Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful maiden loved by Poseidon. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. There are three different ways you can cite this article. Poseidon took special interest in her, and one day came down to Athenas shrine and raped the poor woman. He had built a wall around his fields, and protected them with a dragon. According to Ovid, as Perseus traveled back to Polydectes, he stopped in the lands of Atlas. Hold on to your broomstick as we fly through time to check out the delicious and diabolical witch in art history. She was also worshipped in many other cities, notably in Sparta. Ogden, Daniel. Greek writers never specified why only one Gorgon sister was mortal. Detail. Perseus | Encyclopedia.com Medusa. Mythopedia, March 11, 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Webrescued by Perseus from the sea monster Me-dusa. Freud simply stated that the myth is part of the Odepial Complex. The stories about Medusa in Greece are unique because they changed quite a bit over the years. story behind the Medusa statue that He shut her up in a chest with Perseus and cast it into the sea. The director chose to show her as a human woman who only turned terrifying once men looked into her eyes. Sterope used the hair to defend the city and keep it safe. Pseudo-Hyginus states, By Joves [Zeus] will, it was borne to the island of Seriphos, and when the fisherman Dictys found it and broke it open, he discovered the mother and child. Numerous analyses have made us familiar with the occasion for this: it occurs when a boy, who has hitherto been unwilling to believe the threat of castration, catches sight of the female genitals, probably those of an adult, surrounded by hair, and essentially those of his mother. She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the citys own symbol, and with the snake. Hesiod, Theogony 29597 (though the reading of these lines is disputed). In the view of the woman, Perseus Poseidon tempted her into having sexual intercourse with him in a temple to Athena. The Perseus Constellation was cataloged in the 2nd century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy and has been the source of great study ever since. For this Athena punished her hideously. The other two Gorgons were named Stheno and Euryale. The venomous vipers of the Sahara were also sometimes said to have been born from Medusas blood. In Clash of the Titans from 1981, she was a standard villain. While flying over the vast land, Perseus noticed a woman of astonishing beauty standing naked with her hands bound on a rock. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Thomas Gregory, "Perseus: The Argive Hero of Greek Mythology", History Cooperative, September 24, 2022, https://historycooperative.org/perseus/. Woodward, Jocelyn M. Perseus: A Study in Greek Art and Legend. Atlas attempted to fight but saw her head and turned to stone. Alcmenes husband, the hero Amphitryon, was from an important family, too, also tracing his lineage to Perseus through his father, Alcaeus.
