Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of Athena. Poseidon, god of the sea, raped Medusa in Athena’s temple. Athena, furious at the desecration of her temple, punished Medusa by turning her into a monster. And a mortal one at that.
Whether Medusa was blamed for being so beautiful Poseidon could not help himself, or Athena was frustrated that she couldn’t punish Poseidon, who was a more senior god than she, the result was the same:
A woman who was raped was then punished for being raped. And nothing happened to the rapist.
“But this is fiction!” you cry, “It’s mythology!”
And you are correct. But it is a story that has been passed down for thousands of years, and when Medusa is mentioned, it is not an innocent woman who was raped and punished for someone else’s crime that comes to mind; it is a hideous monster who no mortal could make eye contact with, lest they be turned to stone.
Plus ça change, huh?
My Name is Not Debbie 