Monsters of Greek Mythology Pt. 2 | Part-Man, Part-Beast

Throughout time, people across the world told each other tales of how they came to be, of heroes and monsters, romance and tragedy, death and rebirth. Mythology helped shape the ancient world, explaining the unexplainable. This is Mythology Unleashed. Greek mythology is chock full of monsters of all shapes and sizes, set to terrorize entire populations and inevitably face off against the heroes of the age. Some monsters of Greek mythology, such as the Chimera, Orsilla and Charybdis, are truly otherworldly in their monstrous appearance, complete with multiple heads, gigantic bodies and appetites for wanton destruction and human flesh. Though these monsters are truly scary in their makeup, one could argue that an even scarier monster is one that has human features. Imagine a hand that reaches out to you, and you turn to find a monster's face lunging towards you, or facing down a monster's being, only to see a pair of human eyes stare back at you. The ancient Greeks imagined a plethora of monsters that are part man and part beast, and this program will go on to detail some of the most famous and some of the most frightening. Our first monsters are some of the oldest in antiquity, the Gorgons. Born of the primordial sea gods, Phorsus and Ceto, the Gorgons were a trio of monstrous women with a nest of writhing, venomous serpents in place of hair. Other features of the Gorgons vary depending on the story being told, but include reptilian skin, viper-esque fangs, clawed fingers, boar-like tusks, and even large wings or snake bodies. Regardless of their outward appearance, anyone who looked into the eyes of the Gorgons were instantly turned to stone. The eldest of the Gorgons was Cetheno, known to be the most independent and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters combined. The second born was Euryale, noted for her anguished howls that could make stone crumble to sand. Lastly was Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgon sisters, and the only one among them to be mortal. Some stories have Medusa as once being human, a devout follower of Athena, turned into a monster by her patron goddess after she was assaulted by the sea god Poseidon. Medusa fled to an island in Hyperborea with the other Gorgons facing off against would-be slayers and adventure seekers, turning them all to stone. Medusa met her end at the hands of Perseus, who beheaded her with the aid of weapons granted to him by the gods. In the wilds of the ancient world ran the Centaurs, human from the waist up, but with the body of a horse in place of legs. In one story they are described as the descendants of Ixion, king of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud made in the image of Hera, while in a different myth they were all born from the union of Centaurus with the Magnesium Mares. Whatever their origin, Centaurs are often portrayed as being skilled in the arts of combat and the ways of the natural world. Though they had the intelligence and vocal powers of human beings, the Centaurs were depicted as wild and savage, brawling with each other, harassing travelers, and kidnapping women and children. In a tale called Centauromachy, Thessalonian Centaurs were invited to the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia, but they became drunk on wine and their wild tendencies took control. They ransacked the ceremony, assaulting guests, and even attempted to abduct the bride, and would have succeeded if not for the hero Theseus. On another occasion, a Centaur named Nessus attempted to abduct the wife of Heracles, better known as Hercules. Hercules shot him with an arrow dipped in the venom of the Hydra. In his dying words, Nessus tricked Dianera by telling her to collect some of his blood, now poisoned by the arrow, and to use it as a love potion if Hercules' love should ever wane. The act would eventually lead to the death of the hero. But not all Centaurs were aggressive in nature. As Greek mythology tells of the wise Centaur Chiron, born of Kronos and Phalera, he was praised as the trainer of heroes, teaching them philosophy, art, music, healing, and the ways of the warrior. When he finally died, the gods honored him by placing his image among the stars. Another breed of wild men came in the form of Satyrs. Called fauns in Roman mythology, Satyrs often appear in Greek myths as lustful and wine-loving nature spirits who bore the features of goats with snubbed noses, wild hair, long beards, and a permanently erect phallus. These forest dwellers were frequent followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and merriment, and like the god himself, were incredibly hedonistic in their ways. It was said that they lived their lives in near endless revelry, dancing wildly to pan flute music, drinking wine in excess, and pursuing sexual conquests. They had insatiable sexual appetites, and often sought to seduce or ravish both nymphs and mortal women alike, though these attempts were rarely ever successful. When they were not engaging in acts of lewdness or revelry, they were said to engage in debauchery and mischievous pranks, tripping unsuspecting people, tipping over cattle, and vandalizing property. Though they appear in few myths, Satyrs are, without a doubt, the ultimate party animals. The Sirens were part woman, part bird creatures, who lured passing sailors with their enchanting singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. The Sirens would then swoop down and eat the flesh of the sailors, both living and dead. Legend says that the Sirens were the daughters of the river god Achilles, and when their friend, the goddess Persephone, was taken to the underworld by Hades, they were punished by Demeter for not protecting their daughter, and she turned them into their monstrous forms. It is said that only two ships had ever sailed past the Sirens unharmed, the first being the Argo, sailed by Jason and the Argonauts. Though the Sirens sang beautifully and seemed to tempt the Argo's crew to their doom, they were surpassed by the music of Orpheus, who played even more beautifully than them. The Sirens then flung themselves into the sea and drowned, save for the handful that slept that day. Their fate came when Odysseus made his journey home from Troy. Having been warned of the dangers the Sirens posed, Odysseus bade his crew to clog their ears with beeswax. However, Odysseus was curious to hear the Sirens' song, and ordered his men to tie him to the ship's mast so he may hear their melodies, and not pose a danger to himself or the crew. He was enchanted by their voices and shouted and cursed to his crew to release him, but alas, he could not hear him nor the Sirens. When Odysseus and his crew sailed past unmolested, the remaining Sirens plunged into the sea. Another