Unfortunately, Medusa was very proud of her beauty and thought or spoke of little else. Each day she boasted of how
pretty she was and each day her boasts became more outrageous.
On Sunday, Medusa bragged to the miller that her
skin was more beautiful than fresh fallen snow. On Monday, she told the
cobbler that her hair glowed brighter than the sun. On Tuesday, she
commented to the blacksmith’s son that her eyes were greener than
the Aegean Sea. On Wednesday, she boasted to everyone at the public
gardens that her lips were redder than the reddest rose.
When she wasn’t busy sharing her thoughts about her
beauty with all who passed by, Medusa would gaze lovingly at her
reflection in the mirror. She admired herself in her hand mirror for
an hour each morning as she brushed her hair. She admired
herself in her darkened window for an hour each evening as she got
ready for bed. She even stopped to admire herself in the well each
afternoon as she drew water for her father's horses -- often forgetting
to fetch the water in her distraction.
On and on Medusa went about her beauty to anyone
and everyone who stopped long enough to hear her -- until one day when
she made her first visit to the Parthenon with her friends. The
Parthenon was
the largest temple to the goddess Athena in all the land. It was
decorated with amazing sculptures and paintings. Everyone who entered
was awed by the beauty of the place and couldn’t help but think of how
grateful they were to Athena, goddess of wisdom, for inspiring them
and for watching over their city of Athens. Everyone, that is, except
Medusa.
When
Medusa saw the sculptures, she
whispered that she would have made a much better subject for the
sculptor than Athena had. When Medusa saw the artwork, she commented
that the
artist had done a fine job considering the goddess's thick eyebrows --
but imagine how much more wonderful the painting would be if it was of
someone as delicate as Medusa.
And when Medusa reached the altar she sighed
happily and said, “My this is a beautiful temple. It is a shame it was
wasted on Athena for I am so much prettier than she is – perhaps some
day people will build an even grander temple to my beauty.”
Medusa’s friends grew pale. The priestesses who
overheard Medusa gasped. Whispers ran through all the people in
the temple who quickly began to leave -- for everyone knew that Athena
enjoyed watching over the people of Athens and feared what might happen
if
the goddess had overheard Medusa’s rash remarks.
Before long the temple was empty of everyone except
Medusa, who was so busy gazing proudly at her reflection in the large
bronze
doors that she hadn't noticed the swift departure of everyone else.
The image she was gazing at wavered and suddenly, instead of her own
features, it was the face of Athena that Medusa saw reflected back at
her.
“Vain and foolish girl,” Athena said angrily, “You
think you are prettier than I am! I doubt it to be true, but
even if it were -- there is more to life than beauty alone. While
others work and play and learn, you do little but boast and admire
yourself.”
Medusa tried to point out that her beauty was an inspiration to those around her and that she made their lives better by simply
looking so lovely, but Athena silenced her with a frustrated wave.
“Nonsense,”
Athena
retorted, “Beauty fades swiftly in all mortals. It does not comfort
the sick, teach the unskilled or feed the hungry. And by my
powers, your loveliness shall be stripped away completely. Your fate
shall serve as a reminder to others to control their pride.”
And with those words Medusa’s face changed to that of a hideous monster. Her hair twisted and thickened into horrible
snakes that hissed and fought each other atop her head.
“Medusa, for your pride this has been done. Your
face is now so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it will
turn a man to stone,” proclaimed the goddess, “Even you, Medusa, should
you seek your reflection, shall turn to rock the instant you
see your face.”
And with that, Athena sent Medusa with her hair of
snakes to live with the blind monsters -- the gorgon sisters -- at the
ends of
the earth, so that no innocents would be accidentally turned to stone
at the sight of her
