ARGIVE ECHIDNA (Ekhidna Argia) - She-Dragon of Greek Mythology (original) (raw)

Greek Mythology >> Bestiary >> Dragons >> Argive Echidna (Ekhidna Argia)

Transliteration

Ekhidna Argia

Latin Spelling

Echidna Argia

Translation

Serpent, Viper (ekhidna)

EKHIDNA ARGIA (Argive Echidna) was a Drakaina (She-Dragon) with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a serpent who murdered travellers throughout the lands of Argos and Arkadia. She was eventually slain by the hundred-eyed giant Argos Panoptes. Ekhidna's parents were Peiras, a son of the king of Argos, and Styx, the nymphe of a poisonous Arkadian stream.

The Argive Ekhidna was sometimes identified with the Ekhidna of Arimoi, wife of the giant Typhoeus and the mother of monsters. She was also related to the Argive Drakaina Poine.

PARENTS

[1] PEIRAS & STYX (Epimenides Frag, Pausanias 8.17.6)
[2] TARTAROS & GAIA (Apollodorus 2.4)

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 4 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Niobe the first mortal woman with hom Zeus had sex, bore Zeus a son Argos . . . He got the rule and named the Peloponnesos Argos after himself. He married Euadne (Evadne), the daughter of Strymon and Neaera, and sired Ekbasos (Ecbasus), Peiras, Epidauros, and Kriasos (Criasus). The son of Ekbasos was Agenor, and his son was Argos surnamed Panoptes. This man had eyes all over his body . . . It is also said that he waited until Ekhidna (Echidna) fell asleep, and then killed her. She was a daughter of Tartaros and Ge (Gaea), who would kidnap travellers passing by."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 17. 6 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Epimenides the Kretan (Cretan) [C5th B.C. mythographer] has also made Styx a daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus), but instead of mating her with Pallas he makes her the mother of Ekhidna (Echidna) by Peiras, whoever Peiras was."

SOURCES

GREEK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.