Photo: Dragons in Greek mythology
When it comes to dragons these days, Scandinavian and Chinese mythology comes to mind first, as modern literature and the film industry use giant lizards, mostly from these cultures, in their stories. However, this does not mean that such creatures have no place in the richest Greek mythology. Quite the contrary!
To begin with, perhaps, it should be noted that the word dragon originated from the Greek "δράκων", which itself hints at the presence of such monsters in the mythology of Ancient Hellenism. However, these are just flowers, because in the legends of the ancient Greeks, these creatures are given so much attention to these creatures that they have entire genealogies and are divided into several species - snake-like monsters of the Dragons, sea monsters Cetuses, as well as feminine Dragons or Dragons.
DRAGONS
Ancient Greek dragons were giant snakes, among the peculiarities of which we can highlight the possession of lethal poison or the presence of several heads. In some cases, the ability to breathe fire, which is inherent in today's fantastic dragons, is also mentioned. But the Greek dragons could not fly.
One of the most striking examples is the Colchis Dragon. Guarding the golden fleece, this vigilant monster has never slept and only once plunged into sleep under the influence of drugs of Princess Medea and melodic rhythms of the legendary Orpheus, which allowed the leader of the Argonauts Yason to steal the fleece.
Another famous guard is the Ismensky dragon, who guarded the sacred source of the god of war Ares. Snakes died at the hands of the grandson of the lord of the seas of Poseidon - Kadma, who then founded the city of Thebes on the battlefield.
No less famous character of ancient Greek myths is the lizard of enormous size Kihrid, which was named after his murderer - son of Poseidon Kihrei. During his lifetime, Kihrid made devastating raids on the island of Salamis, and then Kihrei, who stopped his atrocities, reigned on Salamis.
It is necessary to note also well-known to us on 12 feats of Heracles of a dragon named Ladon. Once a mighty titan, Ladon after being defeated by the Olympic gods turned into a monster - a fire-breathing dragon with hundreds of heads. However, Ladon's misfortunes did not end there. Zeus Hera's wife made the defeated enemy the guardian of Hesperides' apples - the dragon was killed in this service and became a victim of the legendary hero Hercules who was hunting for gold fruits.
This story is closely connected with another monster of ancient mythology - the Lernean hydra. The nine-headed snakelike creature was distinguished by its invincibility, as soon as a warrior who came out against it to cut off one of the heads, as in its place grew two. And yet Heracles managed to defeat the hydra, and soaked in her blood arrows gave the hero the opportunity to gain the upper hand over Hesperid Ladon, who guarded the apples.
The list of dragons is completed by Python, one of the largest creatures in Drenegreek mythology. He was the son of Gaia, the goddess of the land, and is said to have been wearing nine rings to wrap around the hills of the Parnassus Ridge. The snake-like giant lived in Delphi, guarding the famous Delphian oracle until the god of light Apollo struck him with a hundred arrows. After the dragon's death, the sanctuary was taken over by Apollo and is still considered to be so.
CETUSES
Cetuses are monsters who lived in the water, and myths in which they appear are mainly associated with the rescue of heroes sacrificed to the sea monsters of princesses.
An example is the legend of Ethiopian cetus. It began with the desire of the goddess of the seas of Poseidon to get even with the Ethiopian queen Cassiopeia, who dared to call herself a more beautiful goddess of sea nymphs, the Nereids. In revenge Poseidon sent a sea serpent to ruin Ethiopia. The only way to save the country from the monster was to sacrifice the heir to the throne of Princess Andromeda. However, the tragic ending was never reached - the hero Perseus defeated the sea snake and saved Andromeda.
Another creation of Poseidon was a Trojan cetus. This time, as you have already understood, the wrath of the god of the seas was directed against Troy. The fact is that the ancient city owes its impregnable walls to Possaidon, who counted on the promised abundant sacrifice (annual offspring of cattle) from the Trojan king Laomedonta for the work done. The sacrifice he never waited, and therefore sent a sea serpent to avenge the liar. Eventually, Laomedonte had to agree to the offering to God, but the victim was no longer cattle, but his own daughter Gesiona. However, Heracles did not give the young girl any offence by killing the beast.
DRAGONS
Draconesses in the Greek mythology represent a certain symbiosis of the woman and snake, and human and snake parts of a body are identical far not in all cases.
The most known dragoness is Ehidna. The legend says that this half-woman half-switched half-switched woman's face, spotted snake