Seps, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230
The seps is a small but terrifying creature from ancient mythology, feared for its unparalleled lethality. Unlike ordinary snakes, it is notorious for its venom’s horrific effect—not only does it kill but also dissolves the entire body, including the bones. The venom was believed to cause the putrefaction of wounds. This gruesome ability has cemented the seps as one of the most fearsome serpents in classical literature.
The Roman poet Lucan, in his epic poem Pharsalia, vividly captures the nightmarish nature of the seps, describing it as a corrosive serpent that wastes away both bones and flesh. According to Lucan, a single bite from the seps could cause a victim to melt away, their body turning into a putrid mass in moments. This graphic imagery highlights the seps’ symbolic role as a representation of extreme decay and corruption.
Medieval writers and bestiaries later used the seps to illustrate the destructive power of unchecked venom and the fragility of human life. This snake became a powerful allegory for the rapid decay of flesh and the inescapable reach of death.
In literature and myth, the seps stands as more than just a snake—it is symbolic of nature’s terrifying and unstoppable forces, a reminder of how swiftly life can be consumed and reduced to nothing. The seps embodies the ultimate predator: small, unassuming, but with a venom that erases the very essence of its prey.
etiam ossa veneno consumit. Cuius poeta sic me-
minit. Ossaque dissolvens cum corpore tabificus
seps;
Further Reading
David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Seps, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast270.htm
Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014, Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/
Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia: The Elephant, 28 November 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant
Matthews, J. and Matthews C., (2010), The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, HarperCollins UK, London
Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)
Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)
Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)
Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)
White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)
Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)
Endnotes
[1] Lucan, Civil War 9.723: “The corrosive seps, dissolving bones along with the body”