Medusa Athena
feeling thought
crazy rational
cyclical linear
circular hierarchical
chaos order
dark light
death life
old new
ugly beautiful
mortal immortal
slut virgin
beastial civilized
nature city
earth heaven
left right
degraded honored
bad good
[2] Encyclopedia of Classical Literature
Gorgon Medusa:
- mortal daughter among immortal sisters; Stheno and Euryale.
daughters of Ceto,(mother), and Phorcus,(father): (Hesiods'
Theog. 275; Apollodorous. vol. 2.49; Pausanaias. 10.26.9)
some say her father was Sthenelus: (Apollod. vol. 1.167), or Priam
-as queen she reigned at Lake Tritonis in Libya where she hunted
and led troops into battle: (Paus.)
-robbed of her virginity by Posiedon: (Ovid's Metam.)
-given snakes for hair by Athena: (Ovid's Metam.)
-said to have rivalled Athena in beauty: (Apollod. vol. 1.161)
-beheaded by Perseus: (ibid)
-Gorgon sisters pursue him: (ibid)
- mother of Pegasus, (a militant winged steed) and Chrysaor, (a
giant with golden sword), some say with Poseidon's seed
-head turns Iodama, Polydictes and others to stone: (Apollod. vol.
1.161; Paus. 9.34.2, and Aristophones' Heracles)
-head given to Athena, wrought onto Zeus's shield and her aegis:
(Apollod. vol. 1.161, Paus. 5.10.4-12.4)
-her blood used by Asclepius, left of serpents to kill or of her
vein on right to heal and give life, making him a great healer:
(Apollod. vol. 2.17)
-Medusa's hair guards Tegea against capture by enemies
-gilt head of Gorgon Medusa on Acropolis wall and her
appearences at other sacred sites: (Paus. Des. of Greece)
-she is threatened by Herakles in Hades: (Apollod. vol. 1.235)
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