The Myths Of Ancient Greece. Who killed the Gorgon (Medusa)

Myths of Ancient Greece had an enormous influence on the formation of European literature, and for scholars these works are a collective of folk art to this day are a source of knowledge of the evolution of human psychology. In addition, they are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists, poets and musicians. In particular, many painters of the Renaissance were painted canvases on the theme of the myth in which Perseus kills the Gorgon Medusa.

The Myths: getting started

According to the myths of Ancient Greece, first in the Universe existed only Skotos, who personified Darkness. Then came the Chaos. Together, they gave birth to Night, Darkness and Love (Nikto, erebos and Eros).

These are the main gods became the parents of Earth and Sky (Gaia and Uranus) and also of the deities representing the elements, hecatoncheir, the titans and the titanid. Belonged to Rhea and Kronos, from which the Olympian gods. The last are the main characters of ancient Greek myths and gave a large posterity, including the demigods and semi-godesses, in which the divine nature was combined with a human.

Olympus

The Ancient Greeks believed that their main deities live on the highest mountain of the country, the top of which is always shrouded in clouds. Real Olympus is located in the North-East of modern Greece, and in ancient times along the ridge of this mountain range was the border with Macedonia. Lived there:

• The Supreme God Zeus — Lord of the sky, lightning and thunder - and his wife Hera, patron of marriage and of family love;
• The Lord of the underworld, Hades;
• The goddess of agriculture and fertility Demeter;
• Lord of the sea Poseidon;
• The goddess of the hearth Hestia.

Then the God-father Zeus begot 4 sons and 3 daughters, joined the ranks of the Olympian gods. They were Athena, Ares, Persephone, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis and Dionysus.

Recommended

"Knowledge is light and ignorance is darkness": the value, meaning and alternatives

There are some sayings that would seem to need no explanation, such as “teaching & ndash; light and ignorance – darkness”. But some still do not understand their meaning. But not only for such people is written by our article. I...

What was invented by Mendeleev for the army. The history and fate of the invention

D. I. Mendeleev was a brilliant Russian scientist-polymath, who made many important discoveries in various fields of science and technology. Many people know that he is the author of “Fundamentals of chemistry" and the periodic law of chem...

The origin of the Slavs. The influence of different cultures

Slavs (under this name), according to some researchers, appeared in the story only in 6 century ad. However, the language of nationality bears the archaic features of the Indo-European community. This, in turn, suggests that the origin of the Slavs h...

Demigods

The Olympians, and the extremely rare and sweatshirts, did not hesitate to enter into a love relationship with mortals. It is from this love happened the demigods Achilles, Hercules, Jason, Hector, Plop, Theseus, Orpheus, Bellerophon, Odysseus, Voroney, Aeneas, and Perseus. The latter was the one who killed the Gorgon Medusa and freed the beautiful Andromeda. All the demigods were heroes possessing supernatural powers, which they often used, coming to the aid of others. Thus, unlike their fathers, they were mortal.

From whom did Perseus-the hero that killed Medusa, the Gorgon

Remember how in the tale of Tsar Saltan the Queen with the baby put in the barrel pitched and thrown into the water? So this is the plot of Pushkin borrowed from the myth of the hero Perseus. It was thought that the young man's father was Zeus himself who had entered the tower to the daughter of the king of Argos Acrisius Danae as a Golden rain. The grandfather of Perseus once predicted the death of his grandson, so he did not hesitate to get rid of the Princess and her newborn son by placing them in a box and thrown in the sea at the mercy of Poseidon.

Medusa-Gorgona

This maid is a monster that turns all living things to stone with that look, was one of the three Gorgons — daughters of the sea deities Keto and Force. She was exceptionally beautiful, so in love with her, Poseidon. He chose to comfort the Athena temple, thereby profaning the sanctuary. The wrath of a vengeful goddess knew no bounds, and she turned Medusa into a monster. The unhappy maiden is hated around the world and moved to a lonely island, where waiting for the travellers, who were turned into stone statues. Her sisters followed her and turned themselves into terrible monsters. However, they are not possessed of terrible strength.

Fight with the Gorgon

According to the myth, Perseus was brought up in the house Diktisa. His brother fell in love with the hero's mother, leased, and decided to get rid of her son. He sent the young man behind the head of the Gorgon Medusa, however, Athena was sponsored by Perseus, and Hermes and Hades gave him winged sandals, a sickle and a helmet of invisibility.

On the advice of the celestials the young man first visited the three gray sisters, who at three was one eye. Perseus stole it and gave it back only after they showed him the way to the island of Gorgon. Upon arriving to the home of Medusa, the young man entered the fray, during which did not look at her, and the reflection in the mirror shield. He managed to cut off the head of the monster Adamantine sickle, and on the advice of Athena, he hid it in the bag. Sisters of Medusa wanted to take revenge on the hero, but he used the cap of invisibility, through which was able to escape from the island unnoticed.

After that, everyone in Greece knew who killed the Gorgon Medusa. Perseus became famous as the hero, and Athena had finally quenched his revenge. She told the demigod that he had in his hands a powerful weapon, as the severed head is able to come to life and be forced to petrify all life, what she'll see. However, the goddess has warned that to use the power of Medusa will be possible only once, because then she will be petrified.

Andromeda

In those days in the city Joppa (Ethiopia) was ruled by king Kefa and his wife, Queen Cassiopeia. They had a daughter Andromeda, surpassing in beauty of sea maidens need. Driven by jealousy, they appealed to Poseidon, who sent the city a violent beast, and ordered Oracle to declare thatJoppa will be saved only if Andromeda is sacrificed to the sea monster. The God of the seas could not assume that the one who killed the Gorgon Medusa, will come to the rescue of an unhappy maiden. However, things didn't turn out as planned needy.

Whom Perseus killed Medusa the Gorgon

On the way to the island of serif character was in the vicinity Joppy. Passing along the shore, he saw tied to the rock the beautiful Andromeda. The girl was there, as the townspeople forced the king to give her child a monster. They hoped that on me, and rend Andromeda, the monster back into the sea and will no longer bother residents Joppy. They were unaware that the next will be the one who killed the Gorgon Medusa.

Perseus fell in love with Andromeda at first sight and promised to save her if she will marry him. The girl promised, and the hero slew the beast with the looks of Medusa. Thus Perseus had lost the ability to control the world, holding mortals in fear before the power of the Gorgon. But he won the love of Andromeda.

Fate

Whoever produced the head of Medusa the Gorgon and kill the sea monster, was a demigod, and therefore, mortal. Having made the feat, he went to serif and learned that his mother was harassed. This aroused his anger, and he dealt with king Polydectes and his entourage. The character then built the city of Mycenae, where he reigned together with Andromeda, who bore him a daughter and six sons.

Once Perseus with Danae decided to visit my grandfather. Akriti remembered the prophecy and refused to take my daughter and grandson. A few more years passed and one character got an offer to throw the disc. He refused, however, the unexpected happened and the shell killed one of the spectators. As it turned out, it was Akriti, which was not able to cheat fate.

At the end of life for a long time Perseus fought with the king of Argos by Preta and slew him in a fierce battle. When the son of the slain ruler, Megapeng grew up, he persuaded the hero to exchange kingdoms with him, and then killed him during a fight. So ended the life of Perseus-son of Zeus, whom the Greeks praised as the founder of one of the most powerful and wealthiest poleis of the Ancient world.

Now you know what hero killed Medusa the Gorgon, and aware of the major heroes of Greek mythology.