bird-woman hybrid came in the form of the Harpies, but unlike the Sirens, who were said to be beautiful in both appearance and in voice, the Harpies were anything but. They had the faces and torsos of ugly hags, with the wings and talons of black-feathered vultures. Instead of dull-set tones, Harpies emitted ear-splitting screeches that could rattle even the most steadfast of warriors. Wherever the Harpies flew, disaster would soon follow. The most celebrated story of the Harpies is that of King Phineas of Thrace, who was gifted with prophecy by Zeus. But when Phineas gave away the secrets of the gods, Zeus punished him by blinding him and putting him on an island with a buffet of food, which he could never eat, because the Harpies would always arrive, snatch the food out of his hands, and would foul what food they did not take with them. This torment continued until the arrival of Jason and the Argonauts. Phineas promised to aid them on their quest for the Golden Fleece, if they would deliver him from the Harpies. The Boreads, Zetes and Calleus, winged sons of Boreas, succeeded in driving off the Harpies, chasing them far from the island, beyond the north wind, never to torment Phineas, or anyone else, ever again. Few monsters of mythology are as disturbing or inherently tragic as Lamia. As the story goes, Lamia was the Queen of Libya, beautiful and powerful, and it would not be long before she caught the eye of Zeus. When Hera discovered Zeus' affair with Lamia, the goddess sought revenge by taking Lamia's children away, and cursing her to never sleep again. To help appease her pain, Zeus granted her the ability to remove her eyes at will, so that she may at last rest. In her grief, Lamia was driven to madness, and began to kidnap and devour any child she came across. As her carnage continued, her outer appearance turned monstrous. Some stories say she became serpent-like, like the Nagas of Indian lore. Others, that she had wolf-like features. Whatever she may have looked like, Lamia's legend would evolve, making her scarier and scarier. Later traditions claim that she was a shapeshifter, who would seduce men like a succubus, before killing them and drinking their blood like a vampire. Lamia would go on to become a tall tale mothers would tell their children, scaring them into good behavior. Lest the Lamia come for them, drag them away to be drained of their blood. Every culture has stories of man-eating giants, and in the case of the ancient Greeks, they had the Cyclops. The Cyclopses were generally human-like in appearance, if not for their size. But their sole defining trait was their single, giant eye in the center of their head. The original Cyclopses were birthed from Gaia and Uranus, the primordial gods of Earth and Sky, respectively, who also sired the Titans. They were imprisoned in Tartarus by their father, but were later freed by Zeus when he began his war against the Titans. In return, the Cyclopses forged for the gods' weapons Zeus's Thunderbolt, Poseidon's Trident, and Hades' Helm of Invisibility. And with these weapons, the children of Kronos vanquished the Titans, and so rose the might of the Olympians. Generations later, another brood of Cyclopses emerged from Poseidon, and they lived on an island deep in the Mediterranean, and would devour humans that would happen upon it. Upon his return home from Troy, the hero Odysseus and his men sought shelter in a cave belonging to the Cyclops Polyphemus. When the Cyclops returned to his cave with his sheep, he ate two of Odysseus' men, and imprisoned the rest in the cave with him behind a large boulder. Thinking up a plan, Odysseus got the Cyclops very drunk on two large goatskins of undiluted wine, and told the Cyclops his name was Nobody. When the giant fell asleep, Odysseus and his men fashioned a sharp stake, and drove it straight into the Cyclops' eye, blinding him. Polyphemus howled in pain, opened his cave, and called out to his brothers, Help me! Nobody's attacking me! Nobody has blinded me! Thinking their brother had gone mad, the other Cyclopses ignored him, while Odysseus and his men snuck out of the cave, clinging to the bellies of the sheep, so Polyphemus would not discover them. Many monsters of Greek mythology are gigantic in size or have multiple heads or limbs. The demon Durian was both. A descendant of Medusa herself, Durian was a triple-bodied monster who lived far to the west, where he tended a mystic herd of cattle, sought after by man and god alike. With his immense size and added limbs, coupled with savage fury, no mortal could contend with Durian's great strength. Hercules was sent to steal the cattle of Durian for his tenth labor, but in order to reach Durian, Hercules had to cross a mountain range that combined Europe and Africa into one continent. But rather than go around the mountain, Hercules smashed through it, opening the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean, creating the Strait of Gibraltar, also known as the Pillars of Hercules. The hero made his way to the island and slew Durian with a poisoned arrow, and succeeded in his tenth labor. Last, and certainly not least, is the Minotaur, a powerfully built man with the head of a bull. When King Minos of Crete insulted Poseidon by sacrificing a lesser bull in his honor, Poseidon cursed Queen Pasiphae into falling madly in love with Minos' prized bull. Pasiphae mated with the bull, and later gave birth to the Minotaur. Ashamed of this abomination, Minos commissioned the master craftsman Daedalus to create an elaborate prison for the Minotaur. So Daedalus created the Labyrinth, a seemingly endless maze of tunnels for the beast to forever roam. The Minotaur grew to a massive size and developed great strength and a carnivorous appetite, eating the vermin of the Labyrinth, and criminals sentenced to death. In time, Minos had King Aegeus of Athens sacrifice seven youths and seven maidens periodically to the monster in order to settle a debt Athens had owed Crete. The Minotaur's reign of terror would come to an end when it battled the Athenian hero Theseus and lost. Though certainly a victim of circumstance and not truly evil, the Minotaur's fearsome image and reputation made it a true monster. The base function of any monster is to instill fear both in the hearts of the story's characters and the audience who would hear it. But when the monster is given traits that bear an uncomfortable resemblance to human beings, that fear can easily increase. The ancient Greeks knew this well and used it to great effect, imagining a plethora of monsters, part man and part beast. From the snake-haired Gorgons, to one-eyed giants, to the cannibalistic Lamia, and the Minotaur howling in his Labyrinth. But no matter how monstrous the monster, remember, they can be overcome with cleverness and no shortage of bravery.