This root also appears in other Greek names, including Medea, Medon, and Diomedes. Athena appears in Homers Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). Dohalice, which is a small village in the Czech Republic also uses her head in its coat of arms. Medusa followed the goddess for many years before she met and fell in love with Poseidon. (2023, March 11). iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order While flying over the vast land, Perseus noticed a woman of astonishing beauty standing naked with her hands bound on a rock. Perseus as a boy's name is of Greek origin. While no longer as famous as Heracles or Odysseus, the Argive king and Greek hero Perseus has just an interesting story. Hesiod, Theogony 29597 (though the reading of these lines is disputed). In 1782, Leonardo da Vincis biographer Luigi Lanzi discovered a depiction of Medusas head which he erroneously attributed to Leonardo, based on a description of Leonardos painting done by Giorgio Vasari. When she found them together, Athena transformed her into a woman with serpents in her hair and a cold stare. Greek poet Hesiod wrote that Medusa lived close to the Hesperides in the Western Ocean near Sarpedon. It is also said that Perseus built the towns of Mideia and Mycenae, and fought to stop the Dionysian mysteries. The nature and purpose of queer art is not something that can be answered with just one article. Andromeda was a legendary Ethiopian princess who was saved by the Greek hero Perseus from a terrible sea-monster. Together, Perseus and Andromeda lived a happy life until they became constellations in the sky. Perseus and Andromeda, from the imperial villa at Boscotrecase, 1st century BCE, The Met. The blood from her head slowly found its way to the Red Sea where it formed the basis of the red coral seen there today. Zeus had intercourse with her in the shape of a stream of gold which poured through the roof into Danaes lap., Enraged that she was to fall pregnant, and believing that it was Proteus, not Zeus, that had gotten into the chamber, Acrisius dragged Danae back out of the chamber. The Amphisbaena came from her blood, too. Lucan: The epic Civil War (60s CE) describes how the venomous vipers of the Sahara were born from Medusas blood (9.624ff). The second version, shown here, is slightly bigger (6055 cm) and is not signed though often dated 1597. Detail. She claimed that they shamed her for sleeping with one of their members. He shut her up in a chest with Perseus and cast it into the sea. Art Historian, founder and CEO of DailyArtMagazine.com and DailyArt mobile app. When Perseus arrived, he forced her to look into the shield and see her reflection, which turned her to stone. Krauskopf, Ingrid. Origin: Greek. So Zeus and his brothers got together armor and weapons to help Perseus succeed against Medusa. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: 3. 3 vols. The two goddesses were sort of entwined in their duties, which is why it made sense that they shared a temple in the ancient Greek city of Rhamnous. He claimed that both groups of sisters were monsters. In addition to being snake-haired and winged, she was often pictured with fangs and a wide, menacing face. Among her early depictions were those in horror films from the 1960s. No, he was sent to kill her by King Polydectes of Seriphos. During the height of the #metoo movement, many women began using images of Medusa. In feminism Medusa is known as a symbol of rage even though she was originally exceedingly beautiful. According to some tellings of the myth, Perseus turned all the kings soldiers and even the entire island to stone. This series is often compared to the British Harry Potter series, and the first book was adapted into a film in 2010. Several authors working on a book interviewed hundreds of women to find out what they knew about the myth. Others think that her story likely had roots in historical facts. They point out that she was a beautiful woman who turned into a monster but that all anyone remembers is that she is a monster. Athena became the goddess of crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits in general. chops off the head of Medusa during "The Lightning Thief". In Pompeii, a fresco shows an infant Perseus, holding aloft the Gorgons head, and this pose is replicated in statues and artwork around Greece. Johnston claimed that it showed men were still frightened of powerful women. This creature had a snake on the end of its tail and the body of a dragon. The items brought by Perseus were integral to the killing of the Gorgon Medusa. The Medusa Reader. Caravaggio painted two versions of Medusa, the first in 1596 and the other around 1597. This work is privately owned, signed, and now known as Murtola. Due to his connection to the sea, many think that Perseus is related to Poseidon. The Roman version of her story is the same but changes the location to Minervas temple and her partner to Neptune. In one of his poems, Pindar applied the epithet euparaos (fair-cheeked) to Medusa. Harrison believed that there was some evidence that Medusa was simply one woman and that the stories of her sisters came later. Menu. More importantly, he was the grandson of Acrisius and Eurydice. Euryale could leap with ease, while Stheno was stronger than her sisters. It is pronounced P AH R-Siy-ahS in English . Perseus is of Old Greek origin. Perseus is a form of the English and Greek Persis. See also the related category greek. Perseus is uncommon as a baby girl name. It is not in the top 1000 names. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat. Feeling as though his work was done, Perseus tracked down Athena and presented her with the head. There was also a theory established by Helene Cixous in which she claims that the original story of Medusa was quite different. Medusa represents philosophy, beauty and art. 1600. Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and blacksmith to the Olympians, would create armor and weapons for many heroes over the years. Several regions also depict her on their flags and emblems. Medusa was eventually killed by Perseus, one of Zeus heroic sons. Her superpower was simple gazers upon her face would turn to stone. He had built a wall around his fields, and protected them with a dragon. However, those myths which mention three women call them sisters, and say that the other two were punished simply because of Medusas transgressions. The venomous vipers of the Sahara were also sometimes said to have been born from Medusas blood. The Romans identified her with Minerva. Seeing claims that Athena saw Medusa in her temple and instead of catching her in the midst of consensual intercourse, she found Poseidon raping her. According to Ovid, this is what first got her into trouble: when Medusa slept with Poseidon in a temple of Athena, Athena turned her hair into snakes as a punishment. While much was written about the Perseus legend, modern historians and archeologists have been unable to uncover anything about the real Argive king. Atlas attempted to fight but saw her head and turned to stone. Perseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson. Also known as Phorkys, he lay with his sister Ceto. 02. of 12. Pindar, an early Greek poet who lived in the fifth century BCE, described Medusa as fair-cheeked.[7], In ancient art, Medusa was originally depicted as a hideous monster. