Perseus Percy Jackson, is the main character of a popular YA book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Written by Rick Riordan, the series of books follows a modern story of a demi-god fighting to stop the Titans from taking over the world. Zeus came to her in the form of a s In one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. Her superpower was simple gazers upon her face would turn to stone. 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. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1937. Chrysaor also came from Medusa. Athena is associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the symbol of the city of Athens. She turned Medusa into an ugly creature by making her eyes bloodshot and raging and her face haglike. She was portrayed using stop motion animation in the 1981 film Clash of the Titans. Some ancient Greek art would depict all three gorgons as having serpentine hair, tusks like pigs, and big round heads. Euripedes and Homer each only referred to a single Gorgon, Medusa. This creature had a snake on the end of its tail and the body of a dragon. Medusa has made several appearances in modern pop culture. According to most sources, she had two sisters that lived alongside her. Origin: Greek. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians.This was the Golden Age, a time of peace when the Titan Kronos ruled over all others. It came out in 2013 as part of a limited edition series.-Many people use an image of her head because they believe it will protect them from others. Cixous urges women to use this story as a way to take back their own power and escape the control that men have over them. Born centuries after the first appearance of Medusa, Freud later used her in his psychoanalysis. See Marjorie J. Milne, "Perseus and Medusa on an Attic Vase," Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin (New Series) 4 (1946): 12630, at 126. Rather than die on the field, she was assassinated during the night. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Dohalice, which is a small village in the Czech Republic also uses her head in its coat of arms. After killing Medusa, Perseus used her severed head as a weapon, turning many of his enemies to stone. Pindar: Perseus battle with Medusa is described in Pythian Ode 12 (490 BCE). In post-Mycenaean times the city, especially its citadel, replaced the palace as Athenas domain. The nature and purpose of queer art is not something that can be answered with just one article. This interpretation goes on to say that the Three Fates were actually born with Themis in the sea and that they traveled with her to Mount Olympus to meet Zeus. There, he married Andromeda, and she would live to old age, giving Perseus many children. Pausanias, Description of Greece: A second-century CE travelogue; like Strabos Geography, an important source for local myths and customs. Many mythical features are assigned to Perseus within the ancient Greek legends, like the famous winged shoes of Hermes which allowed him to fly and the WebAcrisius Grandfather of Perseus. Legend says this is why so many of the desert areas in that region have so many snakes today. WebPerseus Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity IN THIS ARTICLE Perseus name popularity Popularity over time Similar names to Perseus Save to list See your list See Her profile is engraved on coins of the reign of Seleceus I Nicator of Syria from 312-280 B.C. While much was written about the Perseus legend, modern historians and archeologists have been unable to uncover anything about the real Argive king. During the 20th century, many looked at the tale of Medusa and how it relates to feminism. No female character, however, is perhaps as popular as Medusa, the monster who could turn men to stone with a single glance. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6, 5.12.2. 2. This is what they say; and their doings in honor of Perseus are Greek, inasmuch as they celebrate games that include every form of contest, and offer animals and cloaks and skins as prizes. Though Athena helped Perseus defect the woman, she knew the powers that her former head held. Perseus Digital Library. Her pure white milky skin turned a scary green hue. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Ancient Ethiopians considered Perseus and Andromeda the She went against her vow and married him. Zeus. Interestingly, in all other cultures, including Hebrew and Arabic, it is a head (sometimes Ras Al-gol or demons head). A tepidarium from the Roman era has a mosaic floor with her head at the center. He claimed that the story of her decapitation shared much in common with castration. The Romans identified her with Minerva. Apollodorus, Library: A mythological handbook from the first century BCE or the first few centuries CE. However, classical and renaissance artists loved depicting the creature being ridden by the better-known hero, so the two myths are often confused. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. When Ovid wrote her story in Metamopheses, he claimed that she was born beautiful before becoming a snake-haired creature and retained her looks over the years. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. In feminism Medusa is known as a symbol of rage even though she was originally exceedingly beautiful. All Rights Reserved. 