Medusa was a mermaid so beautiful that Poseidon wanted to join with her. Transformed into a horse he came into contact with her, in the holy space of Athena. The goddess Athena, exasperated with the event and she transformed her into a devilish monster, who had snakes instead of hair and whoever looked at her in the eyes turned to stone.
Perseas leaves Serifos with a boat to find Mermaid Medusa.On his way he meets goddess Athena and god Hermes, where he is informed that in order to kill Medusa he must obtain:
- the hood of Hades, so invisible to get closer to
- his goalthe magic bag that will put the terrible head
- the winged sandals, because Medusa, was in a rock in the middle of the sea.
- the shining shield from which he could see the head of Medusa. Because anyone who was seeing Medusa was turned to stone. And finally…
- the sharp sword or sickle with which to cut Mermaid’s hard neck.
Athena gives him the shining shield and Hermes the winged sandals. On another source, the helmet or the hood, the winged sandals and the magic bag, were given to him by the Nymphs, to which he arrived guided by his patron gods. Athena led Perseus to the country of the Hyperboreans (a testimony from Pindar), where, after sacrifice, he received the sharp sword and the helmet of Kynos.
The only thing left was to learn the place of residence of the mortal Mermaid. Once again, Athena helps him, he points to the way for Grays.
Grays were sisters of the Gorgones and the only ones who knew their place of residence. They were repulsive beings. Three old women with a comic tragical element: because they had one eye and a tooth, they exchanged them with each other. They were close to Hades, to the west of the world.
Perseus approached them invisibly and taking advantage of the moment of exchange, grabbed their eye. Gray, knowing a relative oracle for Gorgo, with difficulty and under the threat of losing their eye, testify to the hero the place of residence of Medusa.
When the hero approached Medusa, invisible and looking at the mirror of his shield, with the help of Athena, cut off her head and put it in her backpack. From the cut was born the giant Chrysarya, with the golden sword and the blood that fell in the Ocean, the Pegasus, the winged horse. In order to avoid the persecution of the Medusa brothers, he flew fast with his winged sandals or burnt Pegasus and left the place.