Bulls
The Cretan Bull
Offspring: Minotaur
Killed by: Theseus
Poseidon’s gift to King Minos of Crete was a magnificent spectacle – a handsome bull, emerging from the sea in a burst of foam. But beneath its beauty lurked a terrible curse. Queen Pasiphae’s unnatural lust, aided by the ingenious but ultimately tragic creation of Daedalus – a wooden cow – resulted in the monstrous Minotaur. Half-man, half-bull, this creature became a symbol of Crete’s transgression, forever linked to the magnificent bull that rose from the sea.
One of Heracles’ Twelve Labors tasked him with capturing the legendary Cretan Bull. After bringing the mighty beast to Eurystheus, he simply released the captured bull. The freed creature, free of its Cretan confines, rampaged across Greece. Its destructive path eventually led it to the Athenian town of Marathon, where it laid waste to the countryside, leaving a trail of terror in its wake. This unfortunate outcome would pave the way for another hero, Theseus, to confront the bull and ultimately destroy it.
The Serpent-Bull
Parents: Gaia
Killed by: Aegaeon
In the Titanomachy, monstrous creations weren’t uncommon. One such horror was the Bull-Serpent, a creature ripped straight from nightmare. This monstrosity wasn’t born of happenstance. A desperate Giant, allied with the Titans in their war against Zeus, birthed the Bull-Serpent for a dark ritual. They planned to sacrifice its innards in a twisted ceremony, a blasphemous offering that would grant them victory over the king of the gods.
However, Zeus, ever vigilant, wouldn’t allow such a profane act to come to pass. He unleashed his own monstrous creation – a celestial kite. This divine predator swooped down, snatching the Bull-Serpent’s vital organs before the ritual could be completed.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 