He then used her severed head as a weapon during his travels, turning his enemies to stone. Homer: Medusa is not named in the eighth-century BCE epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, but whenever Athena marches into battle, she is said to carry the head of the Gorgon on her armor. Two species of snakes contain her name: the venomous pitviper Bothriopsis medusa and the nonvenomous snake called Atractus medusa. Medusa was killed by the hero Perseus, a son of Zeus and the mortal Argive princess Danae. Caravaggio, Medusa, 1595-1596, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. During the French Revolution, those who wanted to defeat the royals used the head of Medusa as a symbol of their freedom. The oracles of Zeus told the King that, by sacrificing Andromeda, the monster would be appeased and go once more. Both Proetus and Megapenthes were King of Argos, and Magapenthes was the cousin of Danae. She has been featured in movies, books, cartoons and even video games. There is no evidence that Poseidon was angry about this action, however, and the god appears to play no other role in the story of the Grecian hero. Medusa herself had a chilling face topped with serpents that sprang from her hair. Joseph Campbell was one historian who believed this theory. We love art history and writing about it. Also in more modern art, the subject of Medusas head became quite popular. Charmed also used Medusa as a character. He claimed that both groups of sisters were monsters. His son, Merros, then burned the head so that it could never be used again. Perseus. Perseus made a deal if he dealt with the monster, Andromeda would become his wife. Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828ff; Eustathius on Homers Odyssey 12.85; scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828; scholia on Platos Republic 9, 588c. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. And anyone who looked upon the head, even after it was removed, would turn to stone. Rather than die on the field, she was assassinated during the night. It is said he was killed because of the death of Proetus. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. The full story of Medusa, taking into account the oldest myths and the younger poems and stories that survived through the Roman empire, is one of tragedy. Link will appear as Medusa: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, February 7, 2017, Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Seriphus sent Perseus to return with her head, Medusa: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net. March 08, 2023. This piece dates back to around 450 BC. According to another tradition, however, the head was kept in the city of Athens, buried underneath a mound in the agora.[22]. Acrisius spoke to the Oracles, who prophesied that the son of Danae would be the cause of the old kings death. In this perspective, the ravishingly beautiful Medusa is the mother remembered in innocence; before the mythic truth of castration dawns on the subject. Interestingly, in all other cultures, including Hebrew and Arabic, it is a head (sometimes Ras Al-gol or demons head). She turned Medusa into an ugly creature by making her eyes bloodshot and raging and her face haglike. Medusa Another account in the same text says that Procles, a Carthaginian, believed Medusa to be a Wild Woman of Libya, a form of big-foot, who would harass the people in nearby towns. The flag and emblem of Sicily also features her head. Due to his connection to the sea, many think that Perseus is related to Poseidon. Eventually, he turned the head of Medusa upon himself and turned to stone. She was made into marble and bronze sculptures. The terrible monster beheaded by Perseus wasnt always so horrifying or deadly. Herodotus also records that when Xerxes, the Persian king, came to conquer Greece, he attempted to convince the people of Argos that he was the descendent of Perseus, and, therefore their rightful king already. Just as Andromeda had told Perseus her tale, the monster rose from the waters. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. The best-known star within the constellation is Algol, Horus, or Beta Persei. Most legends claim that the hero Perseus killed her with help from Hermes and others. After killing Medusa, Perseus used her severed head as a weapon, turning many of his enemies to stone. She believes that Medusa was originally a beautiful woman with power and that men adapted her story to turn her into a monster because they did not appreciate powerful women. He handed the kingdom to Dictys, who had protected Danae from his brother. WebIn one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. Perseus as a boy's name is of Greek origin. The second version, shown here, is slightly bigger (6055 cm) and is not signed though often dated 1597. Seeing claims that Athena saw Medusa in her temple and instead of catching her in the midst of consensual intercourse, she found Poseidon raping her. In Ovids telling, Perseus describes Medusas punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. By looking at the bronze shields reflection, he never had to gaze directly upon the monster. Here are the five most famous paintings depicting Medusa. Themis Goddess of Order and Justice O Atlas, the oracle said, mark the day a son of Zeus shall come to spoil; for when thy trees been stripped of golden fruit, the glory shall be his. Worried that this son was Perseus, Atlas was always careful. This is what they say; and their doings in honor of Perseus are Greek, inasmuch as they celebrate games that include every form of contest, and offer animals and cloaks and skins as prizes. Elizabeth Johnston released an essay in 2016 where she talked about how men used the legend as a way to disparage Hillary Clinton as she ran for President. For standing by their sibling, she did the same to the other two gorgons. While it was Zeus that fathered Helen and Pollux by sleeping with Leda while in the form of a Swan, Tyndareus was considered their mortal father. In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry his mother. