Perseus slew the beast and won Andromeda's hand. In some variations of the myth, Medusa was born a monster like her sisters, described as girded with serpents, vibrating tongues, gnashing their teeth, having wings, brazen claws, and enormous teeth. Perhaps the most famous example of Medusa in art in antiquity was the Athena Parthenos statue from the Parthenon which was made by Phidias and described by Pausanias. It was foretold to Danae's father, Acrisius the King of Argos, that Danae's son would kill him. and usually ends at around the 9th Century. Custom Medusa Greek mythology monster gorgons snake monster art Perfect for coffee, tea and hot chocolate, this classic shape white, durable ceramic mug in the most popular sizes - 11 oz. The word Gorgon derives from the ancient Greek word "γοργός" meaning "fierce, terrible and grim." It was said that men who gazed upon her eyes would turn to stone instantly. Perseus, on his journey home, stopped at Ethiopia where the kingdom of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia was being tormented by Poseidon's sea monster, Cetus. The Gorgons' names each have a particular meaning that helps to further describe their monstrousness. She maintains a personal blog and Facebook page about on news of the Ancient World. . The Minotaur in Greek Mythology; The Head of Medusa. Unlike other figures of Greek mythology, most of us know Medusa—even if we can’t recall the details of her myth. She is killed by the hero Perseus, who cuts off her head. Medusa - Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901) - PD-art-100, The Perseus Series: The Death of Medusa - Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898) - PD-art-100, Perseus Confronting Phineus with the Head of Medusa - Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) - PD-art-100, The Head of Medusa - Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) - PD-art-100. The Story of Medusa ~ Greek Mythology. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Later authors such as Herodotus and Pausanias place the Gorgons' abode in Libya. Polydectes fell in love with Perseus' mother and wished to marry her but Perseus was protective of his mother since he believed Polydectes to be dishonorable. The myth of Perseus and Medusa, according to Pindar and Apollodorus, started with a quest. The most famous of these myths concern her death and demise. This would be an appropriate name since she is the daughter of ancient sea deities, Phorcys and Ceto. Sthenno from the ancient Greek "Σθεννω", is translated as "strength, might, or force," since it is related to the Greek word: σθένος. The mother and son were rescued by Dictys on the island of Seriphos. Accordingly, Ovid relates that the once beautiful mortal was punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. Also during the journey home, Medusa's head spilled some blood on the earth which formed into Libyan vipers that killed the Argonaut Mospos. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2020) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Euryale is from the ancient Greek "Ευρυαλη" meaning "broad, wide-stepping, wide threshing;" however her name may also mean "of the wide briny sea." Related Content Medusa's name is extremely fitting as it is synonymous with what a Gorgon's head became representative of on Athena's shield. Garcia, Brittany. Perseus and Medusaby wikipedia user: Amandajm (CC BY-SA). Hunted by many warriors that wished to claim the prize of her head, many tried, and many have failed. At the beheading of Medusa, Pegasus and Chrysaor (Poseidon's and her children) sprang from her severed neck. Perseus would choose a time when Euryale and Sthenno were asleep in their caves, before entering the cave of Medusa. After Perseus was finished with the Gorgon's head, he gave it to Athena, who adorned her shield and breastplate with it. However, the gift bestowed upon him by Hades, the helmet of darkness, granted him invisibility. Garcia, Brittany. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Medusa's name comes from the ancient Greek verb "μέδω" which is translated as "to guard or protect." She is a volunteer Latin translator for the Iris Project with NASA's "Making Mars Speak Latin.". Another myth holds that this is probably the reason why Libya has lots of snakes. Medusa is one of the Gorgon Sisters in Greek mythology and is always depicted as being a monster. Web. It has been said that her hair was made of venomous snakes and one glance into her eyes can turn anyone to stone. By looking into the reflective shield, Perseus was able to approach Medusa, without being harmed by the gaze of the Gorgon, and then one cut with the razor-sharp sword was enough to cleave the head of Medusa from her body. Perseus avenged himself by turning Polydectes and his court to stone with Medusa's head. In later myths (mainly in Ovid) Medusa was the only Gorgon to possess snake locks, because they were a punishment from Athena. Perseus was the son of Danae and Zeus, who came to Danae in the form of a golden spring. Arguably Medusa is the most famous villainess and monster of Greek mythology, for Medusa was the monster with hair of snakes and a stony gaze encountered by the hero Perseus. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. Most authors assert that Perseus was able to behead Medusa with a reflective bronze shield that Athena gave to him while the Gorgon slept. This statue of Athena depicts a Gorgon's face on the goddess' breastplate. Polydectes seized his opportunity to disgrace and even get rid of Perseus and asked for the head of the only mortal Gorgon: Medusa. Medusa Mosaicby Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). Poseidon's vengeance was being exacted on the kingdom for Cassiopeia's hubristic claim that her daughter, Andromeda, (or she herself) was equal in beauty to the Nereids. Cite This Work Thank you! https://www.ancient.eu/Medusa/. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. According to Hesiod's Theogony, the Gorgons were the sisters of the Graiai and lived in the utmost place towards the night by the Hesperides beyond Oceanus. Polydectes contrived to trick Perseus; he held a large banquet under the pretense of collecting contributions for the marriage of Hippodamia, who tamed horses. The Gorgon image appears in several pieces of art and architectural structures including the pediments of the Temple of Artemis (c. 580 BCE) in Corcyra (Corfu), the mid-6th century BCE, larger-than-life marble statue (that is now in the archaeological museum of Paros) and the celebrated cup by Douris. "Medusa." The pan-Hellenic mythological hero Jason was famed for his expedition... Until Sir Arthur Evans unearthed the palace of Knossos, the half-man-half... Women in the ancient Greek world had few rights in comparison to... A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Gorgon, Re-visioning Medusa: from Monster to Divine Wisdom, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. License. Despite the death of Medusa, it is said that her head still had magical properties. He, then, gave the kingdom to Dictys. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Books Together, they were known to have birthed some of the most fearsome creatures in Greek mythology. Medusa was in fact the prettiest and most famous among her sisters. She débuts, with her appearance in around 700 B.C.