![]() ![]() Pegasus: The Majestic White Horse of Olympus It’s unclear whether Perseus traveled on the back of Pegasus after he killed Medusa or if he flew home using the winged sandals gifted to him by Hermes. Pegasus is also one of the most famous characters in Greek mythology, the winged white horse. Pegasus and Chrysaor sprung from the severed neck of Medusa. When her head was chopped off by Perseus, her children came to be. So, when Poseidon raped Medusa she became pregnant. Pegasus and Chrysaor are the children of Medusa and Poseidon. When Perseus was finished with Medusa’s head, he gave it to Athena who put it in her breastplate and shield.Ĭlose-up of the Vienna Athena statue, depicting her breastplate with a central applique of Medusa On his way home, Perseus used this trick a time or two and eventually turned Polydectes and his royal court to stone. Medusa’s head, even when detached from her body was still able to turn those who looked her in the eye to stone. This time it was the helmet of darkness from Hades, the god of the underworld, which rendered him invisible and he was able to escape.īonze statue of Perseus who slained the Gorgon Medusa. Her Gorgon sisters (obviously) attacked Perseus after the beheading but he was protected by yet another gift. Long story short, Perseus prevailed and beheaded Medusa with the help of a reflective bronze shield gifted to him by Athena to protect him from her powerful gaze. Polydectes seized the opportunity and told Perseus that he could present the head of Medusa instead of a horse. So Polydectes held a royal banquet where he was collecting contributions for the marriage of Hippodamia in the form of horses, but Perseus didn’t have a horse to give. Knowing this, Polydectes devised a plan to send Perseus away on a challenging quest that he assumed was impossible and would get rid of Perseus indefinitely. But Perseus didn’t trust Polydectes and wanted to protect his mother from him. The pair were rescued by Dictys and he raised Perseus as his own.ĭictys’ brother Polydectes was the king and fell in love with Danae. So, in retaliation, Danae’s father locked her and Perseus in a wooden chest and threw it into the sea. But, Zeus, being Zeus, became a golden shower and impregnated her anyway. Danae’s father was given a sign that her son would kill him so he locked her away in a bronze chamber to avoid the chance of her becoming pregnant. Perhaps the most memorable myth that deals with Medusa is the one recounting her death told by Pindar and Apollodorus. Medusa’s death is tied to the story of Perseus, the hero. By modern standards, Medusa surely shouldn’t have been the one who was punished, but, alas, this is Greek mythology after all. In this version, Medusa was raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple so she was punished by Athena and given her hideous appearance. But probably the most recognized myth about Medusa told by Ovid was that she was born a beautiful mortal and changed into a monster by Athena. It’s argued whether Medusa was born like this, as her sisters and fellow Gorgons were monstrous and horrifying. ![]() Her other famous feature is her head of hair made of live snakes. It’s one of the most well-known aspects of Medusa’s character and is part of the reason she’s considered a protector with the ability to ward off evil spirits. It is said that if someone were to look Medusa in the eye for even just a moment, they would be petrified, literally, and turned to stone. Medusa is known for being able to turn people to stone But other authors such as Herodotus and Pausanias say the Gorgons lived in Libya. Hesiod’s myth places them on a distant island toward the horizon. Medusa was the only mortal out of her two other sisters who were the monstrous goddesses, Stheno and Euryale.Īpart from their mere existence, the Gorgons are hardly mentioned in Greek mythology aside from Medusa and there’s disagreement about where the group lived. Medusa is considered a Gorgon and according to Hesiod’s Theogony, the Gorgons were the sisters of the Graiai or Graeae. Medusa is one of three daughters born to Phorcys and Ceto. ![]()
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