Ancient Greek Mythical Creatures and People

A centaur was a creature with the head and chest of a person, and the body of a horse.

Cheiron was a teacher. He taught both Achilles and Jason. Say KIGH-ron

The giants of Greek myth were made when Cronus fought, and defeated, Uranus.

The Olympians had to fight against the giants when they attacked Mount Olympus!

The Cyclops were a race of huge men-like monsters with one eye.

Satyrs had head and upper body like people, but lower bodies like goats.

The Roman name for satyrs was fauns.

Pan was the leader of the satyrs, and the God of Shepherds.

Harpies were bird-women, but different from sirens.

Arachne was a great weaver—she wove cloth beautifully.

But she Athena angry, and Athena turned her into a spider. All spiders are the children of Arachne!

King Midas was greedy and wanted gold. So Dionysus gave him the golden touch. Whatever he touched turned to gold!

On Crete, an island in the south,

Minos was a famous king. Minos was different from Midas!

Minos ordered the Labyrinth to be built, and he put the Minotaur there.

Minos also put his servant, Daedalus, in a tower, with his son, Icarus. Daedalus made wings, which he and Icarus used to fly from the tower. Say DED-uh-luss and ICK-uh-russ

But Icarus flew too close to the sun, and the sun melted the wax off the wings. So poor Icarus fell into the sea and died.

Orpheus was a great musician, who tried to rescue his lover, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Say OR-fee-us and you-RID-uh-see

Pygmalion was a great sculptor. Once he carved a statue of a beautiful woman and fell in love with it. Say pig-MAY-lee-un

He prayed to Aphrodite for a wife just like the statue. So Aphrodite made the statue come to life—which was Galatea. Say gal-uh-TEE-uh

The End