Echidna ("she viper") was a female monster in
Greek mythology, usually considered offspring of
Uranus and
Gaia, or sometimes
Ceto. She had the face of a beautiful woman but the body of a serpent. When she and her mate,
Typhon, attacked the
Olympians,
Zeus beat them back but allowed Typhon, Echidna and their children to live as a challenge to future heroes.
The offspring of Typhon and Echidna were:
- Nemean Lion
- Cerberus
- Ladon
- Chimera
- Sphinx
- Lernean Hydra