A gaze that turned men to stone, hair of living serpents – and the young hero who defeated her with the help of the gods. Here is the story of Medusa and Perseus, one of the most dramatic tales of Greek mythology.
Who was Medusa?
Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea deities Phorcys and Ceto, and the only mortal among her sisters. In the most famous version of her story, told by the Roman poet Ovid, she was once a beautiful maiden and priestess of Athena. After she was violated by Poseidon in Athena's temple, the goddess transformed her: her hair became writhing serpents and her gaze turned anyone who looked at her to stone. Many modern readers see her as a victim as much as a monster.
In art Medusa appears as a terrifying face with snakes for hair – the Gorgoneion – placed on shields, armour, temples and door knockers to ward off evil. Later, from the Renaissance onwards, she was often shown with a beautiful, tragic face.
Perseus, son of Zeus
Perseus was the son of Zeus and the princess Danaë. Danaë's father, warned that his grandson would kill him, locked mother and baby in a wooden chest and cast it into the sea. They washed up on the island of Seriphos, where Perseus grew up. The island's king, who wanted to marry Danaë, sent the young man on an impossible quest: to bring back the head of Medusa.
Gifts from the gods
The gods came to Perseus' aid. Athena gave him a polished bronze shield to use as a mirror; Hermes gave him winged sandals and a curved sword that could cut through the Gorgon's neck; and the nymphs gave him a magic bag and the helmet of invisibility of Hades. Perseus found the Gorgons asleep, and – looking only at Medusa's reflection in the shield – cut off her head. From her body sprang the winged horse Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor.
Andromeda and the sea monster
Flying home, Perseus saw the princess Andromeda chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster sent by Poseidon. He killed the monster – in some versions by showing it Medusa's head – and married Andromeda. Back on Seriphos, he turned the wicked king to stone and gave Medusa's head to Athena, who placed it on her shield, the aegis.
Medusa and Perseus in art and in your home
Benvenuto Cellini's bronze Perseus with the Head of Medusa in Florence is one of the masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture, and Medusa's face has become a powerful symbol of protection and of female strength – even a famous fashion logo. A Medusa head or a Perseus statue makes a striking piece for a hallway, study or library; a Medusa door knocker continues the ancient tradition of guarding the entrance.
Related gods
Read the stories of Athena, Hermes, Hades and Zeus, who helped Perseus, and of Poseidon. Browse all the gods in our Greek Mythology collection.
