Creatures Of Anciant Greece.

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Creatures

Of

Ancient Greece

Centaur-

One of a race of monsters having the head, arms, and trunk of a man and the body and legs of a horse.

Cerberus-

In Greek myth Cerberus was a horrific dog who stood watch at the gates of Hades, the world of the dead. Cerberus had three heads (some accounts gave him many more) and was so vicious that he was feared even by the gods. Cerberus is most famous for his role as one of the 12 labors of Hercules, the strong man who ventured to Hades and wrestled Cerberus into submission. Cerberus also appears in the story of Orpheus, who lulled the dog to sleep with music on his way into Hades to search for his lover Eurydice.

Chimera-

A monster in classical mythology who had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon or serpent.

Cyclops-

One-eyed giants in classical mythology. One Cyclops imprisoned Odysseus and his men during their voyage back to Greece after the Trojan War. Odysseus managed to trick the Cyclops and put out his eye. Odysseus and his men were then able to escape.

Griffin-

A fabulous beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

Harpy-

Vicious winged beings in classical mythology, often depicted as birds with women's faces. In the story of Jason, they steal or spoil an old blind man's food, leaving a terrible odor behind them.

Hydra-

The many-headed monster that was slain by Hercules.

Medusa-

The best known of the monster Gorgons of classical mythology; people who looked at her would turn to stone. A hero, Perseus, was able to kill Medusa, aiming his sword by looking at her reflection in a highly polished shield.

Minotaur-

In classical mythology, a monster, half man and half bull. The Minotaur was born to the queen of Crete, Pasiphaë, after she mated with a sacred bull. The king Minos, to hide his shame, had Daedalus construct the Labyrinth in which to hide the monster. Minos then forced the Athenians to send as tribute fourteen of their young people, seven men and seven women, to be locked in the Labyrinth for the Minotaur to eat. To stop the slaughter, the hero Theseus volunteered to enter the Labyrinth and fight the Minotaur. On the instructions of the king's daughter, Theseus brought in a ball of thread, which he unwound as he went through. He found the Minotaur, killed it, and then used the thread to find his way out of the maze.

Pegasus-

Pegasus is a mighty winged horse of Greek myth. According to legend, Pegasus sprang forth from drops of blood when Perseus cut off the head of Medusa. The horsemaster Bellerophon tamed Pegasus with a golden bridle provided by the goddess Athena. Together horse and rider slew the fire-breathing monster Chimera. (Legends vary, but some say Pegasus and Bellerphon performed other heriod deeds together.) Finally Bellerophon tried to fly to heaven to join the gods, but Pegasus threw him off and the two were separated forever, with Pegasus living on as a constellation of stars.