Medusa/Definition

From Greek mythology, she was a Gorgon, one of three sisters who was the only one who was mortal. Originally, according to Ovid, she was very beautiful and was unfortunately raped in the temple of Athena by the god Poseidon; Athena cursed Medusa by putting snakes in her hair. Source: Elizabeth Vandiver, Classics scholar, authority on Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, including the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Homer, and Virgil. This definition is based on her course Classical Mythology for The Teaching Company.