chiron who tutored Theseus, Achilles and Heracles and was greatly revered as a teacher.

Minotaur

Monster with a human body with bull’s head and tail. It was born to Pasiphae, the queen of Crete, after she mated with a sacred bull. It dwelt in the labyrinth, which was a complicated maze constructed by Daedalus as commanded by King Minos of Crete. Seven young men and seven maidens were sent from Athens annually to be its prey. To stop the slaughter, Theseus volunteered to fight the Minotaur, and was able to slay the monster with the help of King Minos’ daughter Ariadne who gave him a magic sword and a ball of thread that allowed him to retrace his way out of the labyrinth.