Monster Created by Patriarchal Mythology: Medusa

Hello dear Ancient History readers. In this article, we will explore how we have misunderstood Medusa and delve into how her character has been misrepresented. I will discuss how her story is overshadowed by the games of the gods and share insights into a new retelling book in the style of Madeline Miller.

Additionally, there's an upcoming retelling book in the spirit of Madeline Miller that I'll mention in the article. Medusa is a character loved by some and hated by others. Let's see which side you'll be on by the end of the article. Let's get started.

Who is Medusa?

Medusa is one of the three children of Phorcys and Ceto, known as the "Gorgons" in ancient Greek mythology. In Ancient Greek, the name Medusa means "to protect or preserve" (you'll understand the significance of this name in the continuation of the article). Medusa has two sisters, Stheno and Euryale. Two of the Gorgon sisters are said to be immortal. Now, can you guess which sister is mortal? Well, the lottery has struck Medusa. But we can consider this as the smallest prize she won.


Although it is said that Euryale is the eldest and Stheno is the middle sister among the Gorgon sisters, they are not actually sisters. Zeus declared them as sisters because they exhibited similar characteristics. In some myths, it is mentioned that Euryale is the sister of the Earth goddess Gaia and Medusa is actually the daughter of Gaia. (I discard this option in my mind, thinking that if they were so closely related to Gaia, they should have been much more powerful.)

According to mythology, Medusa is renowned for her legendary beauty, so much so that there is said to be no woman more beautiful than her on Earth. Some sources describe the other Gorgon sisters as monstrous in appearance. Therefore, Medusa stands out with her beauty. All women envy her, attracting the attention of many gods naturally.

Poseidon, Medusa, and Athena

Medusa, along with her sisters, resides in a temple dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and war, Athena. In addition to dedicating herself to the gods, she has also taken a vow of chastity. However, Medusa's beauty captures the attention of the sea god Poseidon. Poseidon is truly enchanted by Medusa's beauty. Unable to resist, Poseidon, in a blatant act of disrespect, has relations with Medusa in Athena's temple. (According to some sources, Athena and Poseidon are married at this time, while others claim they are in constant conflict and secretly have feelings for each other.)


So, whatever the gods do, they somehow manage to get away with it, right? But this is a whole new level. Betrayal and disrespect to the goddess of wisdom? And in her own temple, no less. (I almost feel sorry for Poseidon.) Thus, Poseidon has forever made the goddess of wisdom his enemy. Athena does everything in her power to make his life difficult. (Did he make a water fountain just to be chosen as the protective god for the capital of Greece? Bam! Athena responds with an olive tree. And if, just out of spite, she didn't want the city to be named after her, well, I don't know anything.)

Let's get back to Medusa. Meanwhile, poor Medusa continues to stay in the temple. Upon learning of the incident, Athena, unfortunately, decides to take out her anger on Medusa by transforming her and her sisters into hideous creatures with snake hair. Not satisfied with this, Athena curses Medusa so that anyone who looks into her eyes will turn into stone. Then, she banishes her to the northernmost part of the world, Hyperborea.

Athena's Revenge: Perseus

We've read enough mythology to know that Athena's anger won't be appeased by just these actions, haven't we? Athena collaborates with Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, the daughter of the King of Argos, to kill Medusa. Athena gives Perseus a shield with a mirror-like surface and warns him not to look directly into Medusa's eyes. Perseus also receives help from Zeus and other gods. He receives winged sandals from Hermes, an invisibility cap from Hades, and a sword from Hephaestus. (Yes, he's got some fancy friends.) With these aids, Perseus manages to cut off Medusa's head. However, there's something no one knows. Medusa is pregnant with Poseidon, and when her head is cut off, Pegasus and Chrysaor emerge from her lifeless body. (Yes, the famous Pegasus was born this way.) Athena decides to make these two siblings, born of the sea god Poseidon, her slaves.


Perseus, taking Medusa's head as a trophy, uses it multiple times on his way home, still possessing the power to turn things to stone. Here are some instances:

1. Perseus encounters the Titan Atlas on the road, and they start arguing because Atlas refuses to let him rest in his shadow. In response, Perseus uses Medusa's head to turn Atlas into stone, thus giving rise to the Atlas Mountains.
2. Later on the journey, Perseus meets Andromeda (the daughter of King Cepheus). When Andromeda is about to be sacrificed, Perseus uses Medusa's head to save her and takes her with him.
3. When Perseus returns home, he saves his mother by turning the King of Argos, who was attempting to forcibly marry her, into stone.
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Finally, Perseus returns the shield and Medusa's head to Athena. Athena, in turn, attaches the terrifying head to her shield and uses it as a weapon. (See: The Curse of the Titan, Thalia Grace's shield)

Medusa's Place in Art

Medusa's head has been depicted in various helmets and shields throughout history. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Gorgon face was used in Roman chest armor, mosaics, and even ship beams during the Roman period. Temples and mosaics built also feature depictions of Medusa. The belief was that these representations protected people from evil. Yet, poor Medusa couldn't even protect herself...


One of the most famous ancient examples of Medusa is in the Athena Parthenos statue at the Parthenon. In this statue, Medusa's face is depicted on the goddess's chest armor. (Percy Jackson readers are probably smirking knowingly right now, yes, I know.)

In our country, Medusa figures can be found in the Temple of Apollo in Didyma and the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. Medusa statues were intended to be used in the construction of the Temple of Apollo, but since the temple was never completed, many Medusa figures remained unfinished and have reached us in this way.

You can also see Medusa featured in the paintings of many famous artists such as Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens. Well, it seems like even after death, Medusa can't catch a break.

Natalie Haynes's Medusa Retelling: Stone Blind

Now, let's talk about the book. Natalie Haynes is a writer who often focuses on mythology and mythological retellings. Last year, Epsilon Yayımları published her book called "Bin Gemi." Earlier this year, İthaki Yayınları announced that they would translate her book "Children of Jocasta."


Natalie Haynes's new book, "Stone Blind," will be released on September 15th. In the book, we will witness a retelling of Medusa's life, with the interesting twist that for much of the story, Medusa is actually dead. This is because the book explores the aftermath of Medusa's encounter with Perseus. I'm very curious about how the author will handle this part of the story.

I'll leave you with her comment on the book: "This is the story of how a young woman becomes a monster. And yet, never stops being a monster."

We have always known her as the villain with snake hair. Legends, told from a patriarchal perspective, never hesitated to vilify women. We never bothered to wonder about Medusa's life before the curse. We only saw her as the antagonist in myths. Luckily, things are changing now.

Thank you for reading.

If you liked my article, please don't hesitate to like and comment.

Additionally, you can check out my other articles:

https://www.bulbapp.io/p/b4915b1b-8bb2-431c-9226-b83bb28a3b77/the-heart-of-antique-science-the-library-of-alexandria

https://www.bulbapp.io/p/71602298-2d07-473a-b296-33a83ce2d880/ancient-games

https://www.bulbapp.io/p/cc7d6b9c-019f-4691-83e9-a169c8a183af/viking-mythology

https://www.bulbapp.io/p/e2076816-c009-4984-ba74-f6659506a2ba/music-in-platos-world