Medusa was a temptress among the gods, and Poseidon had impregnated the mortal while in the temple of Athena. 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. The image of Medusa was thought to be protective. Despite what Poseidon did to Medusa, Athena held Medusa accountable for what happened in her temple. Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon – all dreadful and fearsome beasts. This page was last edited on Wednesday, 11 Nov 2020 at 15:18 UTC. In Hesiod's version Poseidon and Medusa also had a thing: "With her lay the Dark-haired One in a soft meadow amid spring flowers" but he doesn't mention snaky hair or any punishment, Medusa is just the mortal sister of the two immortal Gorgons. Another point: it is important for the reader to grasp that Poseidon was never punished for what he did. His primary means of transportation was a chariot pulled by horses. One day she decided to pay the godess a visit. Poseidon emerged from the sea in all his paramount glory. Such an act would be a violation of the sanctity of any temple, but it was particularly insulting for Athena. The servant led Medusa to a room in the palace to put on a disguise before going to visit the godess. Medusa is certainly the most famous of the three Gorgons, cursed by Athena to have snakes for hair and a look that could turned men to stone, but why did Athena curse her?. However, Zeus commanded him to withdraw from the battlefield, and he reluctantly obeyed. Why did Persephone eat pomegranates? However, Medusa was a chaste woman and wanted nothing to do with Poseidon. Medusa is projected as the victim of Poseidon and then Athena. Her face, whether fierce and grotesque or feminine and composed, appears in virtually all media in varying contexts. It is hard to say though. The only one who was punished was Medusa. Poseidon assisted the Greeks in the Trojan war. Poseidon hated her for this, and she hated him. Poseidon was a god and that's just what gods do, what got her mad was that it was in her temple and she blamed Medusa. Was Athena Poseidon wife? One can make the case that Medusa is the victim here because instead of being protected by her patron goddess, she was punished by Athena for being raped in her temple. They had two children--the giant Khrysaor and the winged horse Pegasos--both of which sprang from her severed neck when she was slain by Perseus. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. You see, Poseidon, the Lord of the Sea and brother to Zeus, laid eyes on the gorgeous young woman and immediately wanted to possess her. Despite Medusa's portrayal as a victim of rape, this portrayal is not universal. In Hesiod's rendition, Medusa and Poseidon share a more consensual relationship where both parties are found together in a more comfortable setting. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. -According to Hyginus, why did Sisyphus seduce Anticleia, the daughter of Autolycus?-How did Pan come to invent the σῦριγξ (syrinx), the musical instrument we call “pan-pipes”?-Echo was once a beautiful maiden, the daughter of a nymph; what happened to her? Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, a Nereid. Athena knew that Poseidon lusted after Medusa, this was made evident by his ravishing her. MEDOUSA (Medusa) One of the three Gorgones who was seduced in the shape of a bird by Poseidon. The real answer is because Poseiden raped Medusa in Athena’s temple. The sea god found her in a temple of Athena and assaulted her on the spot. Parlia is an encyclopedia of opinion. Medusa would be confined to a cave, and anyone who made … But that wouldn't make sense since Medusa is a human and Poseidon is a god so there's no fighting him off. Why do you think so? Poseidon, being the king of the sea, was unable to be punished by Athena, so she punished Medusa instead, which was just because of a patriarchal and sexist writer and society. So to get back at him, Athena cursed Medusa so that Poseidon couldn't seduce him anymore. Poseidon’s rape of Medusa leading to her punishment at the hands of Athena. Medusa was raped by Poseidon, but instead of being defended by her patron goddess, Athena, she was punished for being raped. The main reason why Athena punished Medusa is the accusation that she performed a sexual act within the goddess' temple. Poseidon wanted to have carnal relations with Medusa but Medusa was a priestess in the temple of Athena, a maiden god. She was punished by the powerful Athena for being raped because she was so beautiful. The myths have it that Neptune, or in some stories Poseidon, impregnated Medusa after their brief encounter. Medusa’s beauty attracted the attention of Poseidon, the sea god. Athena’s curse was not a punishment for Medusa, but a punishment for the gods and men who intended to harm her. The poor woman did her utmost to escape from the determined god, but to no avail, he persisted in his attempt to seduce her. Though a few stories portray this as consensual, it was almost always rape. Famous artists that have been inspired by Medusa and the heroic Perseus story include Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, Peter Paul Rubens, Gialorenzo Bernini, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, and Salvador Dali. Medusa • Why did Athena punish Medusa and not Poseidon? One day, she was in one of Athena’s temples when Poseidon appeared to her and had sex with her. His grudge against Odysseus is one theme in the Odyssey. The most common interpretation of Medusa suggests she is an apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off the negative, much like the modern evil eye. This may have been why the goddess of virginity was so upset. Poseidon attempted to seduce Medusa. As such, all of her priestess … Medusa prayed to Athena for guidance and forgiveness. Medusa is an instantly recognizable figure from ancient Greek art. It could also have been that Athena was envious of Medusa’s beauty and the attraction that men had towards her. These actions would lead to the Trojan War. However, Medusa did not engage in said sexual act willingly. One day, Poseidon, the god of the Sea and rival to Athena, saw Medusa and decided to humiliate Athena by raping the priestess on the steps of Athena's temple. Did Medusa seduce Poseidon or did he rape her? Poseidon vanished after he was done and left Medusa vulnerable and weak. Poseidon took Medusa to a large temple in Athens where and there he seduced her. