Typhon
The most fearsome monster in Greek mythology, who challenged Zeus for supremacy of the cosmos. Typhon was the father of many of mythology's most dangerous creatures.
The Myth of Typhon
Typhon was the last son of Gaia, conceived with Tartarus as a final challenge to the Olympian order. He was described as impossibly vast — his head brushed the stars, his arms could span east to west, and instead of legs, he had coils of vipers. He had a hundred dragon heads, each breathing fire, and his voice contained the sounds of every animal.
When Typhon attacked Olympus, the gods fled in terror to Egypt, disguising themselves as animals. Only Zeus stood to fight. Their battle shook the cosmos — Zeus hurled thunderbolts while Typhon ripped up mountains and threw them. At one point, Typhon seized Zeus, cut out his sinews with an adamantine sickle, and imprisoned him in a cave. Hermes and Pan recovered the sinews, and Zeus resumed the fight.
Finally, Zeus trapped Typhon beneath Mount Etna in Sicily. The mountain's volcanic eruptions were explained as Typhon struggling beneath the weight, still breathing fire in his eternal prison. From Typhon and his mate Echidna came many of mythology's worst monsters: the Hydra, Chimera, Cerberus, and the Sphinx.
Parents
Gaia and Tartarus
Children
Hydra, Chimera, Cerberus, Sphinx, Nemean Lion, Orthrus
Symbols
Fun Fact
The word "typhoon" likely derives from Typhon — the destructive storm monster whose fury was volcanic.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Typhon
🐉 creatureMost powerful monster who challenged Zeus
Typhon was the most fearsome monster in Greek mythology — a giant with serpent heads who nearly overthrew Zeus and would have ruled the cosmos.
Echidna
🐉 creatureMother of all monsters
Echidna was half woman, half serpent — called the Mother of All Monsters for bearing the most fearsome creatures of Greek mythology.
Sybaris
🐉 creaturemonsters
A monstrous serpent-dragon that terrorised the region around Delphi until slain by a young hero
Typhoeus
🏔 titanvolcanic eruption, the ultimate chaos monster
The most fearsome monster in Greek mythology, son of Gaia and Tartarus, whose battle with Zeus nearly ended divine order.
Ophiotaurus
🐉 creaturehybrid creatures
A creature half bull and half serpent whose entrails, if burned, could grant power to overthrow the gods
Sphinx
🐉 creatureRiddling monster with a lion body and human head
A creature with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and head of a woman. The Sphinx terrorized Thebes with her deadly riddle until Oedipus solved it.
Chimera
🐉 creatureFire-breathing hybrid monster
A fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. The Chimera terrorized Lycia until Bellerophon slew it from the back of Pegasus.
Campe
🐉 creaturemonsters
Campe was the monstrous she-dragon who guarded the Cyclopes in Tartarus — her death gave Zeus the thunderbolt that won the war against the Titans.
Polyphemus
🐉 creaturesavagery
One-eyed giant son of Poseidon who trapped Odysseus and ate six of his men before being blinded with a burning stake.
Cyclops
🐉 creatureOne-eyed giant
Race of one-eyed giants. The original three Cyclopes forged Zeus's thunderbolts; later Cyclopes were savage shepherds, the most famous being Polyphemus.
Centaurs
🐉 creatureHalf-human, half-horse beings
A race of beings with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Most were wild and unruly, but the wise Chiron was the exception — teacher of heroes.
Phobetor
🐉 creaturedreams,underworld
A god of nightmares who took the form of animals in dreams, son of Nyx and brother of Morpheus, one of the Oneiroi — the thousand dream spirits.