Echidna

Family: Greek · Role: monster · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.1

Echidna was “daughter of Tartarus and Earth.” She was joined in love with Typhaon, and together they produced Orthus and Cerberus, the raw-flesh-eating hound of Hades. Other accounts name her as the mother of Hydra of Lerna, Chimaera, Nemean lion, and Phaea; Typhon was the father of Sphinx, whose mother was Echidna.

Echidna was also described as subject in love to Orthus and as bringing forth Sphinx. She carried off passers-by until Argus caught her asleep and slew her, making them enemies.

Relationship record

Life events

Echidna and Typhaon produce Orthus and Cerberus.(Hesiod, Theogony 295-404)
- With: Typhon Orthus Cerberus
- “So she conceived and brought forth fierce offspring; first she bare Orthus the hound of Geryones, and then again she bare a second, a monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless and strong.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.1

parent: Tartarus “Echidna, daughter of Tartarus and Earth”
parent: Earth “Echidna, daughter of Tartarus and Earth”
with Argus (Argus killed Echidna.) “Echidna, daughter of Tartarus and Earth, who used to carry off passers-by, was caught asleep and slain by Argus.”
enemies with Argus “Echidna, daughter of Tartarus and Earth, who used to carry off passers-by, was caught asleep and slain by Argus.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.5

child: Orthus “Orthus, the two-headed hound, begotten by Typhon on Echidna”

Apollodorus, Library 3.5

child: Sphinx “For Hera sent the Sphinx, whose mother was Echidna and her father Typhon”

Hesiod, Theogony 295-404

courtship with Typhon “Men say that Typhaon the terrible, outrageous and lawless, was joined in love to her, the maid with glancing eyes.”
child: Cerberus “and then again she bare a second, a monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh”
child: Hydra of Lerna “And again she bore a third, the evil-minded Hydra of Lerna”
child: Chimaera “She was the mother of Chimaera who breathed raging fire”
courtship with Orthus “But Echidna was subject in love to Orthus and brought forth the deadly Sphinx”
child: Nemean lion “and the Nemean lion, which Hera, the good wife of Zeus, brought up and made to haunt the hills of Nemea”

Apollodorus, Epitome 1

child: Phaea “that sow, some say, was the offspring of Echidna and Typhon.”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.