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. Michelangelo and Picasso are just two of the famous artists who created work based on her. Legend says while she was there baby snakes dropped from her head and this is why there are plenty of snakes in Africa. [2] The composition proved to be one of the most important of Canovas career. On his way home, Perseus came upon Andromeda, a beautiful woman embedded into a rock on the shore. According to another tale, Perseus lived to old age, founding the city of Tartus and teaching the magi of Persia. She claimed that Medusa was the ultimate guardian and protectress of women. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. When Andromedas former fianc Phineus attacked him, Perseus killed him, too, using Medusas head. This root also appears in other Greek names, including Medea, Medon, and Diomedes. Ovid: The myths of Medusa and her killer Perseus are described in Books 4 and 6 of the epic Metamorphoses (ca. Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1515; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.770; Lucan, Civil War 9.820. Now she is in heaven with the other great women, like Elektra, my mother Maia, and your mother Semele., Dionysus calmed and let Perseus live. Together with Zeus, Themis bore the Horae, or the goddesses of the seasons. Essentially urban and civilized, Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess later taken over by the Greeks. Proteus was the brother of Acrisius (Perseus grandfather) and their own war had lasted decades. Medusa was a beautiful young woman, a virgin priestess of the goddess Athena. Two species of snakes contain her name: the venomous pitviper Bothriopsis medusa and the nonvenomous snake called Atractus medusa. She claimed that they shamed her for sleeping with one of their members. She claimed that Medusa was the only real Gorgon and that her sisters were mere additions to her story. Perseus hunted the King down and showed him the head of the Gorgon literally. [26], Other authors believed the Gorgons were an ancient race of wild, hairy women. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name and protection. From then on, all who looked upon her were turned to stone. Medusa had promised to keep her chastity in honor of her deity, and took this vow seriously. The terrible monster beheaded by Perseus wasnt always so horrifying or deadly. 1 According to Hesiod ( Hes. She was particularly known as the patroness of spinning and weaving. New York: Routledge, 2008. This shows that the island has protection from Athena. 3 vols. These children of Poseidon would go on to have their own stories in Greek mythology. Hercules then went to Tegea and met with Sterope who was the daughter of Cepheus. [17], After Medusa was killed, her two children by Poseidon were born from her blood. After their wedding, he headed to Seriphos for his mothers wedding. Her parents agreed. In Ovids telling, Perseus describes Medusas punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. Half,brother and great,grandfather of Heracles, son of Nestor and Eurydice (or Anaxibia) who appears in Homer's The Odyssey, main character in Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, and a main character in The Heroes of Olympus series, both by Rick Riordan. In House of the Faun from 200 BC, she appears on the plate worn by Alexander the Great. Kapach, A. Just as Andromeda had told Perseus her tale, the monster rose from the waters. Accessed on 28 Apr. In the Iliad, Athena is the divine form of the heroic, martial ideal: she personifies excellence in close combat, victory, and glory. Athena gave Perseus a shield with mirrors to deflect Medusas gaze, while Hades helped him remain invisible to her. It is said he was killed because of the death of Proetus. According to author Jane Ellen Harrison, Medusas power came from her head and anyone who carried it gained that power. There are three different ways you can cite this article. According to the best-known traditions, the Hesperides were daughters of the Titan Atlas. Garber, Marjorie, and Nancy Vickers. 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. Perseus was gone before they ever understood what had happened. Medusa. Mythopedia, 11 Mar. In later artwork, she appears as a more beautiful woman. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power. When Perseus arrived, he forced her to look into the shield and see her reflection, which turned her to stone. Representing the intellectual and civilized side of war, she is the divine form of the heroic, martial ideal and personifies excellence in close combat, victory, and glory. Dionysus could not be turned to stone, however. This phenomenon can be viewed yearly in early August and is the result of the path of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: 3. While the books are filled with characters and tropes from Greek mythology, they are original tales set in modern times. She is immediately recognizable, a classical figure and an exciting symbol of a monster. 1 And having wedded Earth, he begat first the Hundred-handed, as they are According to some tellings of the myth, Perseus turned all the kings soldiers and even the entire island to stone. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. As for Ariadne, be happy. Most legends claim that the hero Perseus killed her with help from Hermes and others. When Perseus found the Gorgons, he used the helmet of invisibility to sneak up on Medusa. In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusas blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgons severed head. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat. Medusas other child was Pegasus, the beautiful winged horse. Pegasus, the famous horse with wings, arose from her dead body. Poseidon took special interest in her, and one day came down to Athenas shrine and raped the poor woman. In one of his poems, Pindar applied the epithet euparaos (fair-cheeked) to Medusa. However, Atlas also remembered the sayings of an Oracle, as told by Themis. The bronze tower has a single door at its base, which is guarded day and night, and at the top is a room fit for a princess, and one which Danae effectively finds herself a prisoner in. Versace still uses a log of a woman with terrifying features and serpents coming from her head as its brand logo. She was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. deTraci Regula. In this way, no man would ever wish to look upon the woman again. Pausanias, in his Description of Greece, offers a historical version of Medusa that may be worth mentioning. Atlas immediately turned to stone, thus becoming the Atlas Mountains. Unfortunately for Acrisius, the oracles prophesy eventually came true. Euryale could leap with ease, while Stheno was stronger than her sisters. Blame Hera. The serpentine locks of Medusas hair had an effect very similar to that of the head: while they did not necessarily turn people to stone, they could scatter entire armies. 1 And having wedded Earth, he begat first the Hundred-handed, as they are named: Briareus, Gyes, Cottus, who were unsurpassed in size and might, each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads. Here are just three great ones for you to use. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. Fans of Percy Jackson & the Olympians will find that she pops up in both the original book and the film based on the book. She also gave birth to Natura, a goddess of the forest. WebThe Perseus Digital Library is a partner and supporter of Open Greek and Latin, an international collaboration committed to creating an open educational resource featuring Hold on to your broomstick as we fly through time to check out the delicious and diabolical witch in art history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. No human-made weapon could pierce the armor of the great blacksmith, and only a weapon he made himself had a chance the sword of Hephaestus. WebPerseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes. The man who stole her mask then used the story to frighten others. Many considered the princess as the worlds most beautiful woman. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. According to Athenaeus, a Greek author who lived during the late second and early third centuries CE, the Gorgons were long-haired beasts, so terrifying that all who looked upon them were paralyzed and killed. From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology. According to the seventh-century BCE poet Hesiod, they could be found beyond glorious Ocean in the frontier land towards Night.[2] Later sources, however, usually placed them in Libya. Much later, Geryon was killed by Heracles. In Homers Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. March 08, 2023. They lived together in a remote part of the world. As she traveled, some of the serpents in her hair fell to the ground and slid away. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. Homer never named Medusa in the Odyssey but did talk about a monsters head that Hades could send o Persephone. It is only those interested in the stars that may see the name appear commonly, and that is because there is a very famous constellation named after the Argive king. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. Nemesis: Greek Goddess of Divine Retribution, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: The Complete List from Aboriginals to Incans, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. The men who saw Medusa were so terrified of her beauty that it left them mute and unable to speak. In Herodotus Histories, we learn the most about the mortal Perseus, his possible family, and the role his heritage might have played in ancient wars. Pseudo-Hyginus states, By Joves [Zeus] will, it was borne to the island of Seriphos, and when the fisherman Dictys found it and broke it open, he discovered the mother and child. 1. Numerous analyses have made us familiar with the occasion for this: it occurs when a boy, who has hitherto been unwilling to believe the threat of castration, catches sight of the female genitals, probably those of an adult, surrounded by hair, and essentially those of his mother. Dionysios Skytobrachion wrote about her during the second century and claimed that she both lived and died in an area of Libya. Others think that her story likely had roots in historical facts. Danae was the firstborn child of King Acrisius, and he was concerned that he would not have a son to take over his kingdom. It featured a drawing of Medusa on the cover and a story inside about how women can grow when they learn how to use and control their rage. Learn more about our mission. In most ancient sources, Medusa and the Gorgons were imbued with a terrifying appearance. While flying over the vast land, Perseus noticed a woman of astonishing beauty standing naked with her hands bound on a rock. Indian modernists have been vanguards of shaping the narrative of Indian art in the modern world. The Helmet of Hades was one of the gifts of the Cyclopes to the young Olympian gods when they first fought the Titans in the Titanomachy. The two had three daughters, including Euryale and Stheno. Medusas blood caused the seaweed to harden and become beautiful coral.[20]. WebIo (/ a. He made armor for Heracles and Achilles, arrows for Appolo and Artemis, and an Aigis (or goat-skin breastplate) for Zeus. According to Hesiod, Theogony 33335. This star is approximately 92 light years from earth. 