Digital Maps of the Ancient World

Gorgons

Imagine three terrifying sisters – Sthenno, the Mighty; Euryale, the Far Springer; and Medusa, the most infamous, though curiously mortal. All were winged daemons, their forms a horrifying fusion of woman and beast. Serpents, alive and writhing, replaced their hair, their faces twisted into permanent snarls.

An archaic Gorgon, c. 580 BC, as depicted on a pediment from the temple of Artemis in Corfu. Archaeological Museum of Corfu. (c) Dr. K

Parents: Phorcys and Ceto
Siblings: The Graeae

Medusa

Cursed by Athena for a transgression within the sacred temple, her beauty transformed into horror. Snakes writhed in place of her hair, and her gaze petrified any who dared to look directly upon her.

Mosaic with Head of Medusa. Museum of Sousse. (c) Ad Meskens

King Polydectes, a tyrant with a cruel whim, sent the young hero Perseus to vanquish this terror. Armed with divine gifts – a mirrored shield to reflect her deadly gaze, winged boots for swift travel, and a helm granting invisibility – Perseus embarked on his perilous quest. He reached Medusa’s lair, a place shrouded in dread, and with a well-timed strike, severed her head. From the gushing wound sprang forth two incredible beings – the magnificent winged horse Pegasus and the mighty giant Chrysaor.