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, gold, winged sandals from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus, and Hades helm of invisibility. About the first version, the 17th-century poet Gaspare Murtola wrote: Flee, for if your eyes are petrified in amazement, she will turn you to stone. A lot of focus is put on the Renaissance when learning art history. Either way, Perseus was known for boasting and would not shame himself by returning empty-handed. Legend says that when invaders attacked the city, Sterope used the hair to bring forth a storm that sent them running away in fear. According to Apollodorus, Asclepius received a phial of her blood from Athena and used it to cure the sick. Hesiod, Theogony 27475, trans. Perseus - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity There are also references to Medusa in the Fabulae. They were hit with the fullest extent of her wrath. All stories of Medusa sprang from this event. The once lovely hair was morphed into poisonous, dangerous snakes. With the help of several gods, Perseus tracked Medusa down to her remote lair and beheaded her. In almost every version of the Medusa myth, King Polydectes of. Medusas other child was Pegasus, the beautiful winged horse. She was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. In a strange little side-note, an interesting fact about Medusa and her sisters were integral to the invention of the flute. However, Atlas also remembered the sayings of an Oracle, as told by Themis. Her emergence there as city goddess, Athena Polias (Athena, Guardian of the City), accompanied the ancient city-states transition from monarchy to democracy. When the king turned to the Gods, they agreed to help as they worried about what the creature could do. Hephaestus also helped the young man with the gift of a sword. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. Leonardo da Vinci did a painting of her using oil on canvas. Medusa was said to have once been a lover of Poseidon. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 798800, trans. Athena was customarily portrayed wearing body armour and a helmet and carrying a shield and a lance. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled, and Perseus was officially the rightful claim to the throne of Argos. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Parthenon Medusa is one of the most famous characters of Greek mythology. The Roman version of her story is the same but changes the location to Minervas temple and her partner to Neptune. Phineus, brother of the king and uncle to Andromeda, had been promised the beautiful maiden as his wife. Priestesses took a vow of chastity and devoted their She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. In later artwork, she appears as a more beautiful woman. 2. By the fifth century BCE, however, Medusa and the Gorgons were increasingly depicted as beautiful women in the visual arts as in literature.[8]. According to most sources, she had two sisters that lived alongside her. When Percy travels to a garden to find the Pearl of Persephone with his friends, they stumble across statues and realize they were humans she turned into stone. There was an alternative story that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena, so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Aeschylus, for example, in his fifth-century BCE tragedy Prometheus Bound, described them as three winged sisters, the snake-haired Gorgons, loathed of mankind, whom no one of mortal kind shall look upon and still draw breath.[6] It was said that anybody who looked upon Medusa (or her sisters) was immediately turned to stone. Webdigital intermediate producer: Technicolor (3D version) Jo Stedall post-production coordinator (as Jo Harrop) Dominic Thomson digital intermediate editor (as Dom Thomson) Allen Tracy stereo conform supervisor: Prime Focus World, Los Angeles Matthew Tucker first assistant editor She was particularly known as the patroness of spinning and weaving. What had been his head before was the crest on the mountain summit. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Feeling as though his work was done, Perseus tracked down Athena and presented her with the head. The venomous vipers of the Sahara were also sometimes said to have been born from Medusas blood. In the modern world, feminists use Medusa as an icon that represents female anger and rage. She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the citys own symbol, and with the snake. An Oracle of Delphi was a high priestess who served at the Temple of Apollo at the ancient site of Delphi. As the guardian of the welfare of kings, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, of prudent restraint and practical insight, as well as of war. The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao came out the same year and told the traditional story of Medusa. Wilk, Stephen R. Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon. The Helmet of Hades was one of the gifts of the Cyclopes to the young Olympian gods when they first fought the Titans in the Titanomachy. Virgil: In the epic the Aeneid (19 BCE), Medusa and the Gorgons are included among the monsters living at the outskirts of the Underworld (6.287ff). This has been proven because she continues to be portrayed in pop culture. Webkaiser covid test reimbursement limit. It was interpreted both as a triumph of stoic reason over the foes of virtue and as the possibility of controlling passions and exercising stoical equanimity through implacable realism. She inspired three of Phidiass sculptural masterpieces, including the massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Athena Parthenos once housed in the Parthenon; and in Aeschyluss dramatic tragedy Eumenides she founded the Areopagus (Athenss aristocratic council), and, by breaking a deadlock of the judges in favour of Orestes, the defendant, she set the precedent that a tied vote signified acquittal. 8 CE). Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. Now she is in heaven with the other great women, like Elektra, my mother Maia, and your mother Semele., Dionysus calmed and let Perseus live. Gorgon head on terracotta tile, South Italy (c. 540 BC). Perseus | Encyclopedia.com WebPerseus Early Life Perseus was the demigod offspring of the unusual union between Zeus and Danae: the supreme god came to the imprisoned princess of Argos in the form of a golden shower through a crack in the roof of her chamber. Howe, T. P. An Interpretation of the Perseus-Gorgon Myth. PhD diss., Columbia University, 1952. Apollodorus, Library: A mythological handbook from the first century BCE or the first few centuries CE. 4 (Zurich: Artemis, 1988), 288345. 2022 Wasai LLC. The most famous story of Perseus is his quest to kill the famous monster, Medusa. Medusa also appeared in multiple pieces of art from the Renaissance and later. Greek mythological hero; son of Zeus and slayer of Medusa. [2] The composition proved to be one of the most important of Canovas career. Clash of the Titans Separated from her sisters and unable to find love, Medusa wandered through the African desert. Strabo, Geography: A late first-century BCE geographical treatise and an important source for many local Greek myths, institutions, and religious practices from antiquity. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. In Homers Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. The myths of Medusa and Perseus appear in Book 2. Freud simply stated that the myth is part of the Odepial Complex. Perseus, upon saving his mother, returned to Argos. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. Some vases have also been found that depict the story of the golden shower, in which Danae is locked away. What Do We Know About Historical Perseus? The It came out in 2013 as part of a limited edition series.-Many people use an image of her head because they believe it will protect them from others. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians.This was the Golden Age, a time of peace when the Titan Kronos ruled over all others. Many of the women only knew her as a monster and not what she looked like before. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a terracotta jar created by Polygnotos that shows Perseus murdering her in her sleep. The Artist Behind a (Very Questionable) Nude Public Statue of Perseus - Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity Depictions of this Gorgon head were often believed to be apotropaic, meaning they could ward off evil. Andromedas mother boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, so Poseidon sent the monster to attack the city. The serpentine locks of Medusas hair had an effect very similar to that of the head: while they did not necessarily turn people to stone, they could scatter entire armies. The bronze polished shield was quite reflective, which came in very handy. Herodotus, Histories 2.91; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.52.4; Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6. Herodotus points out that Assyrians believed Perseus to have been from Persia, hence the similar name. In the Iliad, Athena is the divine form of the heroic, martial ideal: she personifies excellence in close combat, victory, and glory. Hercules then went to Tegea and met with Sterope who was the daughter of Cepheus. Her superpower was simple gazers upon her face would turn to stone. While the name Perseus has been given to a number of ships, mountains, and even early computers, the Greek hero doesnt have the same name recognition today as Heracles/Hercules. WebPerseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes. Atlas attempted to fight but saw her head and turned to stone. