30+ Greek Mythical Creatures: A Complete List with Pictures

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Read the stories of Greek mythology beasts like giants & gorgons
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Greek mythology is filled with fantastic ancient monsters, from famous characters like Medusa and the Minotaur to dragons , sea creatures , hybrid beings , and animal-like entities . This collection of creatures is called a “bestiary,” which helps keep track of all the characters and types of creatures in Greek myth. Keep reading for a clear and comprehensive guide to Greek myth monsters organized into easy-to-follow categories. By the end, you’ll get to know every one of these fantastic creatures better than you ever thought you would!

The Most Famous Greek Mythology Monsters

  • Chiron: A wise, gentle, and kind centaur raised by Apollo.
  • Nessus: A centaur killed by Heracles in “The Shirt of Nessus.”
  • Medusa: A gorgon woman with snakes for hair whose gaze turns men to stone.
  • Minotaur: A half-man, half-bull who is killed by Theseus.
  • Typhon: A half-human, half-snake with 100 fire-breathing snake heads.
Section 1 of 8:

Greek Mythology Animals

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  1. Pegasus was the famous immortal winged horse who accompanied the hero Bellerophon. They took part in many challenges, including defeating Chimera. Later on, Pegasus threw Bellerophon off so he could reside in Mount Olympus with the gods to serve Zeus. [1]
    • Pegasus was born out of the severed neck of Medusa, along with his brother Chrysaor.
  2. 2
    Nemean Lion The Nemean Lion was a powerful golden lion who isn’t affected by weapons. After Hera sent the lion to Nemea, he was killed by Heracles, who first shot arrows into him, but ultimately slayed him by choking him to death. Heracles would wear the lion’s hide as a trophy after he completed the challenge. [2]
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  3. 3
    Cerberus Cerberus was a multi-headed dog that guards the gates to the Underworld. Called the “Hound of Hades,” Cerberus was only tricked 3 times: Heracles tricked him with strength, Orpheus with music, and Sibyl of Cumae with a honey cake. [3]
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Section 2 of 8:

Centaurs in Greek Mythology

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  1. 1
    Chiron Chiron is the most well-known of the centaurs in Greek mythology. He is wise, gentle, and kind, and was raised by Apollo. In The Iliad , Homer calls Chiron the “wisest and justest of all the centaurs.” He taught and mentored many of Greek myth’s most famous heroes, including Achilles, Perseus, and Jason. [4]
    • Chiron is sometimes depicted as having 2 front legs instead of having the lower half of a horse; centaurs traditionally have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse.
    • Centaurs were sometimes referred to as a Hippocentaur, which means "horse-centaur.” It’s a more descriptive way of talking about a centaur’s half-human, half-horse body.
  2. 2
    Nessus Nessus is the centaur son of Centaurus, who is the father of all centaurs. He is the focus of the myth, “The Shirt of Nessus.” In the story, Nessus is killed by Heracles. Before he dies, Nessus tricks Heracles’ wife Deianeira into giving her husband a garment soaked in the blood of Nessus, who claims it’s a love potion. The garment ends up poisoning him and killing Heracles. [5]
    • Unlike Chiron, Nessus and other centaurs are known for their wild behavior, including acts of violence against humans and drunkenness. They’re also known for having volatile moods and bad tempers, an attribute of many Greek mythical creatures .
  3. 3
    Hylonome Hylonome is one of the more rare female centaurs called centaurides. She had curly hair adorned with flowers, bathed twice a day, and dressed in animal skins. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses , she appears as the wife of Cyllarus and fights alongside the centaurs in a war against the Lapith tribe. When her husband died, she also threw herself on the spear that killed him. [6]
    • The centaurides (female centaurs) are also half human and half horse. They had the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a horse. They’re depicted in Greco-Roman mosaics but rarely appear in Greek mythology.
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Section 3 of 8:

