Harpe

The harpē (Ancient Greek: ἅρπη) is a weapon that appears in Greek mythology. It is the standard weapon used for the amputation of Greek mythological monsters, particularly those that are anguiform. The earliest appearance of the harpe as a mythological weapon is in Hesiod's Theogony (8th or 7th century BC), where the Titan Cronus uses it to sever his father's genitals. The hero Perseus uses a harpe to decapitate the monster Medusa, and is depicted with the weapon in ancient Greek art from the 6th century BC. The harpe also appears in the story of Zeus's battle against the monster Typhon and Heracles's fight with the Lernaean Hydra.