The stories of ancient Greece are normally made up of three elements; Greek gods, mortal heroes, and monsters. A lot of these stories tell of how the gods or the heroes came into existence, but few casual readers of Greek mythology will be able to give explain the existence of the various monsters. Delve deeper into the stories though and even the existence of the most monstrous monsters is explained.

There is a single explanation for the existence of such monsters as Cerberus or the Hydra, and that is that they were the children of Echidna.

The origins of Echidna are a little unclear although the majority of sources do point to Tartarus, the god linked to the area beneath Hades, and Gaia, wife of Cronus, as being the parentage. Other sources though do also suggest that the two sea deities, Ceto and Phorcys were Echidna’s parents. Whatever the parentage Echidna was born and developed as a mixture of a beautiful nymph and a deadly serpent. The top half of her body was feminine with a beautiful face, whilst the scales of a serpent covered either one or two serpent tales. The monstrous attributes of Echidna did not end with her looks though and she was also said to eat of raw flesh.

Although described as both beautiful and hideous at the same time, Echidna found a mate in Typhoeus, also known as Typhon. Typhoeus was the offspring of Tartarus and Gaia, and a giant version of Echidna, with fire for eyes, and the heads of a hundred dragons on each hand. Together the couple lived in a cave in Arima beneath the surface of the earth. It was here that Echidna gained her title as mother of all monsters. There the couple brought forth the Nemean Lion, the ferocious beast with impenetrable skin; Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld; the Ladon, the hundred headed dragon that guarded the Hesperides; the Lernaean Hydra, the nine headed water beast; the Sphinx, guardian of the road to Thebes; and the Chimera, the fire breathing Lycian monster.

The children went off into the world whilst the parents remained behind. The monstrous children though became the quests for heroes, and in particular Heracles. The Sphinx was killed by Oedipus, although Typhoeus got some revenge by sending the hero mad. Heracles though killed the Nemean Lion and the Hydra with the assistance of Zeus and other Olympian gods. Typhoeus went into a rage, and Echidna joined her mate in going to war with the gods of Mount Olympus.

The couple made their way from Arima towards Mount Olympus, and the gods were so afraid of Echidna’s husband that they fled before him. With his strength he threw whole mountains after the fleeing gods, until only Zeus stood firm before them. Zeus and Typhoeus battled head to head, and although Zeus was said to have been near to death on more than one occasion, eventually his lightning bolts overcame Typhoeus, and without her mate, Echidna could not fight Zeus alone. Echidna was treated mercifully and was allowed to return to Arima with her remaining children. She was though separated from Typhoeus for ever, as he was imprisoned in Tartarus, or beneath Mount Etna.

Echidna though lost another child when the Chimera met up with Bellerophon.

The life of Echidna though was also ended, although not by any questing hero but by a hundred eyed giant, Argus Panoptes, as she slept.

The stories of Greek mythology have ensured that the offspring of Echidna are far more famous than their mother, but without the mother of all monsters there would have been little to battle the mightiest mortal heroes.