Giants in Greek Mythology

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  1. 1
    Enceladus Enceladus is responsible for earthquakes and volcanoes. He took part in the Gigantomachy, a battle between the giants and the Olympian gods. In the battle, the goddess Athena buried Enceladus under the island of Sicily after hurling it at him. Some believe that Enceladus is actually buried beneath Mount Etna. When Mount Etna erupts, it’s said to be Enceladus’ breath that comes up. [7]
    • The giants (also called the gigantes) are the children of the Titans Uranus and Gaia.
  2. 2
    Alcyoneus Alcyoneus is known for being the adversary of the hero Heracles. Alcyoneus remained immortal when on his own land and would continue to revive when killed. He was only able to be killed after being hit with an arrow by Heracles and dragged from his homeland by Athena. [8]
    • Alcyoneus had 7 daughters called Alkyonides, who threw themselves into the sea after he died.
  3. 3
    Antaeus Antaeus was a giant best known for challenging passers-by to wrestling matches that he would always win by killing them. He gained strength from Gaia, mother of all giants, especially when in contact with her. He challenged Heracles as Heracles was completing his 12 labors. Heracles put Antaeus in a bear hug so tight he couldn’t touch the earth to draw strength from his mother Gaia. [9]
  4. 4
    Polybotes Like other gigantes (giants), Polybotes participated in the Gigantomachy battle between the giants and the gods. His main foe was Poseidon, god of the sea. Just as Enceladus was buried beneath Sicily, Polybotes was killed when Poseidon hurled Nisyros, a part of the island of Los, at him. [10]
  5. 5
    Mimas Mimas took part in the Gigantomachy battle and was killed by the god Hephaestus’ red-hot metal missiles. Others believe it was the god Zeus who killed Mimas with a thunderbolt. [11]
  6. 6
    Argus Panoptes Also known as Argos, Argus is best known for having 100 eyes; “panoptes” means “the all-seeing one” in Greek. He was the son of Arestor and served the goddess Hera. His feats included slaying the monster Echidna, the wife of Typhon. [12]
  7. 7
    The Hecatoncheires The Hecatoncheires were giant monsters who ruled over earthquakes and giant sea waves. They were known for having 100 powerful hands, along with 50 heads. The Hecatoncheires took part in the Titanomachy, a battle between the Titans and the Olympians, where, thanks to the Cyclops being freed by Zeus, the Olympians were victorious. [13]
  8. 8
    Geryon Geryon was a giant monster with 3 heads and 1 body, though he is sometimes described as having 3 bodies. He also had Orthrus, a dog with 2 heads. During the Labors of Heracles, Heracles had to take Geryon’s cattle. After killing Orthrus, along with his herdsmen Erythion, Hercules managed to defeat Geryon by smearing the blood of the Lernaean Hydra on the tips of his arrows. [14]
    • Geryon lived on the island of Erytheia and was the son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe.
  9. 9
    Polyphemus Polyphemus is the son of the sea god Poseidon and Thoosa. Unlike most of the giants, Polyphemus was a Cyclops with a single eye, and one of the rare giants who was also a Cyclops. In The Odyssey, Polyphemus captures Odysseus and his men on the island of Cyclops. After eating many of Odysseus’ men, Odysseus (calling himself “no one”) blinds Polyphemus’ eye. When the other cyclops return, he told them that “no one” had blinded him. [15]
    • When you study Greek mythology , you’ll find out that the cyclops are a race of one-eyed giants.
    • The Uranian Cyclopes include Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. They are skilled craftsmen who are the sons of Gaia and Uranus, and are best known for creating the thunderbolt of Zeus. [16]
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Section 4 of 8:

Sea Monsters in Greek Mythology

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  1. 1
    Scylla & Charybdis Both Scylla and Charybdis were sea creatures who lived on either side of a narrow channel of water. Even if sailors managed to avoid Scylla, they would be attacked by Charybdis. Both creatures appear in The Odyssey, when Odysseus is sailing home. A witch on Circe island warns him to sail near Scylla rather than Charybdis, since Scylla would only eat a few of his crew instead of destroying his ship, which is what takes place. [17]
  2. 2
    Hydra The Hydra was a multi-headed snake that had toxic breath and blood. Many have described Hydra as having anywhere from 6 and 9 heads to 50. After Heracles sliced off the heads of Hydra only to have them grow back, he finally defeated the monster after his nephew Iolaus burned the leftover decapitated necks. He also used the serpent’s poisonous blood on the tips of his arrows to defeat Geryon. [18]
    • The Hydra is not technically a sea monster, but is instead a lake monster, so it’s still considered a water creature.
  3. 3
    Cetus Cetus is a large sea monster that often appeared in Greek myth. Specifically, the sea god Poseidon sent the Cetus to destroy the region of Aethiopia, so the queen decided to sacrifice her daughter Andromeda by chaining her to a rock. Perseus defeated the Cetus by raising up Medusa’s severed head, which turned it to stone. [19]
    • Cetus is a word used to describe large sea monsters, fish, or whales in Greek myth, and isn’t the name of one specific monster.
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Section 5 of 8:

