The image of the mythical Gorgon: from coins of Ancient Greece to the present day

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The Gorgon myth tells of three sisters (Medusa, Sfeno and Euryale), the most famous of whom is Medusa. Initially, they were beautiful girls, who were then turned into hideous monsters by angry Athena.

Monstrous sisters are credited with the ability to turn a person into stone at a glance. Most coins, amulets and artwork depicting the Gorgon usually only have one, which is considered a combination of all three women - Medusa.

The Gorgoneion (a drawing or amulet depicting the head of a Gorgon) first appeared in Greek art in the 8th century BC. Examples of works with the face of the Gorgon have been found in Paros and Tiryns. Lithuanian archaeologist Maria Gimbutas believes that the face of the Gorgon actually first appeared much earlier - around 6000 BC. on the ceramic mask of the Sesklo culture. In ancient Greece, the Gorgon was depicted on unique amulets that gave the wearer special protection. It was believed that even the gods, Athena and Zeus, wore these protective amulets.

Homer, the ancient Greek author who wrote the Iliad, remembers the Gorgon at least four times in his writings. In early works, the Gorgon was described as a very ugly woman with fangs, a protruding tongue and eyes that look directly at the viewer. It was very unusual for Greek art to portray the face in this way. By the time the face of the Gorgon began to be depicted on Greek vases in the 5th century BC, it was already less scary and formidable. The fangs are gone, and the snake hair is more stylized than realistic.

In the Greek temples of Corinth and the surrounding area, dating from the 6th century BC, Gorgoneions in the form of lion masks were found. In Sicily, Gorgoneions have been found on the gables of buildings - a good example is the Temple of Apollo at Syracuse. By 500 BC there were fewer such images on the facades of buildings, but they were still found on the roofs of small buildings in the form of antefixes.

The image of the Gorgon is not limited to its use on buildings, it was found on clothing, weapons, dishes, and also on coins found during excavations in 37 different cities from Etruria to the Black Sea. In fact, the image of the Gorgon on ancient money was so common that, perhaps, only the faces of the main Olympian gods could be found more often. Her image can be found on coins made of bronze, silver, electrum and gold (most of them were minted, but some were cast). The Gorgon also appeared on Roman coins, as a rule, on the shield, shoulder or chest of the emperor. No less often, the Gorgon could be found on the mosaic, both on the floor and on the walls.

The image of the Gorgon's head was mainly located at the entrance to guard the house. The ancient Greeks believed that her image could prevent any accidents. The Gorgona was popular not only in Ancient Greece, but also in Christian times - mainly in Byzantium, and later among Italian Renaissance artists. Today it still appears from time to time in modern literature.

For anyone interested in history, the story of what it was Ancient Sparta - myths of mass culture and true historical realities.