The Harpies were creatures who had characteristics of a bird and a woman, similar to that of the Sirens. The Harpies had long claws and sharp beaks and could fly as fast as a bolt of lightening. Their names were Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno; each as vicious as the other. They were also referred to as "robbers," "snatchers," and "those who seize," meaning that they would steel anything that did not belong to them.

      One of the most famous stories involves Phineus, the King of Thessaly, who had the gift of seeing into the future. Phineus told Zeus' secrets to others and Zeus took away his sight and sent the Harpies, the "hounds of Zeus," to come after him. The Harpies kept steeling his food and devouring it for themselves and leaving only enough for Phineus to survive. When Jason and the Argonauts visited Phineus, Zetes and Calais, sons of the North Wind, pursued the Harpies through the sky. Iris or Hermes convinced Zeus to remove the Harpies from Phineus.

ACTIVITIES:
Harpies activity

KEY TEST WORDS:
The Harpies were fierce, filthy, winged monsters, with the faces of women and the bodies of vultures with sharp claws. They snatched food from their victims or left a loathsome stench rendering it unedible. They were also referred to as the "hounds of Zeus."

Creatures and Monsters

Fables

Footnotes:
The Harpyies are described, as in the case of the daughters of Pandareos, as carrying off their victims bodily from the earth; while, on the so-called Haryp tomb in the British Museum, they appear to be represented as demons of death carrying away the souls of deceased persons.

SOURCES:
Jane Smith
Edith Hamilton's Mythology
Bulfinch's Mythology
"Manual of Mythology" by Alexander S. Murray.