female version of perseus

The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods. He stabbed it multiple times, in the neck and back, and attacked every time the creature rose to the surface. It is also said that Perseus built the towns of Mideia and Mycenae, and fought to stop the Dionysian mysteries. She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the citys own symbol, and with the snake. Priestesses took a vow of chastity and devoted their In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusas blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgons severed head. 1600. In his work, he says that she was the queen of those around Lake Tritonis (modern-day Libya), and faced Perseus and his army in battle. Harrison believed that there was some evidence that Medusa was simply one woman and that the stories of her sisters came later. What Happened When Perseus Returned With the Head of Medusa? Here are just three great ones for you to use. [1] Alcmene was the daughter of Electryon, the king of Mycenae and a son of the hero Perseus. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Hercules then went to Tegea and met with Sterope who was the daughter of Cepheus. Gorgon head on terracotta tile, South Italy (c. 540 BC). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1937. Rather than the father of Perseus, Poseidon is a lover of Medusa, a sea monster who Perseus slew. 1 According to Hesiod ( Hes. Medusas Head is a study released in 1940 after Freuds death. Hades gave Perseus the helmet of invisibility, Hermes his winged sandals, Hephaestus a mighty sword, and Athena a reflective bronze shield. From then on, all who looked upon her were turned to stone. In Ovids telling, Perseus describes Medusas punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. 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. According to some tellings of the myth, Perseus turned all the kings soldiers and even the entire island to stone. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Thomas Gregory, "Perseus: The Argive Hero of Greek Mythology", History Cooperative, September 24, 2022, https://historycooperative.org/perseus/. According to the best-known traditions, the Hesperides were daughters of the Titan Atlas. Perseus Percy Jackson, is the main character of a popular YA book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Written by Rick Riordan, the series of books follows a modern story of a demi-god fighting to stop the Titans from taking over the world. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. From c. 200 B.C. Athena, insulted that Medusa was no longer a virgin, punished her by turning her into a monster. What had been his head before was the crest on the mountain summit. He turned the king to stone. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat. The name Perseus is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "to destroy". 4, 288345. All Rights Reserved. Looking at the forbidden mother stiffens the subject in illicit desire and freezes him in terror of the Fathers retribution. Herodotus the historian said her home was Libya. Greek poet Hesiod wrote that Medusa lived close to the Hesperides in the Western Ocean near Sarpedon. The items brought by Perseus were integral to the killing of the Gorgon Medusa. Pindar, Pythian Ode 12.16. Perseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson. Poseidon took special interest in her, and one day came down to Athenas shrine and raped the poor woman. Hesiod: Medusas lineage and her affair with the sea god Poseidon are outlined in the seventh-century BCE epic Theogony. Many artists made Medusa into a work of art. 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. Of this, Ovid said, Now his hair and beard were changed into trees, his shoulders and hands into ridges. According to another tradition, however, the head was kept in the city of Athens, buried underneath a mound in the agora.[22]. This star is approximately 92 light years from earth. Both Aeschylus and Hesiod mention Medusa in some of their early stories. Webchapter 6. chapter 7. chapter 8. chapter 9. book 3. chops off the head of Medusa during "The Lightning Thief". Some vases have also been found that depict the story of the golden shower, in which Danae is locked away. So maybe its a good time to say what Sigmund Freud in his Das Medusenhaupt (Medusas Head) thought of her. But the young Medusa offended Athena and was therefore cursed to be a terrible monster, forever hunted by men. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus got help. All stories of Medusa sprang from this event. Her parents agreed. Medusa was not the only Gorgon, however. So Zeus and his brothers got together armor and weapons to help Perseus succeed against Medusa. 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. It was said that Sthenmo and Euryale tried to kill Perseus but could not find him due to the special helmet he wore. She also appeared in the 2010 remake as a monster with a serpentine lower body. 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). According to the seventh-century BCE poet Hesiod, they could be found beyond glorious Ocean in the frontier land towards Night.[2] Later sources, however, usually placed them in Libya. Wilk, Stephen R. Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon. Percy trains as a god at Camp Half-Blood and travels America on adventures. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. Athenas punishment came with great and terrible features. According to Hesiod, Theogony 33335. Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world. The coat of arms of the Dohalice village from the Czech Republic depicts Medusas head. She believes that the story relates more to Athena than others do. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. To make Athena look better, some stories claim that Perseus never gave her Medusas head. Caravaggio, Medusa, 1595-1596, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Medusa. New York: Routledge, 2008. WebPerseus Origin and Meaning The name Perseus is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "to destroy". She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. In most ancient sources, Medusa and the Gorgons were imbued with a terrifying appearance. Medusa was one of the scariest creatures that Greek mythology created. In almost every version of the Medusa myth, King Polydectes of. He would then marry the princess, Leda. Medusa was a beautiful young woman, a virgin priestess of the goddess Athena. Through Mortal Bloodlines, Perseus was the Great-Grandfather of Helen of Troy. Alcmenes husband, the hero Amphitryon, was from an important family, too, also tracing his lineage to Perseus through his father, Alcaeus. Charmed also used Medusa as a character. 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. Webtext Epitome. Greek writers never specified why only one Gorgon sister was mortal. Art World The Artist Behind a (Very Questionable) Nude Public Statue of Medusa as a Feminist Avenger Defends His Work The monument has its fair share of 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. Athena is customarily portrayed wearing an aegis, body armor, and a helmet and carrying a shield and a lance. Though she has a different name, she has the power to turn people to stone when they look into her eyes. Howe, T. P. An Interpretation of the Perseus-Gorgon Myth. PhD diss., Columbia University, 1952. In Clash of the Titans from 1981, she was a standard villain. In Pompeii, a fresco shows an infant Perseus, holding aloft the Gorgons head, and this pose is replicated in statues and artwork around Greece. Masar Group Gorgo. In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Hyginus: Medusa and her death at the hands of Perseus are described in the Astronomica (2.1213), a poem of the first or second century CE. Unlike Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale could not be killed. Hesiod, Theogony 280ff; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.784ff, 6.119ff; Apollodorus, Library 2.4.2; Hyginus, Fabulae 151. Parthenon 1. Herbert Weir Smyth. Hesiod, Theogony 29597 (though the reading of these lines is disputed). However, the same text says that Danaes father, Acrisius, was of Egyptian stock, so Perseus may have been the first Greek in the family through both lines. Perseus then decapitated her and took her head to use it as a weapon in battle. The Medusa Reader. Depictions of this Gorgon head were often believed to be apotropaic, meaning they could ward off evil. Perseus was quite protective of his mother, with all they had been through, and was cautious about the King. During the French Revolution, those who wanted to defeat the royals used the head of Medusa as a symbol of their freedom. Essentially urban and civilized, Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess later taken over by the Greeks. Her long, beautiful hair became a head of snakes. An Oracle of Delphi was a high priestess who served at the Temple of Apollo at the ancient site of Delphi. Perseus Uses Medusas Head as a Weapon. Feeling as though his work was done, Perseus tracked down Athena and presented her with the head. She also gave birth to Natura, a goddess of the forest. When the will of Themis was ignored, her counterpart Nemesis sought to punish those who chose not to listen to the gods. 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 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. Athena became the goddess of crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits in general. She is immediately recognizable, a classical figure and an exciting symbol of a monster. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal or libidinous symptom. Medusa followed the goddess for many years before she met and fell in love with Poseidon. Woodward, Jocelyn M. Perseus: A Study in Greek Art and Legend. Together with Zeus, Themis bore the Horae, or the goddesses of the seasons. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. While the books are filled with characters and tropes from Greek mythology, they are original tales set in modern times. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. She lost all of her looks and found snakes growing in her hair. Her superpower was simple gazers upon her face would turn to stone. For this insult, Perseus showed the severed head of Medusa, and the old Titan turned to stone. Medusa has made several appearances in modern pop culture. There, he married Andromeda, and she would live to old age, giving Perseus many children. The messenger god stepped in. In feminism Medusa is known as a symbol of rage even though she was originally exceedingly beautiful. Perseus was assisted by the gods, who provided him with a mirrored shield, winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, an adamantine sword, and a magical satchel that could carry Medusas head. Some legends say Themis created this oracle position while others credit Gaea, who then gave it to her. Upon returning to Seriphos, Perseus showed the king Polydectes the head and turned him to stone, thus saving his mother. Acrisius spoke to the Oracles, who prophesied that the son of Danae would be the cause of the old kings death. Medusa was killed by the hero Perseus, a son of Zeus and the mortal Argive princess Danae. Representing the intellectual and civilized side of war, she is the divine form of the heroic, martial ideal and personifies excellence in close combat, victory, and glory. Separated from her sisters and unable to find love, Medusa wandered through the African desert. This shows that the island has protection from Athena. Link will appear as Themis Goddess of Order and Justice: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, October 21, 2019, Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Themis Goddess of Order and Justice: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net, Goddess of divine order, law, natural law and custom, oracles. The head of Medusa is used as the logo of the Italian fashion company Versace.

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