In Greek mythology, Ceto was the mother of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale.
Ceto was a primordial sea goddess in Greek mythology. Hesiod’s Theogony describes her union with her brother Phorcys and lists the Gorgons among their children. The name Ceto is related to the Greek word kētos, meaning a sea monster or large marine creature, and she is often associated with the dangers of the sea.
Ceto’s children form a striking cluster of supernatural beings. Besides the three Gorgons, her family is connected in ancient genealogies with the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon, although individual sources do not always agree on every relationship. These genealogies helped Greek poets organize a broad population of monsters and divine beings.
Ceto is sometimes confused with Echidna because both appear in mythic monster family trees. Echidna, however, is generally described as a separate monstrous being and is not the mother named in Hesiod’s genealogy of the Gorgons.