this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025
231 points (93.6% liked)

Comic Strips

20352 readers
2074 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

The rules are simple:

Web of links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I thought Medusa was punished with that petrifying curse for being too sexy and tempting. And then men still wouldn't leave her alone

[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

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

[–] Iunnrais@lemmy.world 5 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Korval@lemmy.today 4 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

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.

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 20 points 23 hours ago

Damn, I am not immune to Roman propaganda after all