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. Legend says this is why so many of the desert areas in that region have so many snakes today. Perseus was often represented in ancient times in the act of removing Medusas head. 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. When she found them together, Athena transformed her into a woman with serpents in her hair and a cold stare. Perseus, realizing he had been tricked by Hera, changed his ways and supported the Dionysian mysteries. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. This shows that the island has protection from Athena. The Greek hero came to see her on the orders of King Polydectes who ruled over Seriphus. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians. Io (mythology She wanted to show the Gorgons head in a different way. When Elana Dkyewomon released a series of poems and short stories written by and for lesbians, she chose the Gorgon for the cover. Hold on to your broomstick as we fly through time to check out the delicious and diabolical witch in art history. However, those myths which mention three women call them sisters, and say that the other two were punished simply because of Medusas transgressions. Perseus was the child of Danae, a princess of Argos. Perseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson. Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology In ancient Greek religion, Athena was a goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. Unfortunately for the citys people, the celebrations did not last long. Perseus Digital Library Fans of mythology might recognize Perseus Medusa spent the rest of her days wandering the earth alone. 1 And having wedded Earth, he begat first the Hundred-handed, as they are After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology. Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world. She went against her vow and married him. Athena, insulted that Medusa was no longer a virgin, punished her by turning her into a monster. Perseus was assisted by the gods, who provided him with a mirrored shield, winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, an adamantine sword, and a magical satchel that could carry Medusas head. Nemesis: Greek Goddess of Divine Retribution, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: The Complete List from Aboriginals to Incans, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? The Gorgon Sisters During the height of the #metoo movement, many women began using images of Medusa. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. Heracles The two goddesses were sort of entwined in their duties, which is why it made sense that they shared a temple in the ancient Greek city of Rhamnous. She claimed that Medusa was the ultimate guardian and protectress of women. [3] Other authors have proposed still more remote dwelling places, including the obscure Gorgonean Plains near Cisthene in Asia Minor[4] and the island of Sarpedon.[5]. I know, its complicated. Pausanias, in his Description of Greece, offers a historical version of Medusa that may be worth mentioning. 837; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.653ff. Athena is customarily portrayed wearing an aegis, body armor, and a helmet and carrying a shield and a lance. It was said that Sthenmo and Euryale tried to kill Perseus but could not find him due to the special helmet he wore. Thank you for your help! His mother was Danae (pronounced DAN-uh-ee), daughter Modern linguists, however, dismiss this etymology as a coincidence. The Medusa Reader. The sisters convince her to change her mind before the Gorgon can slaughter the men. This he gave to Perseus, and it was only ever used once. Frightened by this prophecy, Acrisius imprisoned his daughter in a bronze chamber and buried her underground. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. The chief characters in the Perseus legend, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and the sea monster (Cetus), all figure in the night sky as constellations. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn. Athena is associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the symbol of the city of Athens. Medusa was often depicted as a terrifying winged female with snakes instead of hair. When the will of Themis was ignored, her counterpart Nemesis sought to punish those who chose not to listen to the gods. 126ff. As she traveled, some of the serpents in her hair fell to the ground and slid away. Disappointed by his lack of luck in having a son, Acrisius consulted the Oracle at Delphi, who warned him that he would one day be killed by his daughter's son. Beth Seeling took a different approach to the Greek legend. Pindar: Perseus battle with Medusa is described in Pythian Ode 12 (490 BCE). Perseus was gone before they ever understood what had happened. Pegasus, the famous horse with wings, arose from her dead body. In book 47 of the text, Perseus kills Ariadne by turning her into stone, while a disguised Hera warns the hero that, to win, he would also need to kill all the Satyrs. She claimed that Medusa was the only real Gorgon and that her sisters were mere additions to her story. Kapach, Avi. Medusa. Mythopedia, 11 Mar. Medusa The Amphisbaena came from her blood, too. She may not have been described as a virgin originally, but virginity was attributed to her very early and was the basis for the interpretation of her