There are a lot of intense and complicated questions, especially in regard to Greek mythology and the complexities in relation to the gods. Questions arise as to how they treated each other, how they treated mortal men, and should certain aspects of Greek myth be taught in school. Some stories have a clear hero and monster, only for us to understand that it meant something else, a shift in power, male dominance, or preserving the status quo. Some stories have to do with man versus nature or man versus himself while other stories represent complex cultural aspects of the time and region that to us may seem misogynistic, racist, classicist, or downright wrong when it was an acceptable reality for those in the story and the culture it originated from.
So… did Poseidon love Medusa?
Some of you may be quick to point out that he is described as having raped her and took her against her will. This is truly understandable, and for many versions of the truth, this is an undeniable fact.
She was a virgin priestess of Athena
He is a god acting out of impulsive whim
He found her attractive
Athena finds her guilty for something that was out of her control only to curse her.
She vows revenge
After all of this, she becomes vengeful, and is always treated as a monster to be put down… honestly, she was the victim and throughout this entire ordeal she was completely innocent. Then comes Perseus the hero who is celebrated for killing her.
However… there is a big however… with how this story went down…
Personal Anecdote Time:
In 2013 I took a trip to the Mediterranean with my family. After having studied ancient Greece and Rome I was finally here. You can just imagine my happiness. I walked Pompeii, visited the site of Lindos, walked where the Colossus once stood and managed to find the Pantheon in Rome on my own with barely any help from the map. I knew Rome inside and out thanks to Dan Brown, Lizzie McGuire (don’t judge) and so many other things I have read and watched.
Trust me I was excited
Then I got to the Parthenon in Greece… the site where it happened. This was the place where the temple of Athena herself was. I saw the site of the fountain of salty water that Poseidon had given to the people to name him as the protector of this city along with Athena who gave them the Olive tree instead!
The site was beautiful and much larger than I imagines. Going up the stairs to see these ancient columns while Greek artisans and workers went about their lives. You can just imagine the soundtrack running through my mind – God of War, Hercules, Mama Mia(Don’t Judge). I was ecstatic.
We had a tour guide. I was not one for tour guides, especially after having walked all of Rome on my own. However, as a tour guide myself, I understood the value of listening to one. As the tour went on I listened. If you can imagine for a moment a cartoonish puppy looking in awe and fascination at the columns of the Parthenon… yeah that was me.
So what happened?
The tour guide mentioned Medusa… after the tour ended, at least for this bit. The guide gave us about a half hour to explore and walk around the site. I took advantage of the privacy and asked her about Poseidon and Medusa. I used the word rape (I am sorry for that. Perhaps it was insensitive of me) I had always heard the story of Poseidon having forced himself on her. Having taken her against her will, the tour guide’s reaction is what surprised me the most.
She was astonished at what I said. I do not remember the precise words she said, but essentially, very calmly told me I was wrong. She said no, she had never heard of anything like that. Medusa and Poseidon had been in love. They loved each other and because it was a forbidden romance she was cursed by Athena.
I do not know if that is the version that is taught in Greece itself, nor do I know if maybe there is a mistranslation with the story itself.
So…
Did Poseidon love Medusa?
If only we could ask them directly.
I guess the answer depends on who you ask and which is the point of view of the story. The only thing that is clear is that regardless of whether there was love or not, she was the one that got punished for this act and turned into a monster.
Here is an image of Medusa from the Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology
Myths Reborn 