Medusa Gorgon
Medusa is the best-known Gorgon and the only mortal one in the classical tradition. Her gaze turned living beings to stone, and Perseus' victory over her became one of the major heroic stories of Greek mythology. After her head was cut off, Pegasus and Chrysaor sprang from her blood.
In art the head of Medusa, the gorgoneion, became an independent protective sign. It appeared on shields, armour, vessels, architectural details and jewellery. The image changed from a terrifying archaic face to the more human and tragic figure of later antiquity.
Falera with Medusa. Rome. Silver,gold,bronze. 100-225 ADPerseus and the Gorgons
Perseus defeats Medusa not by brute force alone, but with the help of Athena, Hermes and special objects. The story therefore joins heroism, divine aid and the dangerous gaze.
Additional sources and visual checks
Medusa matters not only as a figure in the Perseus myth but also as a protective sign on weapons, ornaments and architecture. The gallery shows the move from narrative figure to apotropaic image.
For source checks: - Beazley Archive - LIMC online - Getty Museum collection
Related topics
Falera with Medusa. Rome. Silver,gold,bronze. 100-225 AD
Glass phalera with medusa's head,mid-1st century AD,Sasson Ancient Art Gallery,Jerusalem,Israel.
An Amazon wearing a helmet and carrying a shield with the head of Medusa Gorgon on it. State Historical Museum of Berlin. 510-500 BC
Greek bronze thorax, decorated with a Gorgon's relief. The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, 6th-5th century BCE Interested in Ancient Rome beyond reading? Join Legio X Fretensis or explore our reenactment directions. Reenactment
