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Medusa and her Gorgon sisters Euryale and Stheno were usually described as daughters of Phorcys and Ceto; of the three, only Medusa was mortal. Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who then used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon [5] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.
Medusa is the most well-known of the three mythological monsters, having been variously portrayed as a monster, a protective symbol, a rallying symbol for liberty, and a sympathetic victim of rape and/or a curse. The Gorgons are best known by their hair of living venomous snakes and ability to turn living creatures to stone.
The Gorgons (/ ˈ ɡ ɔːr ɡ ən z / GOR-gənz; Ancient Greek: Γοργώνες), [2] in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto.
The open mouth is clearly marked off from the chin and jowls by a pair of bulging lips. Under the chin there are traces which probably mark the remains of a soldered beard. The Gorgon's bared teeth, tusks and tongue hanging from her mouth would be intended to increase the deterrent effect of the symbol. The hub is surrounded by three sickle ...
Classical Greek depiction of Medusa from the fourth century BC. The Gorgoneion appears to have originated as an apotropaic symbol intended to ward off evil. [178] In a late myth invented to explain the origins of the Gorgon, [179] Medusa is described as having been a young priestess who served in the temple of Athena in Athens. [180]
The Gorgons Stheno and Euryale were immortal, whereas their Gorgon sister Medusa was mortal. [8] The only story involving them is their pursuit of Perseus after he has beheaded Medusa. The Hesiodic Shield of Heracles (c. late seventh–mid sixth century BC) describes the two Gorgons' pursuit of Perseus, as depicted on Heracles' shield:
The aegis on the so-called Athena Lemnia, a Roman statue type often identified as a copy of a work by the Classical Greek sculptor Pheidias (Dresden Skulpturensammlung). The aegis (/ ˈ iː dʒ ɪ s / EE-jis; [1] Ancient Greek: αἰγίς aigís), as stated in the Iliad, is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the ...
Medusa was a popular iconographic symbol at the time due to the interest in Greek mythology by numerous Baroque artists such as Rubens and Caravaggio. The use of Medusa as a symbol has evolved over the course of centuries and has various interpretations of the iconographic meaning, with Rubens' painting based on an interpretation of the Greek ...