Appearance

Harpies had the body of a bird and the face of a woman.

Role

Harpies were used by the gods to punish the guilty.

Special Powers

Harpies were the spirits of the wind. They flew faster than the winds, and they could snatch people and carry them away.

Weakness

They were at the mercy of the gods.

Myth

There was once a king named Phineus who had the gift of prophecy. However, he angered Zeus by revealing the gods' secrets to mortals. As punishment, Zeus blinded Phineus and exiled him to an island. Though the island had plenty of food and wine, whenever Phineus tried to eat, harpies would swoop in and steal his meal. Sometimes, they even replaced his food with something disgusting, mocking him with screeches as he attempted to eat. Eventually, the winged Boreads chased the harpies away, but they stopped after the goddess Iris warned them to leave the harpies alone or face the gods' wrath.