Medusa (Monsters in Myth)

One of Greek mythology s most notorious monsters, Medusa, was so horrible that looking at her turned people to stone. But she wasn t always hideous. Medusa was born the beautiful daughter of two gods. A victim of Poseidon s whim, she incurred the wrath of the goddess Athena, who punished her by turning her into a monster. Then Athena doomed her to die at the hands of the hero Perseus. Even though Medusa is a minor character in the Greek stories, she has captured people s imagination for thousands of years. On the surface her story is a cautionary tale about dangers of vanity and pride. Looking closer, the story reveals intriguing glimpses into ancient Greek culture and the role of women played in society.