Greek Mythological Dragons

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  1. 1
    Ladon Ladon was known as the serpent guardian of the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides. The golden apples granted immortality, so Ladon twisted his dragon tail around the tree where they grew. When Heracles had to take the golden apples as the 11th Labor, he killed Ladon with a bow and arrow. [20]
    • Ladon’s parents were Phorcys and Ceto, while his sibling was Echidna, the Mother of Monsters.
  2. 2
    Delphyne Delphyne is a female dragon who guarded the oracle of Delphi. Python or Typhon usually guarded the oracle with her. Some believe that Delphyne guarded the sinews of Zeus; Apollo killed her with his arrows after a battle on Mount Parnassus. [21]
    • Delphyne is sometimes thought of as Python, a male dragon who guards the oracle at Delphi. It’s not clear whether they are separate creatures or different interpretations of one dragon monster.
  3. 3
    Campe Also referred to as the Nymph of Tartarus, Campe was a female dragon who had the upper body of a woman, the lower body of a dragon, and a scorpions’ tail. Along with snakes coiled around her tail, Campe also had the heads of various beasts coming out of her waist. She kept the Hekatonkheires and the Cyclops locked in Tartarus (the Underworld) and was considered the female counterpart of Typhon. During the Titanomachy battle, the Olympians defeated the Titans and released the Cyclops from Tartarus. [22]
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Section 6 of 8:

Hybrid Creatures in Greek Myth

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  1. Medusa is depicted as a woman having writhing snakes for her hair, whose gaze would turn anyone who looked at her into stone; she also has bronze hands and golden wings. Perseus famously cuts off Medusa’s head, only to use it to defeat his enemies by turning them into stone. She is one of 3 Gorgon sisters; her sisters’ names are Stheno and Euryale. [23]
    • Medusa was born as a beautiful woman, but was said to be cursed by the goddess Athena as a punishment for being intimate with Poseidon in Athena’s temple.
    • Medusa’s sisters Stheno and Euryale were immortal, unlike Medusa, who was mortal. All 3 sisters had snakes for hair and turned onlookers to stone.
  2. 2
    Minotaur The half-bull and half-man Minotaur is the most famous of the hybrid creatures (also called humanoid creatures) in Greek mythology. In the story, the minotaur is conceived due to a union between Queen Pasiphae and a white bull. Once the minotaur eats multiple humans to survive, the king creates a labyrinth where the minotaur is trapped until Theseus invades the labyrinth and slays the minotaur. [24]
    • While minotaurs are half-bull, half-human, centaurs are half-horse, half-human. When it comes to centaur vs. minotaur , their characteristics are similar, but not the same.
  3. 3
    Typhon Typhon is a half-human, half-snake creature best known for having 100 dragon heads that breathed fire. He was eventually defeated by Zeus and exiled to the Underworld. Typhon is also the father to many other Greek mythological creatures, including Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera, Sphinx, and the Nemean Lion, whose mother is Echidna. [25]
    • Typhon was the offspring of Gaia, the Earth mother, and Tartarus, the personification of the Underworld.
  4. 4
    Echidna Echidna is a half-woman, half-snake creature known as the “mother of all monsters.” Along with Typhon, she is the mother to Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera, Sphinx, and the Nemean Lion. She also took part in Typhon’s attack on the Olympians, where Typhon was defeated, but Echidna and her children were allowed to live. She was only killed by the 100-eyed Argus Panoptes. [26]
    • Echidna was one of the Dracaenae, who were half-woman and half-serpent.
  5. 5
    Chimera Chimera has the head and body of a lion, along with a second head of a goat, she-goat udders, and a serpent’s tail. The hero Bellerophon slays Chimera in ancient Lydia while riding Pegasus, the winged horse. Chimera was considered a personification of the methane gas vents in the Lycian Way in modern-day Turkey. [27]
    • Chimera is the child of Typhon and Echidna.
  6. 6
    Lamia Lamia is a haunting demonic spirit depicted as a woman with a serpentine tail. She began as a beautiful queen and a favorite of Zeus. After Hera murdered her and Zeus’ baby, she took revenge by stealing and eating newborn babies. As she grew more beast-like, Zeus forced Lamia to remove her eyes during the day and keep them in a jar. At night, she placed her eyes in and wandered in a sleepless state to devour children. [28]
    • Lamia’s legend shifted as she became known as a succubus who accompanied Empusa, a shapeshifter who seduced and sucked the blood from young men’s bodies while they slept.
  7. 7
    Sphinx Unlike the Egyptian sphinx, the sphinx in Greek mythology is depicted as a creature with a woman’s head and a lion’s body, along with the wings of an eagle and the head of a snake. The sphinx’s job was to guard the city gates and ask travelers a riddle; if they failed to answer correctly, they were eaten alive. The sphinx was killed when Oedipus answered the riddle correctly, which is why they’re associated with death. [29]
  8. 8
    Harpies & Furies The Furies were female entities of vengeance. The modern-day word “fury,” meaning “rage,” derived from the Greek “erinyes,” which became “furia” in Latin. Like the Furies, Harpies were similar mythological creatures who carried and tortured people on their way to Tartarus (the Underworld). The Harpies were also considered a personification of destructive wind or gales. [30]
  9. 9
    Griffin The griffin was a half-lion, half-eagle creature; they had the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. He’s considered a guardian of treasure, as well as the king of the animals. They were said to guard the gold mines of Scythia and lay agates instead of eggs. Griffins are also often associated with the sun. [31]
    • Griffins are also called the hounds of Zeus and the beasts of Nemesis and Apollo.
  10. 10
    Satyrs Satyrs are half-goat, half-man creatures. They’re known for being fun-loving pranksters who are associated with Dionysus, the god of wine. Silenus is the most famous of the satyrs and is the son of the god Pan. [32]
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Section 7 of 8:

