But it was very hard to find Medusa on her own. Poseidon was angered, and his desire for her grew even more. And, to Poseidon’s consternation, she wouldn’t give herself to him either. So beautiful was she, that the god Poseidon also desired to have her.īut Medusa wouldn’t yield to any man. She had many suitors, but she wouldn’t choose one, all wanting her hand in marriage, won over by her rare beauty. Medusa is said to have been coveted across the land. Her features were in perfect symmetry, her lips red like the purest wine. She had stunning golden hair, with perfect ringlets framing her beautiful face. The Story of Medusa and Athena What is the story of Medusa and Athena according to Ovid?Īccording to Ovid, Medusa originally was a beautiful young woman. She was a priestess of Athena all her life.īut if you ask Ovid, the Roman poet that lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, the story is entirely different- and it’s Athena’s fault. She also had the name Gorgo, and like her sisters, she was born with a monstrous appearance: Snake hair, a terrible face that struck fear into the heart of anyone who looked at them, wings, and a reptilian body were featured by all three sisters.Īccording to Hesiod and Aeschylus, she lived in a town at the coast of Aeolis, in Asia Minor, opposite of the island of Lesbos. That depends on who you ask! The original Ancient Greek myths describe Medusa as the only mortal sister out of three Gorgons. Her power to turn a mortal (or a man, depending on the myth) into stone by a single glance has allured and inspired artists and even activists and social scientists for centuries!īut who was Medusa, and how did she end up a monster for Perseus to kill? Her powerful image of a woman with a full head of snake hair is unforgettable. Medusa is one of the most recognizable pop culture and fashion icons!
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