RUNNING GORGON
Earthenware slab with running Gorgon depicted, inspired by the terracotta once installed in the Athena sanctuary of Syracuse, Sicily. Siracusa, Museo Archeologico Nazionale “Paolo Orsi”,end of the 7th sec a.C.

Terracotta size: cm 31 (h) x 32 (w)
Buy

GORGON'S HEAD
Reconstructed and newly interpreted detail of the head of Medusa, from a limestone metope of the C temple in Selinunte (Sicily), depicting Perseus beheading the Gorgon, in the presence of Athena. 575-570 b.C. Palermo, Museo Nazionale.
Terracotta size: cm 19 x 19
Buy


The three Gorgons, Stimo, Euriales and Medusa, daughters of immortal beings, were once graceful maidens. But one fateful day Medusa slept with Poseidon in Athena’s temple, incurring the goddess’ wrath. Athena thus transformed the guilty woman into a horrible winged monster:
Medusa had flaming eyes, her tongue hanging from a mouth filled with very long teeth, and real snakes twisted on her head in the place of hair. Her eyes could petrify those who encountered them: to kill her, Perseus made use of his polished shield, which mirrored her. Although cut from the body, the dead head was still able to petrify. Perseus took advantage of it and with its help, he defeated his enemies. He destroyed a sea monster that was about to receive a beautiful eastern princess, Andromeda, as a human sacrifice. The girl now safe, Perseus could marry her, and returned with her to Greece. But the Gorgon’ s head was not kept by the hero: Athena used it, casting its face on her shield. It continued to terrify men, advising them against knowing the gods’ mysteries.