Why was Athena mad at Medusa?

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.

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What was the reason Athena give for punishing Medusa?

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.

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Why was Athena Mad About Medusa and Poseidon?

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.

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Why was Athena jealous of Medusa?

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.

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What happened between Athena and Medusa?

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.

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Why did Athena Help Perseus Kill Medusa? - (Greek Mythology Explained)

15 related questions found

Who got Medusa pregnant?

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.

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Did Athena curse Medusa to protect her?

Medusa was cursed as a punishment for bringing dishonor to the goddess Athena and her temple. Athena intentionally turned Medusa into a monster and changed her for Medusa protection. The curse was Medusa's snake hair and her ability to turn any living man into stone to protect her from harm.

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What made a Athena angry?

Athena Created Spiders

Arachne, a mortal woman, boasted that she was a better weaver than the goddess herself. This act of hubris greatly angered Athena, who tried to make Arachne repent while disguised as an old woman.

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Is Athena a virgin goddess?

In her aspect as a warrior maiden, Athena was known as Parthenos (Παρθένος "virgin"), because, like her fellow goddesses Artemis and Hestia, she was believed to remain perpetually a virgin. Athena's most famous temple, the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis, takes its name from this title.

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Why does Athena become angry?

She was angered by the idea that someone would say that they were more talented than a god so Athena hatched a plan to confront Arachne. A few days later, disguised as an old woman, Athena knocked on Arachne's door. “I have come to warn you,” Athena rasped.

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Why does Poseidon not like Athena?

In his dispute with Athena for dominion over Athens, the two gods had a contest as to which one could give the Athenians the best gift. Poseidon shoved his trident into the Acropolis and produced a flowing stream or a horse. Undismayed, Athena gave the Athenians an olive tree. And Poseidon challenged Athena to combat.

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Why did Athena not like Poseidon?

Athena bested Poseidon by producing an olive tree on the Acropolis. Poseidon also raped Medusa—a mortal who had the reputation of being beautiful—in Athena's temple, desecrating it. Athena could not do anything to her uncle, so she took vengeance on Medusa by turning her into a woman with snakes on her head.

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What mistake did Medusa make?

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.

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How did Medusa betray Athena?

But Medusa being a loyal priestess to the Goddess rejected him. And what does he do about it? Rape her of course! And decided to humiliate Athena by raping the priestess on the steps of Athena's temple.

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What does Medusa symbolize?

According to The Met Museum, Medusa is portrayed in most Greek art as an "apotropaic symbol used to protect and ward off the negative," representing a "dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil." In modern tales of Gorgon though, she is a symbol of female rage.

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Which Greek god is asexual?

In Ancient Greek mythology, Dionysus was the god of collective ecstasy. He is often described as an androgynous and asexual figure, whose followers would dance themselves into trances (Jameson, 1993) .

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Did Athena ever fall in love?

In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena is immune to romantic love, so there is no particular lover for her.

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How did Zeus get pregnant with Athena?

Athena began growing inside Zeus's head. When Haphaestus cut open Zeus's head, and Athena was born, she was not born an infant. Instead, Athena was born a fully grown warrior, dressed in armor and ready for war. This is how Athena became the goddess of war and wisdom.

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Who was pregnant with Athena?

She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. There was an alternative story that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena, so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus.

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How did Athena become pregnant?

Athena receives the baby Erichthonius from the hands of Gaia. Erichthonios grew in the womb of Gaia and, when he was born, Gaia passed him over to Athena to care for him.

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What does the story of Medusa teach us?

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.

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Can Medusa turn a woman into stone?

After a curse was placed on Medusa by Athena, one of Medusa's powers was being able to turn any person or object into stone. Medusa could stop anything in its tracks! She could do this just by looking into their eyes. Even if you looked into her eyes by accident, you would still be turned into stone.

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Who killed Medusa and why?

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.

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Was Medusa male or female?

Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.

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