Gorgons

The Gorgons, Γοργόνες, were perhaps the strangest of the monsters that appeared in Classical mythology.

They were winged women with snakes on their heads instead of hair. A single glimpse of their hideous visage would turn any creature, mortal or immortal (except for the gods), into stone. They could only be seen safely through a reflective surface such as a mirror, polished metal, or a water surface.

Two of the Gorgons, named Stheno and Euryale, were the immortal offspring of Phorcys and Ceto. The Gorgons were the sisters of Graeae, and possibly of Echidna and Ladon.

According to the Cypria (Epic Cycle), the Gorgons lived at Sarpedon, a rocky island in the Oceanus.

Only Medusa was mortal; she was the only one that the hero Perseus could kill.

Medusa was formerly a beautiful maiden whom Athena had turned into a Gorgon when the goddess found that Poseidon had seduced the unfortunate maiden in her temple.

Perseus decapitated Medusa as one of his quests for the wicked Polydectes. The winged horse, Pegasus, was born from Medusa's blood that fell into the sea. Some of the blood also fell on earth, and from it, Chrysaor was born. From her blood that fell onto the sands of the Libyan desert, Medusa was the mother of the desert snakes.

Even dead, Medusa had the ability to turn people or other creatures into stone. Perseus rescued his future wife Andromeda by turning the sea-monster Cetus into stone. He also turned Andromeda's uncle and his followers into stone, and later Polydectes.

Another of Medusa's victim was possibly the Titan Atlas. The gods punished Atlas by making him carry the weight of heaven on his shoulders. Taking pity on the Titan, Perseus turned Atlas into stone so that he became Mount Atlas, a mountain in northwest Africa. This myth conflicted with Atlas meeting another hero, Heracles, a descendant of Perseus, a couple of generations later.

After Perseus' adventure, the hero gave Medusa's head to Athena who used the skin on her aegis. Medusa's blood was said to have great healing power. Asclepius used the blood to return someone who had died, back to life.

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According to the 1st century historian Diodorus Siculus, the Gorgons were no monsters; rather, they belonged to a race of women warriors, similar to those of the Amazons, who dwelled in Libya. They were enemies of the Amazons living in Libya, and of the Atlantians, their neighbours. In a way, they were Amazons, but were of a different tribe from the Amazons. The Amazons under Queen Myrina defeated the Gorgons.

Though the Gorgons were subdued, they regained their power when Medusa ruled as their queen, during the time when Perseus campaigned in Libya. Perseus killed Medusa and defeated the Gorgons with their army. A few generations later, Heracles completely destroyed the Gorgons during his 10th labour (to fetch Cattle of Geryon).