epithets Pallas and Parthenos. Perseus had no personal grudge against Medusa. Percy's "real" name is Perseus, a famous hero of Greek mythology who - spoiler alert! However, instead of it being in battle or any form of murder, death came only as an accident. Athena immediately added the head to her shield called Aegis. They manage to escape when Percy beheads her. One of her works said that similar stories focused on sister trios and that authors likely added Medusas sisters. She was also worshipped in many other cities, notably in Sparta. Cixous urges women to use this story as a way to take back their own power and escape the control that men have over them. Webrescued by Perseus from the sea monster Me-dusa. [26], Other authors believed the Gorgons were an ancient race of wild, hairy women. How is Perseus Otherwise Portrayed in Modern Culture? Giovanni Versace loved the Medusa legend so much that he chose her as the mascot of his clothing brand. In the 20th century, Bernard Berenson and other leading critics argued against Leonardos authorship of the Uffizi painting. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death No human-made weapon could pierce the armor of the great blacksmith, and only a weapon he made himself had a chance the sword of Hephaestus. Medusas Head is a study released in 1940 after Freuds death. For this Athena punished her hideously. Library Polyidus, frag. Her superiority also derives in part from the vastly greater variety and importance of her functions and from the patriotism of Homers predecessors, Ares being of foreign origin. Perseus Percy Jackson, is the main character of a popular YA book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Written by Rick Riordan, the series of books follows a modern story of a demi-god fighting to stop the Titans from taking over the world. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: Perseus: The Argive Hero of Greek Mythology. However, the same text says that Danaes father, Acrisius, was of Egyptian stock, so Perseus may have been the first Greek in the family through both lines. Dohalice, which is a small village in the Czech Republic also uses her head in its coat of arms. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. When I asked why Perseus appeared only to them, and why, unlike all other Egyptians, they celebrate games, they told me that Perseus was by lineage of their city. To make Athena look better, some stories claim that Perseus never gave her Medusas head. They lived together in a remote part of the world. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. In order to keep Dana childless, Acrisius imprisoned her in a bronze chamber, open to the sky, in the courtyard of his palace: This mytheme is also connected to Ares, Oenopion, Eurystheus, and others. Andromeda: The Legendary Princess Of Greek Mythology It ended with Perseus taking the Gorgon head from its bag and turning the entire Ethiopian army into stone. So Zeus and his brothers got together armor and weapons to help Perseus succeed against Medusa. After her death, Perseus immediately left to fight Atlas. The Medusa head is part of fashion designer Gianni Versaces symbol. She lost all of her looks and found snakes growing in her hair. There Perseus killed the current King, Proteus, and took his place on the throne. Some authors today believe that the legend showed the control that a man could have over a woman. Dionysios Skytobrachion wrote about her during the second century and claimed that she both lived and died in an area of Libya. According to Ovid, this is what first got her into trouble: when Medusa slept with Poseidon in a temple of Athena, Athena turned her hair into snakes as a punishment. According to another tale, Perseus lived to old age, founding the city of Tartus and teaching the magi of Persia. Sicily uses both Medusa and the trinacria on its flag. In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusas blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgons severed head. According to Pausanias, they say that the god, having made war on Perseus, afterward laid aside his enmity, and received great honors at the hands of the Argives, including this precinct set specially apart for himself.. Medusas blood caused the seaweed to harden and become beautiful coral.[20]. Medusa is also a character in the first installment of Rick Riordans Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and is portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 2010 film adaptation. The blood from her head slowly found its way to the Red Sea where it formed the basis of the red coral seen there today. H. G. Evelyn-White. (2023, March 11). Her profile is engraved on coins of the reign of Seleceus I Nicator of Syria from 312-280 B.C. Though many of these pieces made her more beautiful, they also showed that she was terrifying. WebIo (/ a. deTraci Regula. Homer never named Medusa in the Odyssey but did talk about a monsters head that Hades could send o Persephone. Whilst the comportment of the two intertwined animals to the right was likely drawn from contemporary emblems, their zoologically accurate rendering is based on Rubens own close study of nature. Gorgo, Gorgoneion in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, Vol.
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