Lamia is a dangerous female figure in Greek myth whose story changed greatly from antiquity through later folklore. Early accounts connect her with Libya, Zeus, Hera, and the loss of children. Later writers use lamia as a broader name for child-killing or sexually threatening beings.
A queen transformed by grief
Several ancient summaries say Lamia was a beautiful queen loved by Zeus. Hera caused the death of her children or drove Lamia to destroy them, after which Lamia preyed on the children of others. Authors differ about her parentage, punishment, and ability to remove or close her eyes.
From one figure to a class of beings
By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, lamiai could be plural creatures associated with seduction, blood, or child death. Philostratus tells of a lamia who takes the form of a beautiful woman. These stories helped shape later comparisons with vampires, though the ancient categories do not match modern monsters exactly.
The snake-bodied image
Modern art often gives Lamia a woman’s upper body and a serpent’s tail. Ancient literature calls her beastlike but does not consistently supply that form. The fixed snake-woman appearance owes much to later European art and literature, so it should be labeled as a later convention.