Today we'll be covering the Basilisk, Bia, and Briareus! Let's dive in!
Basilisk: The basilisk appears in many things, and many mythologies, though one of it's most prominent is European mythologies. However, in Greek myths, the Basilisk was also commonly called the Baliskos, and was a serpent who's touch and breath withered plants and brought death wherever it went. It was also commonly portrayed as a serpent tailed bird in later retellings of it's myths. The Basilisk was also known for killing whatever looked into it's eyes, similar to Medusa. The Basilisk is also very commonly known to be called "The King of Serpents as it was massive, and had powers beyond just a normal serpent. Along with that, the Basilisk appeared to have a crown on it's head when it was looked at, further contributing to the title it held. While the Basilisk is not in any common media, like the Odyssey, Iliad, Percy Jackson, or anything like that, it is still quite well known!
Here's some more facts and notes.
Bia: Bia is a lesser known Greek Goddess, and she was the personification of might, power, and strength. Her sister was a much more well known Goddess, as she was Nike, and Bia's parents were Pallas and Styx. She's known to be a constant companion of Zeus, and so were her other siblings. Bia is also known to bear witness to Prometheus stealing fire, and his punishment afterwards, though she does not comment on it. One of the main reasons that Bia was a constant companion of Zeus was due to participating in the Titanomachy, where she fought heavily, and earned Zeus's respect and presence. Whenever Bia is known to appear in myths, she is always silent, never commenting or giving her thoughts on whatever is ensuing. Luckily, despite being lesser known, she does have a temple dedicated to her, though it is more of a sanctuary.
Here's some more info.
Briareus: Briareus is one of three 100 handed, 50 headed, beings. He is a son of Uranus and Gaia. He was a being which watched over Sea-Storms, and married one of Poseidon's daughters. When it comes to if Briareus was an ally of Zeus, different sources say different things. Homer said he was, and was very close and faithful to Zeus, but Titanomachy said that he fought on the side of the Titans during the great war, and was defeated by Poseidon. He is also sometimes known to be the deity of earthquakes, though this mainly comes from an author who thought he was a giant, and wrote that he was buried alongside the other giants. Some myths also think that Briareus was perhaps a god of the seas in general before Poseidon, and was replaced, though that is not confirmed.
Here's some more notes.
I hope this taught you something new regarding Greek Mythology! Make sure to be on the lookout for next week's post regarding the Cs of the Greek mythos!