#Did poseidon rape medusa how to

There’s a theory stating that in other city-states Zeus’ wife would be Dione, instead of Hera, but in Athens it was Hera, and so some athenian would find it funny to imagine the god cheating over Hera (as a silly explanation of why theogony differed accross Greece). Often times different city-states would create infamous stories about another city’s patron god in a political attempt. The Athenians, who first told this myth, used to be devoted to Poseidon on a city-state level, until the cult of Athena arrived, and they instead made her their patron deity, removing Poseidon (there’s another myth that tells this story, in which Athena and Poseidon compete for the patronage of the city-state, and Athena wins). Oh, and, I forgot you can also make a historical reading about this myth, or at least how it originated. Ultimately, the myth of Poseidon and Medusa is explicative of Athena’s and Poseidon’s power when it gets intertwined. So, in summary no, Poseidon is not evil, because Poseidon is a God and therefore cannot rape furthermore, Poseidon’s myth with Medusa is symbolic of a deeper, more mystical truth.

#Did poseidon rape medusa how to

Even in ancient times, these incorrect ideas about the gods were widespread, and it was the philosopher’s, and the priest’s, task to teach people how to actually understand myth. These types of premises, as you may understand, feed intolerance and supremacy).Īrriving at satisfactory and philosophical conclusions with myths is a hard task, but it’s really worth it. Understanding those conclusions is better than reading myth literally and ending up thinking those gods are evil (and therefore are not gods, and therefore must be demons which is indeed one of many christianity’s premises regarding pagan religions. On a physical reading, we could say that Poseidon represents the fury of the ocean, and that Medusa is perhaps the earth, getting moved and assaulted by the tides. For example, in a moral reading, we could say the myth’s lesson is to not have sex inside Athena’s temple, because that’s a holy place, and it belongs to a virginal goddess. Doing them takes time and attention, but they’re often very illuminative. But this is a mystical reading of the myth. Remember what some historians used to say about Pythia’s moment of invocation? When the Priestess got possessed by Apollo? That sometimes she would get seizures? That the possession was so powerful her body could barely bear it? I imagine this is what “rape” myths refer to experiencing a God (specially a deity regarded as “male” traditionally, for some reason) in an overwhelming rapture, perhaps randomly, without expectation. However, if Poseidon’s rape in the myth of Medusa is symbolic, then it is illustrative of the God’s power: perhaps, in the temple of Athena, one could experience Poseidon’s presence unwillingly. If Poseidon’s actions in the myth of Medusa are false, then the myth serves no purpose but to entertain. But if Poseidon cannot rape, then the actions of Poseidon in myth are 1. See, a God cannot make evil Poseidon is a God therefore, Poseidon cannot make evil (he cannot “rape” anyone). Being able to interpret myth metaphorically helps us arrive at different conclusions regarding the true nature of the Gods, and it also influence us philosophically. The importance of not reading myth literally (I mean, not regarding the Gods’ actions in myth as factual, or their behavior as true to their nature) is that of independence. Sexual relations without the consent of the parents. But what we today understand as “rape” in ancient Greece meant probably these two things: 1. We may have a myth that uses the element of “rape” as we understand it to mean something else. The second thing that’s wrong is that it assumes the specific context of the myth. However, this doesn’t happen in all religions, specially in pagan religions. The bible in christian traditions is read sometimes literally, and even if its not, the stories told there are of vital importance to the religion. Myth literalism is a normal thing in our society because of christianity’s fundamentalism. The first thing that’s wrong is that it assumes ancient myth literalism. There are many things implied with this logic.