In the many stories of Greek Religious Mythology Hellenism, which were intended to teach lessons and explain how the world works, there are a large number of characters. The gorgon Medusa has become very well known today through the media and even school teaching. The name gorgon is derived from the Greek word gorgos, meaning "fierce", "terrible" or "terrible". A gorgon is traditionally a loathsome creature with an innate hatred of men and the ability to turn people to stone with just a look in the eyes. Some stories even write that their ability extended not only to humans and other animals, but also to plant life in the sea. Greek literature and art often depict gorgonians as having scaly skin, large talons, wild boar wings and tusks; even when these additional attributes are not present, Medusa and her sisters possess gruesome faces framed by nests of living, venomous snakes. Among the three sisters, Medusa, Stheno and Euryale, only Medusa was mortal, and therefore the only one capable of dying. The first stories circulating in ancient Greece about Medusa emphasized the terror of the gorgons, making them seem like evil creatures at war. with men. Earlier myths relate that Medusa, Stheno and Euryale are the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, two sea deities who presided over and represented the dangers of the sea. Gorgons are part of the collective group of sea monsters created as a result of the union between Phorcys and Ceto, called Phorcydes, who wreaked havoc on sailors and fishermen. Another, more recent version of the story of Medusa presents her as once being a beautiful woman with shiny hair and a beauty that many believed rivaled that of Athena. She was a priestess/servant in the temple of Athena. Poseidon, god...... middle of paper ...... if the virginity of anyone except the man she married, she would be socially "ruined". Perseus later uses Medusa's head to take revenge on King Atlass of Mauritania, who had not shown him hospitality in the past, and uses it as a weapon against the rest of his enemies, as his ability to transform the life in stone remains even after death. Works CitedAtsma, Aaron J. “Perseus.” PERSEUS: Hero; Greek mythology; photos. 2000-2011. February 26, 2014. Atsma, Aaron J. “Medusa and the Gorgons.” MEDUSA & the GORGONS: Snake-haired monsters Greek mythology, with images, Medousa, Gorgons. 2000-2011. February 25, 2014. Kline, Anthony. “Book IV.” Ovid: The Metamorphoses. 2000. Anthony Kline. February 26, 2014. Book IV: Perseus tells the story of Medusa