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Why did Athena punish Medusa with snakes for hair?
Fearsome monster-woman with snakes for hair? Medusa. The Medusa we know was raped by Poseidon in the goddess Athena’s temple. Athena then punished her for desecrating her sacred space by cursing Medusa with a head full of snakes and a gaze that turns men to stone.
How was Medusa cursed?
When Athena discovered the affair, she was enraged and immediately cursed Medusa by taking away her beauty. She turned her long hair into venomous snakes and made her beautiful face so hideous that those who looked into her eyes would immediately be turned to stone. Medusa’s life was forever changed.
What did the snakes on Medusa’s head do?
Medusa is best known for having hair made of snakes and for her ability to turn anyone she looked at to stone, literally to petrify. Not even death, however, could quell Medusa’s power, and Perseus had to keep her decapitated head in a special sack strong enough to contain it, called a kybisis.
What kind of snakes were in Medusa’s hair?
I’m afraid that’s the closest we can get to an answer, if we only rely on ancient sources. If, however, we also take into account that vipers are the only endemic species of venomous snakes in Greece, I think it would be safe to say that the Gorgons’ hair were made of vipers. Medusa lived on a island called Sarpedon.
Is Medusa a real story?
Medusa :: The Real Story of the Snake-Haired Gorgon . Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon – all dreadful and fearsome beasts. A beautiful mortal, Medusa was the exception in the family, until she incurred the wrath of Athena, either due to her boastfulness or because of an ill-fated love affair with Poseidon.
How was Medusa turned into a Gorgon?
How Medusa Became a Gorgon In one myth reported by the Greek poet Pindar (517-438 BCE), Medusa was a beautiful mortal woman who one day went to Athena ‘s temple to worship. While she was there, Poseidon saw her and either seduced her or raped her, and she became pregnant.
Who turned Medusa into a Gorgon?
Medusa and Poseidon had had an affair in the temple of Athena , which angered Athena because she was a virgin goddess. Athena turned Medusa into a gorgon along with Stheno and Euryale, who were with Medusa, also got transformed into gorgons.
How is Medusa in Greek mythology turned into a monster?
Chief of the Gorgons, Medusa was the serpent-headed monster of Greek mythology whose hideous appearance turned men into stone. Originally a fair maiden, she was violated by Poseidon in a temple of the goddess Athena, and Athena then punished her by transforming her into an ugly monster with snakes for hair.