I think I’ve heard a Roman version before, but I’ve been utterly unable to find it again— everywhere has the Greek that I can find. I don’t care that it’s not the original, the Roman version is interesting in its own right.
The version I heard (but cannot find again! Argh!) had Medusa discovering the secrets of what amounts to shampoo, and being cursed by a goddess of beauty for daring to become as beautiful as said goddess, who was petty. So her beautiful (ie, washed) hair became snakes, and she was changed to be so ugly you turn to stone to look at her.
I’d love a tip to where I could find this version of the story again, or if the version I heard somewhere was even historical to begin with.
I can’t help with the Roman version, but it sounds familiar to the take I heard on the Myths and Legends Podcast (if I’m remembering it right): Medusa becomes beautiful, Poseidon rapes her, Athena blames Medusa for getting raped and makes her hideous. I don’t remember if Athena tops it off by compelling Perseus to murder Medusa, but she at least gives him the shield and the instructions on how to do it.
That’s kinda the late Roman myth where she was cursed. In the original Greek she was one of the many monsters spawned by ceto or the sea monster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgons
I think I’ve heard a Roman version before, but I’ve been utterly unable to find it again— everywhere has the Greek that I can find. I don’t care that it’s not the original, the Roman version is interesting in its own right.
The version I heard (but cannot find again! Argh!) had Medusa discovering the secrets of what amounts to shampoo, and being cursed by a goddess of beauty for daring to become as beautiful as said goddess, who was petty. So her beautiful (ie, washed) hair became snakes, and she was changed to be so ugly you turn to stone to look at her.
I’d love a tip to where I could find this version of the story again, or if the version I heard somewhere was even historical to begin with.
I can’t help with the Roman version, but it sounds familiar to the take I heard on the Myths and Legends Podcast (if I’m remembering it right): Medusa becomes beautiful, Poseidon rapes her, Athena blames Medusa for getting raped and makes her hideous. I don’t remember if Athena tops it off by compelling Perseus to murder Medusa, but she at least gives him the shield and the instructions on how to do it.
https://www.mythpodcast.com/12752/80a-medusa-golden-child/
Edit: I think I was actually meaning to respond to Xeroxcool.
Damn, I am not immune to Roman propaganda after all