When was the myth of Medusa created and how?

Perhaps the most famous example of Medusa in art in antiquity was the Athena Parthenos statue from the Parthenon which was made by Phidias and described by Pausanias. This statue of Athena depicts a Gorgon's face on the goddess' breastplate. read more

The earliest known record about the myth of Medusa and the Gorgons can be found in Hesiod’s Theogony. According to this ancient author, the three sisters, Sthenno, Euryale and Medusa were the children of Phorcys and Ceto, and lived “beyond famed Oceanus at the world’s edge hard by Night”. read more

Until one day Medusa and her friends went to the Parthenon. It was Medusa's first time going to the Parthenon. The Parthenon was the biggest temple in Greece. In the Parthenon was the goddess of wisdom and that was Athena. There was statues of most of the gods and goddesses in the Greek culture. read more

Some versions of the myth say that Poseidon engaged in sexual intercourse with Medusa in the temple. Nevertheless, they were getting cozy when Athena saw them. She thought it was mortally disrespectful, and turned Medusa into the gorgon she is now. read more