Medusa (Greek mythology)

In Greek mythology, Medusa (ancient Greek Μέδουσα Médousa, ‘guardian’, ‘protector’) was a female chthonic monster, turning to stone those who stared into her eyes. The three Gorgon sisters — Medusa, Esteno, and Euriale — were the daughters of Forcis and Ceto, or sometimes Typhoon and Echidna, in both cases chthonic monsters from the archaic world. This genealogy is shared by his other sisters, the Greas, as in the Prometheus freed from Aeschylus, who places both trinities very far away, in the “dreadful plain of Cistene.

In a later version of the myth, narrated by the Roman poet Ovid, 5 Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, "the jealous aspiration of many suitors" and priestess of the temple of Athena, but when she was raped by the "Lord of the Sea", Poseidon, in the same temple, the enraged goddess transformed the young woman's beautiful hair into snakes. In most versions of the story, Medusa was pregnant with Poseidon when she was beheaded in her sleep by the hero Perseus, who had been sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphos.

In order to defeat this monster, Perseus had the help of Athena and Hermes, who gave him the winged sandals, the invisibility helmet of Hades, a sword and a mirrored shield, and once equipped the hero went to visit the Grayas so that They will tell you where the Gorgon Cave was located. Finally Perseus fulfilled his mission. The hero killed Medusa by approaching her without looking directly at her but observing the reflection of the gorgon on the shield to avoid becoming petrified. His hand was being guided by Athena and thus cut off his head. Medusa's sisters sought him out for revenge, but Perseus escaped by becoming invisible thanks to Hades's helmet. His offspring sprouted from Medusa's neck: the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Crisaor.

According to Ovid, Perseus passed through northwest Africa next to the Titan Atlas, who was there holding the sky, and transformed it into stone. Similarly, the Red Sea corals were said to have formed from the blood of Medusa that splattered the algae when Perseus left the petrifying head by the beach during his brief stay in Ethiopia, where he saved and married the beautiful princess. Andromeda. The poisonous vipers of the Sahara were even said to have sprouted from the drops that fell from their blood.

Perseus then flew to the island where his mother was about to be forcibly married to the king. She cried "Mother, protect your eyes," and all but her were turned to stone by the sight of Medusa's head.