Aeschylus: The fifth-century BCE tragedian Aeschylus evoked the uniquely terrifying Gorgons in several of his plays, including the Libation Bearers (1048ff), the Eumenides (46ff) and Prometheus Bound (788ff). What had been his head before was the crest on the mountain summit. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: Perseus: The Argive Hero of Greek Mythology. 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. When Perseus sought a place to rest, Atlas refused him. Giovanni Versace loved the Medusa legend so much that he chose her as the mascot of his clothing brand. Medusa by Michelangelo Caravaggio (159596). 4, 288345. 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. Unfortunately for Acrisius, the oracles prophesy eventually came true. Bremmer, Jan. Gorgo/Medusa. In The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th ed., edited by Simon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth, and Esther Eidinow, 62223. Atlas immediately turned to stone, thus becoming the Atlas Mountains. H. G. Evelyn-White. 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. Andromedas mother boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, so Poseidon sent the monster to attack the city. Feeling as though his work was done, Perseus tracked down Athena and presented her with the head. The other two Gorgons were named Stheno and Euryale. Art Historian, founder and CEO of DailyArtMagazine.com and DailyArt mobile app. Perseus was quite protective of his mother, with all they had been through, and was cautious about the King. The two quarreled and Perseus angrily forced Atlas to look upon Medusas head. Then he grew to an immense height in every part (so you gods determined) and the whole sky, with its many stars, rested on him.. By wearing the winged sandals, he could move in and out quickly. Themis Goddess of Order and Justice While Medusa once had soft and supple white skin, it turned green. Medusa had promised to keep her chastity in honor of her deity, and took this vow seriously. By looking at the bronze shields reflection, he never had to gaze directly upon the monster. In one of his poems, Pindar applied the epithet euparaos (fair-cheeked) to Medusa. He shut her up in a chest with Perseus and cast it into the sea. Alcmenes husband, the hero Amphitryon, was from an important family, too, also tracing his lineage to Perseus through his father, Alcaeus. Polyidus, frag. It isnt one hundred percent clear if Perseus was against the worship of Dionysus; mythology texts say that the King of Argos was, but some versions mean Proteus. He is best known in Greek mythology as the slayer of Medusa, one of three female creatures, or Gorgons, Perseus - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity Apollodorus, Library, book 1, chapter 1, section 1 Other sources gave Ladon different parents. [27] The antiquarian Diodorus of Sicily claimed that they were wiped out by Heracles when he traveled through Libya.[28]. Clash of the Titans Herodotus names Perseus as the son of Danae but points out that it is unknown who his father may have been this compared to Heracles, whose father was Amphitryon. Also known as Phorkys, he lay with his sister Ceto. 2. 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. It is said he was killed because of the death of Proetus. That she ultimately became allegorized to personify wisdom and righteousness was a natural development of her patronage of skill. Unlike other stories that claim she caught them in the throes of passion, this version says that she was upset that her priestess went against her rules. Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology Two species of snakes contain her name: the venomous pitviper Bothriopsis medusa and the nonvenomous snake called Atractus medusa. Herodotus, Histories 2.91; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.52.4; Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6. The subject of Perseuss quest, she is one of the most iconic monsters in Greek lore. Updates? More importantly, he was the grandson of Acrisius and Eurydice. But the young Medusa offended Athena and was therefore cursed to be a terrible monster, forever hunted by men. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the citys own symbol, and with the snake. Danaes father, Acrisius, Depictions of this Gorgon head were often believed to be apotropaic, meaning they could ward off evil. 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. 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. Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just Athena is associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the symbol of the city of Athens. Heracles was the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a mortal woman named Alcmene. While no longer as famous as Heracles or Odysseus, the Argive king and Greek hero Perseus has just an interesting story. Acrisius spoke to the Oracles, who prophesied that the son of Danae would be the cause of the old kings death. Thence, by Athenas curse anyone she looked upon turned to stone. 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. When a studio remade the film in 2010, she played a major role. When Minerva caught them in the act, she changed Medusa into a terrifying Gorgon. Hesiod, Theogony 27475, trans. Many artists made Medusa into a work of art. The stories about Medusa in Greece are unique because they changed quite a bit over the years. 