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. While Athena, the goddess of women and knowledge, was often portrayed as holding a shield, the story of Perseus is the only surviving account of it being used. They also had another group of sisters called the Graeae who appeared in Prometheus Bound written by Aeschylus. Aeschylus: The fifth-century BCE tragedian Aeschylus evoked the uniquely terrifying Gorgons in several of his plays, including the Libation Bearers (1048ff), the Eumenides (46ff) and Prometheus Bound (788ff). Rhianna chose to dress as the Greek mythological figure when she dressed like her on the cover of GQ in 2013. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. Harrison further backed up her claims with a translation that said the horror did not come from the woman but that the horror gave birth to the woman. Athenas association with the acropolises of various Greek cities probably stemmed from the location of the kings palaces there. Link will appear as Medusa: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, February 7, 2017, Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Seriphus sent Perseus to return with her head, Medusa: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net. After their wedding, he headed to Seriphos for his mothers wedding. WebIn one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. Medusa is also a character in the first installment of Rick Riordans Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and is portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 2010 film adaptation. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. WebPerseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes. The A Roman cameo from the second or third century contains her head. The Helmet of Hades was also used by Athene in the battle of Troy and Hermes when he fought Hippolytus, the giant. In Egypt, there was a city called Khemmis, which Herodotus records had a temple to Perseus: The people of this Khemmis say that Perseus is seen often up and down this land, and often within the temple, and that the sandal he wears, which is four feet long, keeps turning up, and that when it does turn up, all Egypt prospers. When Elana Dkyewomon released a series of poems and short stories written by and for lesbians, she chose the Gorgon for the cover. Medusa is one of the most famous characters of Greek mythology. Alcmenes husband, the hero Amphitryon, was from an important family, too, also tracing his lineage to Perseus through his father, Alcaeus. Medusa or her Gorgon sisters appear in many video games and role-playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons, God of War, and Final Fantasy. Also in the Iliad, Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigns the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. Whether it is Pausanius or Apollodorus you read, the story is remarkably the same. The terrible monster beheaded by Perseus wasnt always so horrifying or deadly. He explained that when a man saw something frightening such as a naked woman, he associated it with his mother because it was his first experience with the female form. The flag and emblem of Sicily also features her head. Medusa With The Head of Perseus will be installed Monday and unveiled the following day in a park across from Manhattan Supreme Court, according to the group Herodotus names Perseus as the son of Danae but points out that it is unknown who his father may have been this compared to Heracles, whose father was Amphitryon. Polydectes had been abusing her. [1], Medusa and her sisters were called the Gorgons. Medusa also appears on television. 2022 Wasai LLC. Medusa was said to have once been a lover of Poseidon. All die, but few get to die at the hands of a hero. Priestesses took a vow of chastity and devoted their Unlike other creatures who were mortal, Medusa was mortal and capable of death. In the versions that name Perseus, the story is grim. We love art history and writing about it. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. For this Athena punished her hideously. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. When she eventually died, Athena took her body into the sky and made her a constellation. Art World The Artist Behind a (Very Questionable) Nude Public Statue of Medusa as a Feminist Avenger Defends His Work The monument has its fair share of Herodotus, Histories 2.91; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.52.4; Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6. Euripedes and Homer each only referred to a single Gorgon, Medusa. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name and protection. Andromeda had been left chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Gorgo. In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1 And having wedded Earth, he begat first the Hundred-handed, as they are Two species of snakes contain her name: the venomous pitviper Bothriopsis medusa and the nonvenomous snake called Atractus medusa. Hartland, Edwin. Angry at Perseus (instead of the gods that wished her to be sacrificed) he took up arms and started a great fight. In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusas blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgons severed head. Masar Group Perseus was eventually killed by Megapenthes, son of Proetus. The name Perseus is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "to destroy". Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. It ended with Perseus taking the Gorgon head from its bag and turning the entire Ethiopian army into stone. Webdigital intermediate producer: Technicolor (3D version) Jo Stedall post-production coordinator (as Jo Harrop) Dominic Thomson digital intermediate editor (as Dom Thomson) Allen Tracy stereo conform supervisor: Prime Focus World, Los Angeles Matthew Tucker first assistant editor The snakes were likely executed by a specialist, Frans Snyders, but the idea was Rubens. Perseus took the beautiful woman with him back to Argos. I know, its complicated. Through Mortal Bloodlines, Perseus was the Great-Grandfather of Helen of Troy. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). WebPerseus Origin and Meaning The name Perseus is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "to destroy". Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. When Perseus found the Gorgons, he used the helmet of invisibility to sneak up on Medusa. The goddess carried the womans head on her shield. The myth of Perseus slaying of Medusa is also described in the Shield of Heracles (220ff). Either way, Perseus was known for boasting and would not shame himself by returning empty-handed. In the view of the woman, From c. 200 B.C. She and her sisters were daughters of the primordial sea gods, Ceto and Phorcys. She is not only immortalized in stories but also in history. According to Greek mythology, Mycenaes story goes back to the hero Perseus, the demigod son of Zeus and Danae, who was said to have founded the city of Mycenae. He is best known in Greek mythology as the slayer of Medusa, one of three female creatures, or Gorgons, Omissions? Medusas Head is a study released in 1940 after Freuds death. He claimed that the story of her decapitation shared much in common with castration. For this insult, Perseus showed the severed head of Medusa, and the old Titan turned to stone.
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