THE CROMMYONIAN SOW IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
The Crommyonian Sow was one of the monstrous beasts that were said to inhabit Ancient Greece, at least according to tales of Greek mythology. Today, the Crommyonian Sow is not amongst the most famous of Greek mythological monsters, but in the ancient tales, it was a beast encountered by the hero Theseus.
The Crommyonian Sow Child of Echidna
The Crommyonian Sow was a gigantic boar, or sow, said to have been the offspring of Echidna and Typhon, making it a sister of such other monsters as the Lernaean Hydra and the Chimera.
As well as being of gigantic proportions, the Crommyonian Sow was also said to have a taste for flesh, and was known to kill the unwary who passed near to it, whilst the land around its home was constantly ravaged.
As well as being of gigantic proportions, the Crommyonian Sow was also said to have a taste for flesh, and was known to kill the unwary who passed near to it, whilst the land around its home was constantly ravaged.
The Sow of Crommyon
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The Crommyonian Sow was said to have been raised to maturity by a woman called Phaia (meaning Dusky or Grey), and sometimes the name Phaia was also attributed to the wild pig.
The more common name, of the Crommyonian Sow, derives from the fact that the monstrous pig lived near Crommyon, an important village on the road between Corinth and Megara. |
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Strabo claims that the Crommyonian Sow was the mother of the Calydonian Boar, another famous wild pig of Greek mythology.
Theseus and the Crommyonian Sow
The Crommyonian Sow would be famously encountered by the hero Theseus, as he made the journey from Troezen to Athens. The journey was a dangerous one, for many murderers and robbers lived adjacent to the road.
Theseus had already encountered Periphites and Sinis on the road to Athens, men who killed travellers, either with a club, in the case of Periphites, or with pine trees, in the case of Sinis. Theseus then went out of his way to find the Crommyonian Sow, to rid the land of the savage beast.
There are no details of the fight between Theseus and the Crommyonian Sow, suggesting that the beast was easily overcome, before Theseus continued his journey to Athens.
Plutarch, in the Life of Theseus, suggested that the Crommyonian Sow killed by Theseus was not a wild beast but a female robber named Phaia, who was given the name Sow for her actions and manners.
Theseus had already encountered Periphites and Sinis on the road to Athens, men who killed travellers, either with a club, in the case of Periphites, or with pine trees, in the case of Sinis. Theseus then went out of his way to find the Crommyonian Sow, to rid the land of the savage beast.
There are no details of the fight between Theseus and the Crommyonian Sow, suggesting that the beast was easily overcome, before Theseus continued his journey to Athens.
Plutarch, in the Life of Theseus, suggested that the Crommyonian Sow killed by Theseus was not a wild beast but a female robber named Phaia, who was given the name Sow for her actions and manners.
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Colin Quartermain - Crommyonian Sow - 1st December 2019