The real Story about Medusa

 MEDUSA WAS A R∆PE SURVIVOR 

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Medusa was a victim of sexual violence and the story you know turned her into a villain.

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Medusa is one of the most recognizeable characters in Greek mythology. With her unmistakable snake hair and the power to turn whoever looks at it into stone, she is one of the most notorious monsters in ancient stories.

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But there’s a part of their story that not everyone knows that will completely change your perspective.

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Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters. Unlike Esteno and Euriale, she was the only mortal in the family.

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Ovid was a Roman poet considered to be one of the most important in Latin literature and was also one of the first to write the tale of how the mythological being became a terrible creature.

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According to Ovid's tale, Medusa was a beautiful young woman and Poseidon wished her for himself. The god of the seas attacked and raped her inside a temple dedicated to Athena.

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The goddess Athena took this attack as an offense, but rather than punish Poseidon, she punished the woman by giving her snakes instead of hair and with the curse of turning anyone looking at into stone.

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After that chapter, comes the most popular: the one where Perseus kills the "terrible" Medusa. King Polydectes was in love with Danae, the mother of Perseus.

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Perseus did not approve of this relationship because he considered the sovereign lacked honor. To get rid of the son, Polydectes commanded him to get the head of the gorgon.

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As the Metropolitan Museum of Art points out, the gods helped Perseus in his mission and gave him gifts to ensure his victory. A key piece in her triumph was the polished shield of Athena, which allowed her to approach Medusa and avoid her dangerous gaze.

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When Perseus beheaded her, from her neck sprouted the giant Crisaor and winged horse Pegasus. Both are considered to be Poseidon's children, which means they were the product of a rape and Medusa was pregnant when she was murdered.

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It's not unusual news that Greek mythology is plagued with accounts of abuse and violence, but it's tragic that Medusa is still remembered as a monster when her only "crime" was to be the object of Poseidon's lustful violence.