I recently read the 2 books of Lucianos of Samosata's "A real story" (which i recommend, by the way
), and there are many mythical creatures there, usually forming species. I am only noting very few of them here:
-The Bucephaloi (obviously named after Alexander's horse; the english translator notes their name as 'Bullheaded', but i think it is closer to oxen-headed?). Anyway, they are described as minotaurs more or less.
-The Nephelocentaurs. By far my favourite, the Nephelocantaurs (Clowd-Centaurs) are massive beings that have their upper half be human, and the lower be horse, and can fly around. They are described as having the upper part be of the size of the Colossus of Rhodes, and the lower that of the biggest merchant ship. They were mercenary forces, tied to the king of the Sun, and they literally where those who won the battle between the forces of the Sun and those of the Moon. They number in the thousands.
-The lychnopolitae. My second favourite. In reality they are just called "lychnoi", which means "lamps", cause that is what they are. They live in their own city, the Lychnopolis. I love the passage mentioning that they are routinely summoned in a main building there to answer when their name is called, and if one is not there the penalty is death. And "death is to be extinguished"
-Various kinds of fish-human hybrids living inside a huge whale.
-The Aerodromoi. Those are apparently just humans, but have wings and fly about.
-The Hippogypae. Those are vast vultures (gypae) that are used as horses by the forces of the Moon.
-The Hippomermykae. The analogous elite Sun's forces horses, which are huge ants.
-There is a tribe of plants which have their upper half be women, and will turn you also into a plant if they touch you or at least if you have sex with them
The work is apparently half-finished (the end of book 2 notes that the next and final two books would present the remaining journey on the ground, but those never seem to have been written). It is often mentioned as the "first sci-fi", and was created in the second century AD, written in greek by Lucianos, who was born in the inland syrian provinces of the roman empire.
-Have you read the true story bro, Lucianos?
-or you can discuss ancient sci-fi and/or ancient aliens.
Below is a drawing of part of the battle between the Sun and the Moon forces. The war happened due to the Sun's king (Phaethon) wanting to have a shared colony in the Morning Star, while it was being colonized by the Moon already.
-The Bucephaloi (obviously named after Alexander's horse; the english translator notes their name as 'Bullheaded', but i think it is closer to oxen-headed?). Anyway, they are described as minotaurs more or less.
-The Nephelocentaurs. By far my favourite, the Nephelocantaurs (Clowd-Centaurs) are massive beings that have their upper half be human, and the lower be horse, and can fly around. They are described as having the upper part be of the size of the Colossus of Rhodes, and the lower that of the biggest merchant ship. They were mercenary forces, tied to the king of the Sun, and they literally where those who won the battle between the forces of the Sun and those of the Moon. They number in the thousands.
-The lychnopolitae. My second favourite. In reality they are just called "lychnoi", which means "lamps", cause that is what they are. They live in their own city, the Lychnopolis. I love the passage mentioning that they are routinely summoned in a main building there to answer when their name is called, and if one is not there the penalty is death. And "death is to be extinguished"
-Various kinds of fish-human hybrids living inside a huge whale.
-The Aerodromoi. Those are apparently just humans, but have wings and fly about.
-The Hippogypae. Those are vast vultures (gypae) that are used as horses by the forces of the Moon.
-The Hippomermykae. The analogous elite Sun's forces horses, which are huge ants.
-There is a tribe of plants which have their upper half be women, and will turn you also into a plant if they touch you or at least if you have sex with them
The work is apparently half-finished (the end of book 2 notes that the next and final two books would present the remaining journey on the ground, but those never seem to have been written). It is often mentioned as the "first sci-fi", and was created in the second century AD, written in greek by Lucianos, who was born in the inland syrian provinces of the roman empire.
-Have you read the true story bro, Lucianos?
-or you can discuss ancient sci-fi and/or ancient aliens.
Below is a drawing of part of the battle between the Sun and the Moon forces. The war happened due to the Sun's king (Phaethon) wanting to have a shared colony in the Morning Star, while it was being colonized by the Moon already.
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