Αλπος
A giant from Sicily who lived on the Pelorus mountains (today called Mount Faro). His legend appears only in the Dionysiacs of Nonnus. Like every giant he was a son of Earth. He had many arms and his head was covered by a hundred vipers. He used to lie in wait for travellers wandering in the mountain passes, crush them beneath the rocks and then eat them. The mountains were silent and deserted: Pan and the Nymphs, and even Echo, never risked going there. This state of affairs continued until Dionysus came into the district. Alpos attacked him, protected by a breastplate of a lump of rock, while his weapons of attack were whole trees. Dionysus hurled his thyrsus against Alpos, hitting him in the throat. Aplos was struck down and fell into the sea, beside the island under which Typhon lies buried.
{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}
Table of Sources:
- Nonnus, Dion. 25, 236ff.; 45, 172ff.; 47, 627ff.