Perseus set out with the aid of the gods, who provided him with divine tools. While the Gorgons slept, the hero attacked, using Athena's polished shield to view the reflection of Medusa's awful face and avoid her petrifying gaze while he beheaded her with a harpe, an adamantine sword.
Medusa was seduced by Neptune (Poseidon) in a temple to Minerva (Athena), and in revenge, Minerva turned Medusa's beautiful head of hair into snakes. As she was both mortal and had the ability to turn men to stone, Perseus was sent to cut off her head.
Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair. When Athena discovered the affair, she was enraged and immediately cursed Medusa by taking away her beauty.
She was lovely, according to the poem—until she was raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. Athena then punished her for this violation, by turning her into the monstrous, stony-glanced creature that we know. Yes: punished for being raped. In classical sources, in fact, she's not always monstrous.
Because the gaze of Medusa turned all who looked at her to stone, Perseus guided himself by her reflection in a shield given him by Athena and beheaded Medusa as she slept. He then returned to Seriphus and rescued his mother by turning Polydectes and his supporters to stone at the sight of Medusa's head.
The story of Perseus and Medusa is a story of perseverance, bravery, and dignity. Perseus personifies the length one would go to in order to save the ones you love. Perseus shows the authenticity of his character when he rescues the helpless Andromeda from the Cetus and the attachment to the rock.
In fact, she was gorgeous and attracted the attention of the sea god Poseidon. There was a problem though; Medusa had taken an oath of chastity in order to serve the virgin goddess Athena in her temple. Instead of taking no for an answer, Poseidon brutally attacked and raped Medusa inside of Athena's temple.
But Athena wouldn't – couldn't – blame her priestess Medusa for being raped by her God enemy Poseidon. So, Athena protected Medusa at all costs. Instead of punishing Medusa with a head of snakes that could turn men to stone, Athena protected her.
Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon.
When Medusa had an affair with the sea god Poseidon, Athena punished her. She turned Medusa into a hideous hag, making her hair into writhing snakes and her skin was turned a greenish hue. Anyone who locked gaze with Medusa was turned into stone.
Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her two sons by Poseidon.
What does the Medusa tattoo mean? “The Medusa tattoo can mean many things, but it's generally a symbol of survival, strength, and overcoming assault,” says tattoo artist Ruby Rose. “Medusa has become a figure of protection to women who have experienced sexual assault or assault on some level, particularly by men.”
Medusa followed the goddess for many years before she met and fell in love with Poseidon. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess.
Medusa was once a beautiful but vain girl. She made the mistake of boasting that she was the most beautiful girl in the land, better looking than any goddess. The gods heard this and as punishment they turned her in to a Gorgon – a monster with snakes for hair.
In the original story, the Medusa was a beautiful woman who held a very positive role. Tragedy fell upon her when she was confronted with endless hardships brought upon by male actions. Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods.
The short answer is no, medusa was not real. For someone who has been depicted as a monster with poisonous snakes for hair, having the ability to turn men into stone, it may seem evident that Medusa was not a real historical figure.
“Instead of punishing Poseidon, Athena turns her rage against Medusa, on the one hand because she is not able to punish the powerful Poseidon, and on the other hand because she is envious of Medusa´s beauty.”
According to Apollodorus' version of the myth, Athena was angry with Medusa because she had claimed to be more beautiful than the goddess. In both cases, however, the result was the same. In the end, Athena turned Medusa into a figure of horror, a Gorgon with venomous snakes instead of hair.
In fact, Athena was jealous of Medusa's beauty and lustrous hair. Poseidon ravaged her and took what she held dearly, her purity. Athena, outraged by this incident, cursed Medusa and turned her wonderful hair into venomous snakes, her beautiful face turned so ugly that any man who gazed upon would turn to stone.
Amphitrite, in Greek mythology, the goddess of the sea, wife of the god Poseidon, and one of the 50 (or 100) daughters (the Nereids) of Nereus and Doris (the daughter of Oceanus). Poseidon chose Amphitrite from among her sisters as the Nereids performed a dance on the isle of Naxos.
Athena is typically depicted as a virgin goddess with no husband or offspring. However, according to a story by the first-century Roman author Hyginus, Athena (called Minerva) is married to Hephaestus (called Vulcan), the god of blacksmithing and artisans.
Hercules loves Medusa so much that he gave his last remaining link to his father to Circe for exchange for Circe making Medusa love him. The magic worked but it made Medusa nearly die. Hercules and Medusa Hercules worked hard to save her and eventually did thanks to Jason and Pythagoras.
The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B.C. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, and she punished Medusa by turning her hair to snakes.
Nevertheless, during the 20th century and the first waves of feminism, women turned Medusa's story into the tale of a woman who suffered under the weight of a patriarchal society. Medusa was always sought out by men, first for her beauty and then for glory. She was a trophy for men to hold and show off.