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Greek Mythology Notes

Scyron

🗡 heroΣκίρων
None recorded

Robber who kicked travellers off a seaside cliff into the jaws of a giant turtle‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍

The Legend of Scyron

Scyron was a bandit who haunted the narrow cliff path along the Saronic coast between Megara and Attica.‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍ He sat on a rock overlooking the sea and forced travellers to wash his feet. While they knelt, he kicked them off the cliff into the water below, where a giant sea turtle devoured them. Scyron claimed noble lineage and considered this his right as lord of the road. When Theseus came along on his journey to Athens, he pretended to comply but instead grabbed Scyron's feet and hurled the bandit off his own cliff. The turtle consumed its former provider. The cliffs along that stretch of coast were known as the Scironian Rocks for centuries afterward.

Parents

Poseidon (or Pelops)

Symbols

cliffsea turtlebasin

Fun Fact

The Scironian Rocks along the Saronic coast still bear his name, marking one of antiquity's most dangerous roads

Explore Further

Sinis

🗡 hero

None recorded

Bandit of the Isthmus of Corinth who tore travellers apart using bent pine trees

Andromeda

🗡 hero

Princess chained to a rock, saved by Perseus

Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess chained to a sea cliff as sacrifice to a monster — rescued by Perseus, who petrified the beast with Medusa's head.

Andromeda galaxy

Perseus

🗡 hero

Hero who slew Medusa

The son of Zeus and Danae who beheaded Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the Perseid dynasty of Mycenae.

Perseus

🗡 hero

Slayer of Medusa, founder of Mycenae

The legendary hero who slew the Gorgon Medusa and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus founded the great city of Mycenae.

Perseus

Antiphates

🗡 hero

Cannibalism, kingship

King of the Laestrygonians, a race of man-eating giants encountered by Odysseus on his voyage home

Cepheus

🗡 hero

None recorded

King of Aethiopia who nearly sacrificed his daughter Andromeda to a sea monster

Arion

🗡 hero

Poet saved by dolphins

Arion was a legendary poet and musician whose life was saved by a dolphin when pirates forced him to jump overboard.

Arion (slug genus)

Lichas

🗡 hero

None recorded

Herald of Heracles who unwittingly delivered the poisoned robe that killed his master

Busiris

🗡 hero

None recorded

Egyptian king who sacrificed strangers to Zeus until Heracles broke free and killed him

Tenes

🗡 hero

Purity, Betrayal, Apollo

Prince of Colonae and first ruler of Tenedos, killed by Achilles despite his divine protection by Apollo.

Eurytion

🗡 hero

Hunting, archery

Argonaut and skilled hunter who later participated in the Calydonian Boar Hunt

Canthus

🗡 hero

Herding, loyalty

Argonaut from Euboea who was killed in Libya while searching for stolen cattle