Mythology · 2
According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, why did Athena transform Medusa into a Gorgon?
Answer
To punish Medusa after Poseidon assaulted her in Athena's own temple
In Ovid's account in the Metamorphoses, Poseidon assaulted Medusa within Athena's sacred temple. Athena, enraged by the desecration of her temple, punished Medusa — the victim — by transforming her hair into serpents and making her gaze turn onlookers to stone.
💡 Did you know?
Medusa wasn't always a monster—Ovid's version claims Poseidon assaulted her in Athena's temple, and the goddess punished the victim by transforming her into a gorgon.
Other options people guess
- To punish Medusa for boasting that her beauty surpassed Athena's
- To punish Medusa for revealing the secrets of the Olympian gods to mortals
- To punish Medusa for refusing to serve as a priestess in Athena's temple
Topics
- greek-mythology
- medusa
- athena
- ovid
- gorgon
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