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. She further claimed that the womans head simply served as a mask for those who later wielded it. Perseus stayed in Ethiopia where he met Andromeda, daughter of Cassiopeia. When Ovid wrote her story in Metamopheses, he claimed that she was born beautiful before becoming a snake-haired creature and retained her looks over the years. In the 20th century, Bernard Berenson and other leading critics argued against Leonardos authorship of the Uffizi painting. Dohalice, which is a small village in the Czech Republic also uses her head in its coat of arms. Medusa also appears on television. So maybe its a good time to say what Sigmund Freud in his Das Medusenhaupt (Medusas Head) thought of her. A fellow child of Zeus, Perseus famously beheaded the snake-haired Medusa, fought a sea monster for Andromeda, and accidentally killed his grandfather while playing sport. Euryale could leap with ease, while Stheno was stronger than her sisters. Proteus was the brother of Acrisius (Perseus grandfather) and their own war had lasted decades. 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. 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. Privacy Policy, Marjorie J. Milne, "Perseus and Medusa on an Attic Vase,", http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DG%3Aentry+group%3D9%3Aentry%3Dgorgo-bio-1. This series is often compared to the British Harry Potter series, and the first book was adapted into a film in 2010. [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]. Medusa 1 According to Hesiod ( Hes. Legend says this is why so many of the desert areas in that region have so many snakes today. Perseus The Legend of Perseus. The Medusa Reader. Rather than die on the field, she was assassinated during the night. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. A Roman cameo from the second or third century contains her head. When she eventually died, Athena took her body into the sky and made her a constellation. WebPerseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes. Pindar: Perseus battle with Medusa is described in Pythian Ode 12 (490 BCE). Seneca, Medea 828ff; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 44.198ff. She wanted to show the Gorgons head in a different way. 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. However, Atlas also remembered the sayings of an Oracle, as told by Themis. Pegasus was eventually tamed by the hero Bellerophon.[18]. Indian modernists have been vanguards of shaping the narrative of Indian art in the modern world. Both Aeschylus and Hesiod mention Medusa in some of their early stories. From then on, all who looked upon her were turned to stone. This he gave to Perseus, and it was only ever used once. In House of the Faun from 200 BC, she appears on the plate worn by Alexander the Great. Unlike other creatures who were mortal, Medusa was mortal and capable of death. In addition to being snake-haired and winged, she was often pictured with fangs and a wide, menacing face. Sterope used the hair to defend the city and keep it safe. 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. She claimed that they shamed her for sleeping with one of their members. Legend claims the was a giant who carried a golden sword. From then on she roamed, shamed, shunned and loathed by everyone. As for Ariadne, be happy. To this day, the god can be seen as Mount Atlas. New York: Routledge, 2008. In Pompeii, a fresco shows an infant Perseus, holding aloft the Gorgons head, and this pose is replicated in statues and artwork around Greece. Medusa was said to have once been a lover of Poseidon. She was particularly known as the patroness of spinning and weaving. Heracles The name Medusa was likely derived from the Greek verb medein (to guard, protect). Zurich: Artemis, 1988. Hercules then went to Tegea and met with Sterope who was the daughter of Cepheus. Michelangelo and Picasso are just two of the famous artists who created work based on her. Perseus, upon saving his mother, returned to Argos. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. Many considered the princess as the worlds most beautiful woman. The Gorgon came out in 1964 and was a Hammer film that told a modern version of her story. After their wedding, he headed to Seriphos for his mothers wedding. This work is privately owned, signed, and now known as Murtola. Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. This phenomenon can be viewed yearly in early August and is the result of the path of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. Legend says that Medusa was one of three children born to Phorcys. Medusa spent the rest of her days wandering the earth alone. This star is approximately 92 light years from earth. Woodward, Jocelyn M. Perseus: A Study in Greek Art and Legend. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. [24] Medusas blood was also used for witchcraft by some mythical figures. 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 Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful He was conceived when Zeus came to Danae disguised as a shower of gold. Here are the five most famous paintings depicting Medusa. It is said that the priestesses of Chorea, women who followed Dionysus, were slaughtered by Perseus and his followers and dumped into a communal grave. The man who stole her mask then used the story to frighten others. 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). Herbert Weir Smyth. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. Next time there is a trivia night, it might be more interesting to choose questions about Perseus than Hercules, and there are some fun facts that make perfect questions. The two had three daughters, including Euryale and Stheno. 