Yr 5’s guide to Yr 5’s guide to GreekGreek

MonstersMonsters

ArgusArgusArgus may have had Argus may have had as many as one as many as one hundred eyes which hundred eyes which were located all over were located all over his body. Hera his body. Hera employed him as a employed him as a guard. guard.

CharybdisCharybdis

Charybdis is a five headed dragon. Charybdis is a five headed dragon. The five headed dragon lives under The five headed dragon lives under

a small rock on a narrow channel. a small rock on a narrow channel. Opposite Charybdis is a another sea Opposite Charybdis is a another sea monster called Scylla who lives on a monster called Scylla who lives on a much larger rock. Charybdis is a much larger rock. Charybdis is a daughter to Poseidon and Gaia.daughter to Poseidon and Gaia.

Cerberus Cerberus

Cerberus the three headed hell Cerberus the three headed hell hound.hound.

The hell hound was used to guard The hell hound was used to guard the under world to Keep away the the under world to Keep away the living gods, goddesses, young living gods, goddesses, young children and humans. It is children and humans. It is impossible to Catch or even kill the impossible to Catch or even kill the hell hound only Hercules has hell hound only Hercules has captured Cerberus because he was captured Cerberus because he was the strongest man alive his farther the strongest man alive his farther Zeus.Zeus.

CyclopesCyclopes

There is more than one Cyclopes. There is more than one Cyclopes. Cyclopes are one eyed giants with Cyclopes are one eyed giants with three horns on their heads who liked three horns on their heads who liked to eat humans. They were the to eat humans. They were the children of Uranus and Gaea. They children of Uranus and Gaea. They only had one eye because they only had one eye because they swapped one eye so that they could swapped one eye so that they could see the future. see the future.

FuriesFuries Furies are huge creatures that glided in the Furies are huge creatures that glided in the

sky and killed robbers. They had massive sky and killed robbers. They had massive wings to help them fly. There were three of wings to help them fly. There were three of them and they were also the goddesses of them and they were also the goddesses of vengeance and the Guardians of law.vengeance and the Guardians of law.

They were horrible to look at - the Furies They were horrible to look at - the Furies had snakes for their hair and devil red blood had snakes for their hair and devil red blood dripping from their eyes. Furious and dripping from their eyes. Furious and infuriated were named after the Furies.infuriated were named after the Furies.

Gorgon MedusaGorgon Medusa

The Gorgon Medusa had two sisters called The Gorgon Medusa had two sisters called Stheno and Evryale. She had snakes on her Stheno and Evryale. She had snakes on her head instead of hair and had the power to turn head instead of hair and had the power to turn people into stone when they looked at her. She people into stone when they looked at her. She was once a beautiful woman, but she offended was once a beautiful woman, but she offended Athena and changed her hair into snakes. Athena and changed her hair into snakes. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, however she was more powerful than her however she was more powerful than her sisters. If you killed her she would die but her sisters. If you killed her she would die but her snakes would be alive. How we know is because snakes would be alive. How we know is because a boy called Perseus killed her because he a boy called Perseus killed her because he looked at her reflection in a shiny shield. looked at her reflection in a shiny shield.

GriffinGriffin

The griffin was a The griffin was a combination of a lion combination of a lion and an eagle. It had and an eagle. It had the body of a lion and the body of a lion and the head, wings, and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. talons of an eagle. Griffins were said to Griffins were said to live in northern Greece live in northern Greece where they guarded a where they guarded a huge treasure. In huge treasure. In ancient times the ancient times the griffin is also said to griffin is also said to have nested in have nested in Pomerania.Pomerania.

HarpiesHarpies

The Harpies are birds with The Harpies are birds with the face of a women. There are the face of a women. There are

three of them! They were three of them! They were sometimes called the hounds of sometimes called the hounds of Zeus. They serve Zeus. One of Zeus. They serve Zeus. One of the most famous stories the most famous stories involves Phineas, the king of involves Phineas, the king of Thessaly, who had the gift of Thessaly, who had the gift of seeing into the future.seeing into the future.

HydraHydra

The Hydra was a big dragon which had The Hydra was a big dragon which had nine heads. This dragon was very hard nine heads. This dragon was very hard to defeat. His tail was stretched out. to defeat. His tail was stretched out. When you cut off one of Hydra’s heads When you cut off one of Hydra’s heads two more would grow.two more would grow.

MinotaurMinotaur The Minotaur was half man, half bull, that The Minotaur was half man, half bull, that

devoured sacrificial victims thrown into devoured sacrificial victims thrown into the Labyrinth. The Minotaur was the Labyrinth. The Minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus. But in the eventually killed by Theseus. But in the Middle Ages, artists portrayed a man’s Middle Ages, artists portrayed a man’s

head and torso on a bull’s head and torso on a bull’s body. Here’s how the body. Here’s how the Minotaur figured into the Minotaur figured into the legend of Theseus.legend of Theseus.

SirensSirens The sirens were giant, winged creatures The sirens were giant, winged creatures

with heads of women. They lived on rocks with heads of women. They lived on rocks on the sea, where their beautiful singing on the sea, where their beautiful singing lured sailors to shipwreck. Odysseus filled lured sailors to shipwreck. Odysseus filled his sailors’ ears with wax so they might sail his sailors’ ears with wax so they might sail safely past the Sirens. Beautiful half- safely past the Sirens. Beautiful half- women, half bird-like who sang such sweet women, half bird-like who sang such sweet songs that songs that

listeners forgot everything listeners forgot everything and died of hunger. The and died of hunger. The Sirens used a bewitching Sirens used a bewitching song to lure the sailors in.song to lure the sailors in.