Greek and Roman mythology provides a substantial portion of Supernatural's creature catalogue and several important character concepts. The Greco-Roman tradition is one of the most extensively documented mythologies in the Western world, giving the show a deep well of source material.
Creatures
The crocotta, drawn from Pliny the Elder's natural histories, appears in Season 3. The siren — a creature that takes the form of a person's deepest desire — appears in Season 4, adapted from the Odyssey's singing temptresses into a more insidious shapeshifter. Prometheus himself appears in Season 8, cursed to die and be resurrected daily (faithful to the original myth of his punishment by Zeus). The Amazons appear in Season 7 as a tribe of warrior women who reproduce rapidly and send their daughters to kill their fathers.
Gods
Several Greco-Roman deities appear as characters: Veritas (goddess of truth), Chronos (titan of time), Plutus (god of wealth), Artemis, Calliope (muse of epic poetry), and others. The show generally portrays Greek and Roman gods as diminished beings — once powerful, now scraping by in a world that no longer worships them.
Concepts
The broader Greco-Roman influence extends to structural concepts: Purgatory as a place (drawing on both Greek Hades and Catholic Purgatory), the idea of Fate as personified beings, and the recurring theme of heroes defying the gods — a fundamentally Greek narrative framework that drives the Winchesters' entire arc.
Creatures from this Tradition
- Crocotta - A scavenger creature that lures victims by mimicking the voices of their dead loved ones.