Saying that the “Medusa was a victim transformed by Athena” story is the “real” story and every other version is just a “well crafted lie” is so funny bc the tragic Ovid Medusa story is told to us by Perseus, who wanted to entertain his guests on his wedding. For all we know he pulled that story out of his ass bc he thought it sounded cool. For all we know he’s straight up lying.

Ok saying he’s lying might be a bit harsh, after all Perseus isn’t Odysseus the greatest liar to ever lie, he starts his story by saying that some unnamed “friend” told him about it so for all we know it’s the friend who was lying and Perseus didn’t question it.

We’re getting yet another revolutionary sapphic, critical of the gods super feminist retelling guys. Also Hades hating the other god or even gaf about Medusa… lol do they know?

And Perseus slander too

Putting Perseus on the same level as Paris is so disrespectful too

This person and their followers keep having shittier and shittier takes I know I should stop looking but I can’t help it…

If I had a nickel for every time Medusa fans sexualize Athena and depict her as a freak who cursed Medusa out of envy or repressed sexual desires… I’d have a handful of nickels and I a hate them all.

With these threads demonizing a given goddess (Athena, Demeter, or Hera usually) I like to play a game called “how long until this turns into misogyny” because it pretty much always does. It slips right back into the “women are either perfectly virtuous madonnas or wicked crones” logic of patriarchy, no room for the nuances of power that govern all gods’ actions

Like, to me Minerva’s motivation has always been the fact that she’s a ruler and must remain feared so that no one will cross her. She can’t have anyone defacing her temples, but she can’t punish the vastly more powerful Neptune so she goes for the next best target. It isn’t about Medusa personally, it’s about asserting her authority. Because she’s a queen. Any god would’ve done similar

But in this baffling headcanon she’s just a jealous bitch (their words not mine) who’s desperate for male attention. It’s so misogynistic that it feels like it should’ve been invented by some alcoholic male crime fiction author in the 80s

I guess, congratulations to these supposed “feminists” for somehow being more sexist than the literal Ancient Greeks, that’s a hell of an accomplishment

is there even an actual ancient source where other warriors try and kill medusa cuz imma be real the whole "only men were stupid enough to try and kill medusa" thing seems like 100 percent a modern interpretation it looks like everyone avoided her cuz she has fucking instant death eyes 500bc writers putting more thought in this than people nowadays I mean that probably doesn't mean much these are STILL some of the greatest writers in human history but still.

Also there’s a rationalization that’s maybe based on a legit myth where the Gorgons have a conflict with the Amazons, so clearly it wasn’t just men who set out to kill Medusa lol

If you can’t handle Athena being evil do you even like her?

This little sequence from Hyginus' Fabulae where Creon recognizes Antigone and Haemon's son remained stuck inside my head:

What the hell do you mean by "mark on their bodies"? Do they have scales or serpent-like skin? Do they have a birth mark resembling a dragon or a snake? Do all those from the Theban Royal family have them or only those who are direct descendants of the Spartoi? Did Pentheus have one too? I need answers! Je ne comprends pas, mon frère! Parlez vous s'il te plaît!

Bruh… does this mean Oedipus didn’t have a mark? And that’s why Jocasta and everyone in Thebes didn’t recognize him?

I……….. I don’t even know what to say anymore… 10 ppl liked this and the comments agree with this person without question… there’s a serious misinformation pandemic when it comes to Medusa omg…

They get defensive. Every. Single. Time.

Euripides Erechtheus fragments part 1

While her reasoning might be iffy from a modern perspective, Praxithea makes some solid points.

Euripides Erechtheus fragments part 2

Erechtheus’ advice to his son 🥺