In ancient Greek religion, Athena was a goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. Dionysus could not be turned to stone, however. In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusas blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgons severed head. However, Atlas also remembered the sayings of an Oracle, as told by Themis. For this Athena punished her hideously. Woodward, Jocelyn M. Perseus: A Study in Greek Art and Legend. According to another tale, Perseus lived to old age, founding the city of Tartus and teaching the magi of Persia. According to some tellings of the myth, Perseus turned all the kings soldiers and even the entire island to stone. 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. Poseidon tempted her into having sexual intercourse with him in a temple to Athena. From then on she roamed, shamed, shunned and loathed by everyone. WebAthena appears in Homers Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In his eyes, Medusa was only scary because it linked castration to something that a man could see. There are also references to Medusa in the Fabulae. During the height of the #metoo movement, many women began using images of Medusa. Leonardo da Vinci did a painting of her using oil on canvas. Medusas Head is a study released in 1940 after Freuds death. But Perseus is, without a doubt, the son of the king of the gods, Zeus. One such lock was sometimes said to protect the Greek city of Tegea. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. The stories about Medusa in Greece are unique because they changed quite a bit over the years. Athenas moral and military superiority to Ares derives in part from the fact that she represents the intellectual and civilized side of war and the virtues of justice and skill, whereas Ares represents mere blood lust. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Athena-Greek-mythology, Roman and Greek Gods - Facts about Athena, Ancient Origins - Athena: Fiercely Feminine Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Athena - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The qualities that lead to victory are found on the aegis, or breastplate, that Athena wears when she goes to war: fear, strife, defense, and assault. What had been his head before was the crest on the mountain summit. When she eventually died, Athena took her body into the sky and made her a constellation. By wearing the winged sandals, he could move in and out quickly. Thence, by Athenas curse anyone she looked upon turned to stone. No men are allowed to enter the tower, and the bronze nature of the tower also ensures that its walls cannot be climbed. Athena removed a lock of the womans hair and gave it to Hercules. In the modern world, feminists use Medusa as an icon that represents female anger and rage. [2] The composition proved to be one of the most important of Canovas career. This piece dates back to around 450 BC. He handed the kingdom to Dictys, who had protected Danae from his brother. Unfortunately for the citys people, the celebrations did not last long. Only according to the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.1399. A tepidarium from the Roman era has a mosaic floor with her head at the center. They manage to escape when Percy beheads her. Caravaggio, Medusa, 1595-1596, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Blame Hera. She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. Medusa was the only one of the three who was not immortal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a terracotta jar created by Polygnotos that shows Perseus murdering her in her sleep. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6, 5.12.2. Hephaestus also helped the young man with the gift of a sword. It is not Perseus fault, Hermes told Dionysus, but Hera, who convinced him to fight. She further claimed that the womans head simply served as a mask for those who later wielded it. 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. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. Hesiod, Theogony 29597 (though the reading of these lines is disputed). 3 vols. Priestesses took a vow of chastity and devoted their lives to her. Michelangelo and Picasso are just two of the famous artists who created work based on her. 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. 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. While much was written about the Perseus legend, modern historians and archeologists have been unable to uncover anything about the real Argive king. The story of Perseus birth and the prophecy of his grandfathers death would become the center of the myth known as The Golden Shower.. Krauskopf, Ingrid. He took them to King Polydectes [his brother], who married Danae and brought up Perseus in the temple of Minerva [Athena].. They point out that she was a beautiful woman who turned into a monster but that all anyone remembers is that she is a monster. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. The French military created a special belt during World War I that had her face on it. The goddess was so upset over what she saw and the issues she had with Zeus who was her father that she flew into a rage. When Minerva caught them in the act, she changed Medusa into a terrifying Gorgon. Athena appears in Homers Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). In 1782, Leonardo da Vincis biographer Luigi Lanzi discovered a depiction of Medusas head which he erroneously attributed to Leonardo, based on a description of Leonardos painting done by Giorgio Vasari. It is only those interested in the stars that may see the name appear commonly, and that is because there is a very famous constellation named after the Argive king. How old is the United States of America? While her sisters were immortal gods themselves, Medusa was a mortal woman only. It was said that Sthenmo and Euryale tried to kill Perseus but could not find him due to the special helmet he wore. Phineus, brother of the king and uncle to Andromeda, had been promised the beautiful maiden as his wife. Garber, Marjorie, and Nancy Vickers. Poseidon took special interest in her, and one day came down to Athenas shrine and raped the poor woman. Her emergence there as city goddess, Athena Polias (Athena, Guardian of the City), accompanied the ancient city-states transition from monarchy to democracy. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History: A work of universal history, covering events from the creation of the cosmos to Diodorus own time (mid-first century BCE). Her parents agreed. This work is privately owned, signed, and now known as Murtola. The director chose to show her as a human woman who only turned terrifying once men looked into her eyes. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1515; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.770; Lucan, Civil War 9.820. 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. 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. She has been featured in movies, books, cartoons and even video games. Accessed on 28 Apr. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. 1. There Perseus killed the current King, Proteus, and took his place on the throne. 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. A woman in the midst of an unsavory, unrequested task, she stands naked, her hair a tangle of serpents, a sword in one hand, a severed head in the other. In Homers Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. The priestess was able to foretell divine prophecies once filled with the spirit of Apollo. There, he married Andromeda, and she would live to old age, giving Perseus many children. Perseus By Avi Kapach Last updated on Mar 11, 2023 Overview Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus and the Argive princess Danae, was a Greek hero, king, and In feminism Medusa is known as a symbol of rage even though she was originally exceedingly beautiful. Though Athena helped Perseus defect the woman, she knew the powers that her former head held. Though many of these pieces made her more beautiful, they also showed that she was terrifying. They all claimed that Medusa was a horrific creature but could not recall when they first heard the legend. According to many sources, however, Medusa was beautiful as well as terrifying. Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae. A magazine from 1986 also used this idea and claimed that feminists could learn how to channel their rage through her story. Two species of snakes contain her name: the venomous pitviper Bothriopsis medusa and the nonvenomous snake called Atractus medusa. Rather than die on the field, she was assassinated during the night. Perseus is the Only Hero to Wear Items From Four Separate Gods. Andromeda was a legendary Ethiopian princess who was saved by the Greek hero Perseus from a terrible sea-monster. Together, Perseus and Andromeda lived a happy life until they became constellations in the sky. Perseus and Andromeda, from the imperial villa at Boscotrecase, 1st century BCE, The Met. Eventually, it died. Medusa grew wings, tusks, and long claws. Looking at the forbidden mother stiffens the subject in illicit desire and freezes him in terror of the Fathers retribution. He is best known in Greek mythology as the slayer of Medusa, one of three female creatures, or Gorgons, One of the sisters on the show found a woman who summoned the creature to punish men. Also in the Iliad, Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigns the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world. As a war goddess Athena could not be dominated by other goddesses, such as Aphrodite, and as a palace goddess she could not be violated. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Howe, T. P. An Interpretation of the Perseus-Gorgon Myth. PhD diss., Columbia University, 1952. The myths of Medusa are addressed in Book 3. Pindar, an early Greek poet who lived in the fifth century BCE, described Medusa as fair-cheeked.[7], In ancient art, Medusa was originally depicted as a hideous monster. She was someone who would kill anyone who saw her, and the snakes were simply the curly and knotted hair that was naturally on her head. Hesiod used her in Theogony. During the 20th century, many looked at the tale of Medusa and how it relates to feminism. Perseus was eventually killed by Megapenthes, son of Proetus. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. There are many stories and interpretations of the Gorgon Medusa from Greek mythology and later years. The best-known story of Perseus and Dionysus comes from Nonnus, who wrote an entire biography of the bacchic god. The goddess carried the womans head on her shield. Athena, the daughter of Zeus, was produced without a mother and emerged full-grown from his forehead. 02. of 12. London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. Medusas other child was Pegasus, the beautiful winged horse. Medusas blood caused the seaweed to harden and become beautiful coral.[20]. Though she has a different name, she has the power to turn people to stone when they look into her eyes. London: Nutt, 189496. [24] Medusas blood was also used for witchcraft by some mythical figures. deTraci Regula. Just in case any man took an interest in Medusa, Athena made it so that the man would turn to stone if he looked in her eyes. Menu. In ancient Greek astronomy, it represented the head of Medusa. Early artwork depicted both Medusa and her sisters as gruesome creatures capable of frightening any man. Webtext Epitome. He would become a Greek, rather than be born one. 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. Though many know the story of Medusa and her powers, not as many know about her sisters. She claimed that they shamed her for sleeping with one of their members. 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. Lucan: The epic Civil War (60s CE) describes how the venomous vipers of the Sahara were born from Medusas blood (9.624ff). Hades gave Perseus the helmet of invisibility, Hermes his winged sandals, Hephaestus a mighty sword, and Athena a reflective bronze shield. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful 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. 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.