Greek Monsters in Percy Jackson & the Olympians

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  1. The Minotaur appears in both the first and last books of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. Other Greek mythological creatures in the series include Pegasus, Charybdis, Scylla, Polyphemus, Chimera, and Echidna. Others include the Furies, Centaur, Hydra, Gorgon, and Geryon. [33]
    • Percy Jackson and the Olympians began as a fantasy novel series written by Rick Riordan.
    • The franchise combines Greek mythology with the modern world. In the series, the main character (Percy Jackson) is a demigod and the son of Poseidon.
    • The story involves Percy going on multiple quests where he encounters gods and monsters. The books and TV series explore themes like friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery. [34]
Section 8 of 8:

Greek Myth Monsters FAQs

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  1. 1
    What is the most popular Greek monster? The best-known Greek myth monster is the Minotaur, who is the hybrid half-man, half-bull defeated by Theseus. He is the son of Queen Pasiphae and the Bull of Crete. The Minotaur is also known as the “Bull of Minos” and “Asterion.” [35]
  2. 2
    Who are the 50-headed monsters in Greek mythology? The Hecatoncheires were 3 monsters, each with 50 heads and 100 incredibly powerful arms and hands. As the children of Uranus and Gaia, they were imprisoned in Tartarus (the Underworld) until Zeus freed them during the Titanomachy battle between the Titans and the Olympians. [36]
  3. 3
    Who are the 12 giants in Greek mythology? In Greek mythology, the 12 giants or Titans include brothers Oceanus (sea), Coeus (intelligence), Crius (sheep), Hyperion (light), Iapetus (mortality), and Cronus (time). The sisters include Thea (sun), Rhea (motherhood), Themis (divine law and order), Mnemosyne (memory), Phoebe (intellect), and Tethys (fresh water). The 12 Titans are the offspring of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia, and many among them are included as minor Greek gods . [37]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-pegasus
      2. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-nemean-lion
      3. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Cerberus/cerberus.html
      4. ↑ https://www.thecollector.com/who-is-chiron-in-greek-mythology/
      5. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Nessus/nessus.html
      6. ↑ https://ancient-literature.com/female-centaur/
      7. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Gigantes/Enceladus/enceladus.html
      8. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Gigantes/Alcyoneus/alcyoneus.html
      9. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Gigantes/Antaeus/antaeus.html
      1. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Gigantes/Polybotes/polybotes.html
      2. ↑ www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Gigantes/Mimas/mimas.html
      3. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Argus_Panoptes/argus_panoptes.html
      4. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Hecatoncheires/hecatoncheires.html
      5. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Geryon/geryon.html
      6. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Polyphemus/polyphemus.html
      7. ↑ https://mythopedia.com/topics/uranian-cyclopes
      8. ↑ www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Monsters/Scylla/scylla.html
      9. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-hydra-and-cancer
      10. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Monsters/Cetus/cetus.html
      11. ↑ https://paleothea.com/mythical-creatures/ladon-greek-mythology/
      12. ↑ https://en.miloliza.com/index.php/ancient-greek-mythology-for-children/445-mythological-creatures/13690-delphyne
      13. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Monsters/Campe/campe.html
      14. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-medusa
      15. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-minotaur
      16. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-typhon
      17. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Echidna/echidna.html
      18. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-chimera
      19. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Monsters/Lamia/lamia.html
      20. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-sphinx
      21. ↑ https://www.realmofhistory.com/2022/08/25/monsters-dragons-creatures-greek-mythology/#h-furies-and-harpies
      22. ↑ https://etc.worldhistory.org/photos/10-creatures-greek-mythology/
      23. ↑ https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/monsters_and_creatures_of_greek_mythology.php
      24. ↑ https://screenrant.com/percy-jackson-season-1-mythological-species-monster-creature-explained/
      25. ↑ https://rickriordan.com/series/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians/
      26. ↑ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Monsters/Minotaur/minotaur.html
      27. ↑ https://olympioi.com/monsters/hecatoncheires
      28. ↑ https://www.thecollector.com/who-were-the-giants-in-greek-mythology/

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