In the many stories of Greek religious mythology Hellenism, which intended to teach lessons and explain how the world works, there are a vast number of characters. One that has become quite well known today through the media, and even in school teachings, is the gorgon Medusa. The name gorgon comes from the Greek word gorgos, meaning "fierce", "terrible", or "frightening". A gorgon is traditionally a loathsome creature with an innate hatred towards men and the ability to turn people to stone with a single look in their 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 gorgons as having scaly skin, large claws, wings, and boar tusks; Even when these additional attributes are not present, Medusa and her sisters possess hideous faces framed by nests of live, venomous snakes. Among the three sisters, Medusa, Stheno and Euryale, only Medusa was mortal, and therefore the only one capable of dying. The first tales that circulated in ancient Greece about Medusa emphasized the terribleness of gorgons, making them appear as evil creatures at war with men. The oldest myths say that Medusa, Stheno and Euryale are the daughters of Phorcos and Ceto, both marine deities who presided over and represented the dangers of the sea. Gorgons are part of the collective group of sea monsters created following the union between Phorcys and Cetus called Phorcys which wreaked havoc on sailors and fishermen. Another, more recent version of the Medusa story places her as once a beautiful woman with lustrous hair and a beauty that many said rivaled that of Athena. She was a priestess/handmaid in the temple of Athena. Poseidon, god… middle of paper… if virginity had been done for anyone but the man she married, she would have been socially “ruined”. Perseus later uses Medusa's head to take revenge on King Atlas 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 turn life to stone remains even after death. Works CitedAtsma, Aaron J. "Perseus." PERSEUS: Hero; Greek mythology; Images. 2000-2011. February 26, 2014 .Atsma, Aaron J. "Medusa and the Gorgons." MEDUSA AND 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