Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Version labels for answers. Linked Related Hot Network Questions. Question feed. Accept all cookies Customize settings. The circular shape and protective qualities of her countenance also lend themselves to jewelry; she appears on earrings, pendants, and rings The Gorgon is also reproduced on armor.
More commonly, the gorgoneion is the central motif on the aegis of Athena. Depictions of the goddess in both vase painting The most renowned sculpture of Athena, the gold and ivory Athena Parthenos that once stood in the Parthenon, included two gorgoneia: one on her aegis and one on her shield.
The presence of Medusa on armor reinforces the idea that her presence held significant power to protect the wearer against enemies. The gorgoneion is not the only artistic representation of Medusa; she is also shown in scenes illustrating the adventures of Perseus.
A monumental example of this type is the central decoration of the early sixth-century B. Temple of Artemis on Corfu, though interestingly this depiction leaves out Perseus and the beheading. Other scenes display the moment before the killing. A metope from Temple C at Selinunte depicts such a tableau and includes Athena, who stands by the hero to guide him.
In later illustrations from the fifth century B. Here is a rare instance of a nonfrontal, nonstaring Medusa; in sleep, the threat of her power is canceled. Indeed, she is portrayed as a peacefully sleeping human figure—only her wings suggest that she is a supernatural creature.
Some scenes include the other Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, pursuing Perseus after he has beheaded Medusa. One example, on an early seventh-century B. The Gorgons are often represented in this running pose, known as knielauf , on pottery The legends of the Gorgons cast them as foreign others living outside of the known Greek world and horrific beings to be feared and ultimately vanquished.
Archaic depictions are monstrous and inexplicable—the Gorgon seems to be both male and female, both human and animal. The sixth-century B. Classical and Hellenistic images of Medusa are more human, but she retains a sense of the unknown through specific supernatural details such as wings and snakes.
These later images may have lost the gaping mouth, sharp teeth, and beard, but they preserve the most striking quality of the Gorgon: the piercing and unflinching outward gaze. Her very presence is foreign, dangerous, and potent, as are her specific characteristics. In the Odyssey , her head was kept in Hades to drive the living from the world of the dead.
The Perseus myth provides us with the phenomenon that her face and gaze could turn men to stone. Perseus and Athena were required to control such threatening forces and harness their power. This harness was taken up by ancient Greek artists, who represented the Gorgon across all periods and in all media. Medusa is a deadly and cryptic other, but she is also ubiquitous, with an undeniable energy that inspired artists to repeat her semblance and story in diverse ways across literature, lore, and art through ancient Greece, Rome, and beyond.
Glennon, Madeleine. Belson, Janer Danforth. Childs, William A. Michael Padgett, pp. Princeton: Princeton University Press, Danner, Peter. Krauskopf, Ingrid. Zurich: Artemis, Mack, Rainer. According to the design house, it was chosen because she represents beauty, art, and philosophy. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.
Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Regula, deTraci. Top Special Animals in Greek Mythology. Poseidon's Loves and Their Children.
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