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. Medusa desired revenge on Athena. ÁÓ)-á°6ŽŸEœÒåÞóHpm~N'{cû«Ú=¡Š6EQ .4½wïÞÕ^sºMÊ7_›Gz†&ڑá„gYqì ðë„ÓÈ}ZVù©1ÕNÁ>Í? Is Medusa a victim or a villain? This interpretation of Medusa is the friendlier, simpler version. Poseidon raped Medusa, arguably making Medusa the victim. Best Answers. As a virgin goddess she … In Medusa’s case, it was Poseidon who was drawn to her. And when Perseus cut off her head, there sprang forth great Chrysaor and the horse Pegasus who is … No, she was mad at him and she was a goddess and he was a god, but she dint consider a human, even one that worshipped her, worthy. Poseidon did not seduce or charm Medusa in the later myths. As a virgin goddess, Athena would have perceived this as an act of desecration, which would explain why she was so angry with Medusa. Besides that Medusa was originally not thought of as a fair maiden raped by Poseidon but just born as a family of monsters. ... Why we need to reform the Crown, the rich history of Chinese people in the UK, why governments can’t just keep borrowing and a profile of Cressida Dick. https://austinhackney.co.uk/2016/10/26/the-medusa-myth-and-its-meaning-the-real-story-of-medusa/, https://medium.com/myths/the-rape-of-medusa-the-least-important-part-of-the-story-3a7594497bb8. Greek Mytology: The myth of Medusa and Poseidon and the punishment of Athena Inconsolable at the loss of her daughter, the corn goddess Demeter prevented the earth from bearing fruit unless she saw her daughter again. By eating a few pomegranate seeds, Persephone tied herself to Hades—the pomegranate being a symbol of the indissolubility of marriage. Being raped by gods was a fairly standard affair back then that people did not really bat an eye at. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body. It is hard to judge in this one, which God was a bigger douche, the God that rapes a priestess of a rival Goddess to get back at her, or the Goddess that instead of punishing the raspiest, punishes the priestess for allowing herself to be raped by turning her into a gorgon. Poseidon and Athena were often at odds in the myths, and the disrespect of raping Medusa within her temple infuriated the goddess. He did not accept the rejection and grabbed Medusa’s arm. In many records, it is mentioned as gruesome rape. His actions were described as a forceful violation. Another version of the Medusa myth told by the Greek poet Hesiod tells a different story. Poseidon saved Amymone from a satyr. This is Greeks we are talking about. In the alternate version, Medusa is a priestess in Athena’s temple. Athena cursed the mortal Medusa with a hideous face and snakes for hair. With her lay the Dark-haired One (Poseidon) in a soft meadow amid spring flowers. As a virgin goddess, the act was particularly loathsome. The other version of the tale of Medusa is more intense, shocking, and tragic. She heard someone say her name; the call came from the ocean. Now you might well ask why Poseidon wasn't turned to stone, to which I can only reply that he wasn't. Medusa broke her vow to Athena and was punished for it, Medusa was taken advantage of by Poseidon, Athena couldn't punish Poseidon, so she punished Medusa, Athena helped Medusa by transforming her into a "monster". This makes Medusa a victim. There are a few versions of the story of Medusa.Depending on the myth, Poseidon either raped her or had consensual sex with her in one of Athena’s temples. Medusa was punished for being raped—so why do we still depict her as a monster? It could be because Poseidon was her uncle and the powerful god of the sea, which meant that technically, only Zeus could punish Poseidon for his crime. Ancient statuary, bronze shields, and vessels have depictions of Medusa. Furthermore, with Athena afterwards putting a curse on Medusa it kinda seems like she and Poseidon planned for this to happen, which would mean Athena was so envious that she'd go to extreme lengths to get back at Medusa. Medusa Is Full Of Surprises And Death Did Not Stop Her. [see Family] Poseidon raped Medusa, arguably making Medusa the victim. ----- The most important part of our job is creating informational content. Together we are mapping the world's opinions, to help us better understand each other, and improve civil discourse. Ïg»ê͉;pƒ¢Ž;8rbCzöîö,C€÷5cÐYt1xˆ¯¯Z柺қŠ‰ô5tßíÜêtƒýß÷¦ÈÄ.|Ëo(zqÕ¯rYò•ê¯ÝÕ;íŽèÝ]±Óéb½{]¾Ó¹uswŸßììîí÷v蕹Gµc“”&Ð4aPþE&öÍIŠ. Medusa’s name derives from an ancient Greek verb that means “to protect and guard,” which may be a nod to Athena’s attempt to guard and protect Medusa from further abuse at the hands of Poseidon and other men. The story of Medusa starts with her as a woman and servant of Athena. One can argue that Medusa is caught in the middle of a crossfire between two deities. She went to Athena's palace and knocked on the door, one of Athena's servents allowed Medusa in to the palace because she was not loyal to Athena. The god used his charm to seduce Athena’s priestess but Medusa, although, stunned by all his splendour, did not forget her vows and rejected Poseidon’s advance. MELANTHEIA A Naiad-nymph of Elis (southern Greece) who bore Poseidon a daughter named Eirene. read more