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. Th. They believe that there were events the occurred and that the Greeks simply created a new version of the event. Athena, insulted that Medusa was no longer a virgin, punished her by turning her into a monster. Today, many surviving bronze shields from ancient antiquity are carved with the Gorgons head as a warning for all who face the wielder. H. G. Evelyn-White. Mythopedia. He would then marry the princess, Leda. Perseus took the beautiful woman with him back to Argos. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus got help. Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828ff; Eustathius on Homers Odyssey 12.85; scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828; scholia on Platos Republic 9, 588c. Sterope used the hair to defend the city and keep it safe. The BBC One series Atlantis (20132015) features Medusa before she became a monster. An alternative story was that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.55. Perseus flew into the air like an ancient superhero, drew his sword, and dived at the creature. There is no evidence that Poseidon was angry about this action, however, and the god appears to play no other role in the story of the Grecian hero. Athena removed a lock of the womans hair and gave it to Hercules. (2023, March 11). After her death, Perseus immediately left to fight Atlas. The coat of arms of the Dohalice village from the Czech Republic depicts Medusas head. 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. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians. The Gorgon came out in 1964 and was a Hammer film that told a modern version of her story. To make Athena look better, some stories claim that Perseus never gave her Medusas head. 837; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.653ff. She also appeared in the 2010 remake as a monster with a serpentine lower body. Caravaggio painted two versions of Medusa, the first in 1596 and the other around 1597. Medusa herself had a chilling face topped with serpents that sprang from her hair. Some say that Zeus and Themis created the Three Fates, or the Morai, while others say they already existed and even attended their divine wedding ceremony. It is said that the priestesses of Chorea, women who followed Dionysus, were slaughtered by Perseus and his followers and dumped into a communal grave. Heracles was the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a mortal woman named Alcmene. Its hard to tell anything about this Medusa painting other than what you see. For standing by their sibling, she did the same to the other two gorgons. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. All die, but few get to die at the hands of a hero. When the king turned to the Gods, they agreed to help as they worried about what the creature could do. How Did Perseus Save Andromeda From The Sea Monster? She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. 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. Legend claims the was a giant who carried a golden sword. And anyone who looked upon the head, even after it was removed, would turn to stone. Accessed May 1, 2023. Her superiority also derives in part from the vastly greater variety and importance of her functions and from the patriotism of Homers predecessors, Ares being of foreign origin. He took them to King Polydectes [his brother], who married Danae and brought up Perseus in the temple of Minerva [Athena].. Perseus had been sent to fetch Medusas head by Polydectes, a cruel king who wished to have Perseus out of the way so he could marry his mother, Danae. 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. O Atlas, the oracle said, mark the day a son of Zeus shall come to spoil; for when thy trees been stripped of golden fruit, the glory shall be his. Worried that this son was Perseus, Atlas was always careful. In the versions that name Perseus, the story is grim. She may not have been described as a virgin originally, but virginity was attributed to her very early and was the basis for the interpretation of her epithets Pallas and Parthenos. London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. She inspired three of Phidiass sculptural masterpieces, including the massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Athena Parthenos once housed in the Parthenon; and in Aeschyluss dramatic tragedy Eumenides she founded the Areopagus (Athenss aristocratic council), and, by breaking a deadlock of the judges in favour of Orestes, the defendant, she set the precedent that a tied vote signified acquittal. Several authors working on a book interviewed hundreds of women to find out what they knew about the myth. According to Ovid, as Perseus traveled back to Polydectes, he stopped in the lands of Atlas. Polyidus, frag. Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just Acrisius, not knowing his grandson was present and not being careful as a spectator, was struck by one of these discs and died instantly. When she eventually died, Athena took her body into the sky and made her a constellation. o /; Ancient Greek: ) was, in Greek mythology, one of the mortal lovers of Zeus.An Argive princess, she was an ancestor of many kings and heroes, such as Perseus, Cadmus, Heracles, Minos, Lynceus, Cepheus, and Danaus.The astronomer Simon Marius named a moon of Jupiter after Io in 1614.. Because her brother was Phoroneus, Io is also
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