Ancient Greece holds a significant, albeit often dark, place in the history of the wizarding world. It was a region where a number of powerful magical individuals and creatures thrived, and its legacy has had a lasting impact on magic through the centuries. The most infamous wizard to emerge from this era was Herpo the Foul, an Ancient Greek Dark Wizard and a Parselmouth. He is credited with several heinous magical inventions that would plague the wizarding world for millennia. Most notably, Herpo the Foul successfully bred the first Basilisk by hatching a chicken egg beneath a toad. His research into the darkest of magics also led him to create the first known Horcrux, a vile object used to achieve immortality. The region was also home to a vast number of magical creatures, many of which are known today from Greek mythology. These include the ferocious Chimaera, the riddle-loving Sphinx, the proud Centaur, the noble Griffin and Hippogriff, and the immortal Phoenix. The powerful witch Circe, famed in Muggle mythology for turning sailors into pigs, was a real historical figure who lived on the island of Aeaea and is commemorated on a Chocolate Frog Card (video game). Interactions between wizards and magical beings in Ancient Greece were not always peaceful. According to the Centaur Firenze, the wizards of this era often misunderstood and feared Centaurs, suggesting a history of conflict or mistrust between the two races. Despite this, it is known that Ancient Greek wizards were advanced in some areas of magic, possessing knowledge of Animagi transformations long before the practice was formally studied or regulated by bodies like the Ministry of Magic.
While the main events of the Harry Potter series do not take place in Ancient Greece, its historical legacy is a constant undercurrent. The actions of Herpo the Foul are directly responsible for two of the primary threats Harry Potter faces: the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets and Lord Voldemort's immortality, achieved through the use of Horcruxes. Hermione Granger's research into Herpo the Foul proves critical to understanding how to defeat Voldemort. Furthermore, numerous creatures of Greek origin play pivotal roles in Harry's journey. Fluffy, the three-headed dog guarding the Philosopher's Stone, was obtained by Rubeus Hagrid from a “Greek chappie,” and is a clear magical counterpart to the mythological Cerberus. Harry also faces a Sphinx in the Triwizard Tournament maze, rides the Hippogriff Buckbeak to safety, and is saved multiple times by Albus Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes. These encounters firmly root the magical world of the present day in the myths and legends of Ancient Greece.