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MONSTROUS ECHIDNA IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

The monsters of greek mythology are some of the most famous characters to appear in the tales of Ancient Greece, and today the likes of Cerberus remain famous.These monsters offered worthy opponents for gods and heroes to over come. just as the greek gods had an origin story connected with them, for there was a "mother of monsters," the female monster Echidna.

Where did Echidna came from?

Echidna is generally considered to be the daughter of the primordial sea god Phorcys and his partner Ceto; Ceto eing considered to be the personification of the dangers of the deep. This is the genealogy given by Hesiod in the Theogony , although in Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus), the parents of Echidna were given as Gaia (Earth) and Tartarus (Underworld). Phorcys and Ceto though, were commonly named as parents of other monsters including Ladon, Scylla, the Aethoipian Cetus, and the Trojan Cetus.

The Appearance of Echidna

No images of Echidna from antiquity survive, but descriptions from this period normally describe Echidna as being half beautiful nymph and half serpent in appearance. This meant that her upper body, from the waist, was feminine, whilst the bottom half comprised of either a single or double serpent tail in addition to her monstrous appearance, Echidna also had othr monstrous characteristics, and Echidna was said to have developed a taste for raw human flesh.

Echidna and Typhoon

Echidna thought was not unique in being half humanoid and half serpent, and she found a similar monster to become her partner. This monster was Typhon, also known as Typhoeus, who was himself the offspring of Gaia and Tartarus. Typhon was a more monstrous version of Echidna, for as well as being half serpent, Typhon was gigantic, and his head was said to brush the sky dome overhead. Typhon's eyes were made of fire, and upon each of his hands sprouted the heads of a hundred dragons. Echidna and Typhon found themselves a home on earth, and the pair would live in a cave somewhere in a region named Arima.

Echidna Mother of Monsters

It was in the cave of Arima that Echidna would set about living up to th moniker of "mother of monsters", for she and Typhon would bring forth a string of monstrous offspring. Ancient sources do not always agree which monsters were the children of Echidna , but generally speaking seven are regulary named. These were:
  • Colchian Dragon - the guardian of the golden Fleece in Aeetes' kingdom of Colchis
  • Cerberus - the triple headed hound found guarding the realm of Hades
  • Lernean Hydra - the multiple headed water serpent wh roamed the swamps of Lerna and guarded one of the entrances to the underworld
  • The Chimera - the fire breathing hybrid of goat, lion and serpent
  • Orthus - the two headed guard dog for the cattle of Geryon
  • Caucasian Eagle - the eagle who tormented Prometheus each day by eating Titan's regenerating liver
  • Crmmyonian Sow - the gigantic pig who terrorised the region between Megara and Corinth
    •  Via Orthus and the Chimera, Echidna was also the grandmother to the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion

    The Fate of the Children of Echidna

    The role of monsters in Greek mythology was basically as opponents for heroes and gods to overcome, and as a result the children of Echidna would encounter deadly foes.
  • Colchian Dragon - killed, or put to sleep, by Jason
  • Cerberus - abducted, but subsequently released, by heracles
  • Lernean Hydra - killed by Heracles
  • The Chimera - killed by Bellerophon
  • Orthus - killed by Heracles
  • Caucasian Eagle - killed by Heracles
  • Crommyonian Sow - killed by Theseus
  • The Sphinx - effectively killed by Oedipus
  • Nemean Lion - killed by Heracles

    • Echidna and Typhon go to War

    Echidna would blame Zeus for the deaths of her children, especially as it was Zeus' son Heracles who had done much of the slaying. As a result, Echidna and Typhon would go to war with the gods of Mount Olympus. Leaving Arima, Typhon and Echidna rampaged their way towards Mount Olympus. Even Greek godsand goddesses trembled at the rage of Typhon and his wife, and almost fled from their palaces, indeed Aphrodite was said to have transformed herslefinto a fish to escape. Many of the gods would seek sanctuary in Egypt, and their continued to be worshipped in their Egyptian forms. The only god to stay behind was Zeus, occasionally it was said that Nike and Athena stayed by his side. Zeus would of course have to meet the threat to his rule, and Typhon and Zeus undertook an epic fight. At one point Typhon was even in ascendancy, and Zeus required Athena to tie back tendons and muscles so that he could continue the fight. Eventually of course, Zeuswould overcome Typhon and the partner of Echidna would be hit by a thunderboltthrown by Zeus. Afterwards, Zeus buried Typhon beneath the Mount Etna where his struggles for freedom continue to be heard today. Zeus dealt mercifully with Echidna though, and accounting for her lost children, the "mother of monsters" was allowed to remain free,and indeed Echidna was said to have returned to Arima.

    The End of Echidna

    According to Hesiod, Echidna was immortal so the "mother of monsters" was thought to continue to live in her cave, occasionally devouring the unwary who passed by its entrance. other sources though tell of death of Echidna, for Hera would dispatch the hundred eyed giant, Argus Panoptes, to kill the monster because she was feedingon the unwary. Argus Panoptes would therefore kill Echidna whilst the monster slept.