Ancient Greece. ¡ The Basilisc was an extremely deadly serpent, whose touch alone could wither plants and kill a man. ¡ The creature is later shown in the form of a serpent- tailed bird. ¡ Cerberus was the gigantic hound which guarded the gates of Haides. ¡ He was posted to prevent ghosts of the dead from leaving the underworld. ¡ Cerberus was described as a three- headed dog with a serpent's tail, a mane of snakes, and a lion's claws. The Chimera The Chimera was a monstrous beast with the body and maned head of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, a set of goat-udders, and a serpents tail. It could also breath fire. The hero Bellerophon rode into battle to kill it on the back of the winged horse Pegasus. ¡ The Gryphon or Griffin was a beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. ¡ A tribe of the beasts guarded rich gold deposits in certain mountains. HYDRA was a gigantic, nine-headed water-serpent. Hercules was sent to destroy her as one of his twelve labours, but for each of her heads that he decapitated, two more sprang forth. So he used burning brands to stop the heads regenerating. The Gorgons The Gorgons were three powerful, winged daemons named Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale. Of the three sisters only Medousa was mortal, and so it was her head which the King commanded the young hero Perseus to fetch. He accomplished this with the help of the gods who equipped him with a reflective shield, curved sword, winged boots and helm of invisibility. He cut off her head and fled with it in a sack, although her two angry sisters followed close upon his heels. ¡ Pegasus was an immortal, winged horse which sprang forth from the neck of Medusa when she was beheaded by the hero Perseus. ¡ Pegasus was tamed by Bellerophon, a hero, who rode him into battle against the fire- breathing Chimera. ¡ Later, after the hero attempted to fly to heaven, the gods caused the horse to buck, throwing him back down to earth. ¡ Pegasus continued to wing its way to heaven where it took a place in the stables of Zeus. ¡ The Phoenix was a fabulous golden-red feathered bird whose body emitted rays of pure sunlight. ¡ The creature lived for at least five hundred years. ¡ At its time of death a new-born Phoenix emerged fully-grown from its body..