While Medusa is usually considered to be ugly, one myth states that it was her great beauty, not her ugliness, that paralyzed all observers. Her "monstrous" form is believed by some scholars to represent a partially-decomposed human skull with teeth beginning to show through the decaying lips.
The image of Medusa was thought to be protective. Ancient statuary, bronze shields, and vessels have depictions of Medusa. The snake-headed, petrifying image of Medusa is instantly recognizable in popular culture. The Medusa myth has enjoyed a renaissance since the story was featured in the "Clash of the Titans" movies in and , and " Percy Jackson and the Olympians ," also in , where Medusa is portrayed by actress Uma Thurman. In addition to the silver screen, the mythical figure appears as a character in TV, books, cartoons, video games, role-playing games, usually as an antagonist.
The symbol of designer and fashion icon Versace is a Medusa-head. According to the design house, it was chosen because she represents beauty, art, and philosophy.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Perseus went on to marry a woman named Andromeda, found the city of Mycenae, and have quite a few more adventures, some of which involved Pegasus.
There are many different stories about how Perseus' own death came about, and one of them says that, as an old man, Perseus went into battle with the Gorgoneion. However, because his sight was poor, he didn't face the shield the correct way and, when no one around him turned to stone, decided its powers no longer worked. He turned the shield towards him, caught a glimpse of it, and turned to stone himself.
His son then later had the shield burned, thus eliminating Medusa's powers forever. For centuries in ancient Greece and Rome, depictions of Medusa were common on soldiers' shields as well as on works of art. The powerful, fearsome image remained popular throughout the centuries and, several thousand years after the story of Medusa was first told, her head was used by designer Gianni Versace as the logo for his fashion company. Who were the most important ancient Greek gods and goddesses?
Our guide explains the 28 immortals who made up the Greek pantheon. Did you know that garden gnomes originated in ancient Rome? Look about the long and fascinating history of everyone's favorite yard decoration by reading our guide on the history of garden gnomes. Bastet was an important goddess in ancient Egypt. Learn all about her and her connection to cats in our in-depth guide to Bastet. She has taught English and biology in several countries.
Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers. How to Get a Perfect , by a Perfect Scorer. Score on SAT Math. Score on SAT Reading. Score on SAT Writing. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? How to Get a Perfect 4. How to Write an Amazing College Essay. A Comprehensive Guide. As a result, the goddess did the only thing she could do, which was to protect her former priestess.
Giving Medusa the ability to turn people to stone then becomes a mechanism of self-defense than it does anything else. Counter arguments While it would seem much more rational that Athena was blessing rather than cursing Medusa, it is also possible that Athena cursed Medusa out of jealousy.
Even though Medusa sought Athena's counsel, there is still a case for Athena being angry towards Medusa. One of the things that could have fed this anger was jealousy. Medusa originally promised herself to Athena, but her promise to Athena came undone when Poseidon raped her. One of the staples of being an Olympian god's mate was that once claimed, they were bound to be mates forever.
In turn, the virgin goddess would feel inclined to lash out in anger against Medusa for this development. When the goddess played the flute, however, she discarded it after seeing her reflection; her face distended and became ugly as she played While she purposefully and successfully mimicked the wails of the Gorgons, she also unwittingly imitated their wide and dreadful features.
The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena.
While these stories sound fantastical today, to the ancient Greeks they were quasi-historical. Myths, as well as the stories recorded by Homer and Hesiod, were considered part of a lost heroic past when men and women interacted with heroes, gods, and the supernatural.
Tales from this period were repeated in every medium; the evidence from Greece presents a world saturated with heroes and monsters in poetry, prose, and art. As such, Medusa was not just a fantastical beast, but part of a shared past and present in the minds of ancient viewers.
She signified a historical menace—the story of Perseus vanquishing and harnessing her energy was not just a story, but a chapter in the shared allegorical and historical record of the Greeks.
Just as Medusa exists in multiple types of stories in the mythological record, she is also portrayed in multiple ways in ancient art. Her appearance changes drastically through the centuries, but she is always recognizable due to her striking frontality. It is rare in Greek art for a figure to face directly out, but in almost all representations of Medusa, despite style and medium, she stares ahead and uncompromisingly confronts the viewer.
The term gorgoneion refers to the head and face of Medusa, which was used often as a decorative motif. It is a prolific symbol of her particular power that appears in architecture , vase painting , and metalwork. The gorgoneion was a pervasive image in temple decoration of the Archaic period ca. Perhaps the largest example comes from Temple C built ca. In Sicily, southern Italy, and mainland Greece, temples were decorated with numerous antefixes ornamental terracotta roof tile covers that bore gorgoneia During this time, Medusa is depicted as a monster; she has a round face, wide eyes, a beard, and a gaping mouth with an extended tongue and gnashing, sharp teeth Medusa remains a popular image on later architectural components, but her form is more specifically human and female.
She loses the frightful teeth and beard, but is still recognizable Greek vases, cups, and related terracotta objects sometimes included a decorative gorgoneion as well. In some cases it was painted at the bottom of a drinking vessel Pieces from the seventh and sixth centuries B. The circular shape of many of these ceramics offers a particularly appropriate space to depict the rotund face of the Archaic Gorgon; it is outrageous, with oversized features that combine the feminine curled hair and earrings with the masculine beard.
She is present as the central decoration on many vases Just as in architecture , these late fourth- and third-century B. Gorgons evolve from the grotesque to the feminine but retain their specific frontal quality.
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