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. Caravaggio painted two versions of Medusa, the first in 1596 and the other around 1597. In the view of the woman, 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. Her long, beautiful hair became a head of snakes. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. There are many stories and interpretations of the Gorgon Medusa from Greek mythology and later years. WebIn one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6, 5.12.2. Essentially urban and civilized, Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess later taken over by the Greeks. female version of perseus However, other sources gave Scylla different parents. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. Kapach, Avi. London: Reaktion Books, 2013. Both Herodotus and Pausanias wrote passages about what they could discover about this king, including his possible connections in Egypt and Persia. After her death, Perseus immediately left to fight Atlas. Perseus is one of the few people besides Hermes to wear the winged sandals. Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.47.4; Apollodorus, Library 2.7.3. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians. Blame Hera. [2] The composition proved to be one of the most important of Canovas career. Others think that her story likely had roots in historical facts. This shows that the island has protection from Athena. Pausanias, Description of Greece: A second-century CE travelogue; like Strabos Geography, an important source for local myths and customs. Legend says while she was there baby snakes dropped from her head and this is why there are plenty of snakes in Africa. Angry at Perseus (instead of the gods that wished her to be sacrificed) he took up arms and started a great fight. Half,brother and great,grandfather of Heracles, son of Nestor and Eurydice (or Anaxibia) who appears in Homer's The Odyssey, main character in Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, and a main character in The Heroes of Olympus series, both by Rick Riordan. In Freuds interpretation: To decapitate = to castrate. Medusas head was finally given to the goddess Athena, becoming part of the armor she wore into battle. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. She was thought to have had neither consort nor offspring. She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. Dionysios Skytobrachion wrote about her during the second century and claimed that she both lived and died in an area of Libya. Poseidon took special interest in her, and one day came down to Athenas shrine and raped the poor woman. In Herodotus Histories, we learn the most about the mortal Perseus, his possible family, and the role his heritage might have played in ancient wars. According to some tellings of the myth, Perseus turned all the kings soldiers and even the entire island to stone. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Medusa was the only one of the three who was not immortal. Hades gave Perseus the helmet of invisibility, Hermes his winged sandals, Hephaestus a mighty sword, and Athena a reflective bronze shield. 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. Leeming, David. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal or libidinous symptom. There are also references to Medusa in the Fabulae. When Perseus arrived, he forced her to look into the shield and see her reflection, which turned her to stone. 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 After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Andromeda: The Legendary Princess Of Greek Mythology Percy trains as a god at Camp Half-Blood and travels America on adventures. Gorgo. In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. The best-known story of Perseus and Dionysus comes from Nonnus, who wrote an entire biography of the bacchic god. 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. He pointed out that a simple translation shows that the woman wore a mask to scare intruders and those who thought to bring her harm. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. The once lovely hair was morphed into poisonous, dangerous snakes. Perseus then headed to Ethiopia to rest and set her head down on the ground. 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. Medusa was often depicted as a terrifying winged female with snakes instead of hair. Perseus He explained that when a man saw something frightening such as a naked woman, he associated it with his mother because it was his first experience with the female form. Medusa herself had a chilling face topped with serpents that sprang from her hair. Homer never named Medusa in the Odyssey but did talk about a monsters head that Hades could send o Persephone. [1] Alcmene was the daughter of Electryon, the king of Mycenae and a son of the hero Perseus. It is from the Perseus Constellation that we also see the Perseid Meteor Shower, which has been documented since 36 AD. Acrisius, not knowing his grandson was present and not being careful as a spectator, was struck by one of these discs and died instantly. 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. She has been featured in movies, books, cartoons and even video games. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. Detail. Corrections? Perseus, admiring her beauty even in death, beheaded her to show the Greeks upon his return. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. It was said that Sthenmo and Euryale tried to kill Perseus but could not find him due to the special helmet he wore.
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