Medusa: Difference between revisions

Medusa was the most famous incarnation of the Writhing Dread, and by extension, the gorgons, a type of hybrid beast created by the Isu as part of the Olympos Project. Medusa was originally a human but taken over by an Atlantis artifact known as the Prize of the Medusa, to act as a guardian for it in order to seal the Gates of Atlantis.^[1]

History

Myths

In Greek mythology, she was described as having had hair composed of live venomous snakes, wings and a gaze so deadly that all who faced it turned into stone. She was slain by the hero Perseus with a Sword of Eden, a harpe according to legend, given to him by Hermes. Hermes also helped Perseus by giving him winged sandals, and the goddess Athena gave Perseus a bronze shield polished mirror-bright.^[2]

After Perseus cut off her head, the winged foal Pegasos sprung from Medusa's neck,^[2] along with his brother Chrysaor.^[3]

Influence and legacy

In Korinthia, the story of Medusa inspired someone to carve a monumental statue of her grimacing head, known as the Cyclopean Head of Medusa, though later its creation was attributed to the Cyclopes.^[4]

It was also said that after Perseus had brought Medusa's head to Argos, the head was found in a mound of earth near Argos' agora.^[5]

During the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan misthios Kassandra was asked by the Spartan noblewoman Damia to tell the story of Perseus to her children Danae and Kristos and their friends.^[2]

In 47 BCE, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa acquired a rare heavy weapon named after Medusa, owing to her ferocity.^[6]

Behind the scenes

The mural depicting Perseus and Medusa in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is based on a painting on a hydria from the 6th century BCE.

Though the creature fought in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey memory Writhing Dead is in dialogue consistently referred to as the "Writhing Dread", during the battle the creature bears the name "Medusa".^[7]

Gallery

Concept art of the Cyclopean Head of Medusa by Hugo Puzzuoli
The Head with the Kephisos' Sanctuary Ruins behind
Gorgon, possibly Medusa, as part of the Aegis on the Statue of Athena in Athens
Gorgon, possibly Medusa, as part of the Aegis on a marble statue of Athena
The face of a gorgon, possibly Medusa, on a shield
A 5th century BCE mural depicting Perseus beheading Medusa
Pegasos and Chrysaor emerging from the neck of the decapitated Medusa on the helmet of the set

Appearances

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (mentioned only)
Assassin's Creed: Origins (mentioned only)
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (artwork only)

References

↑ Mel MacCoubrey (@melqartiii) on Twitter "Yeah it's a person that comes in contact with the artifact and then their image manifests as one of the guardians based on which artifact they hold." (screenshot)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – A Treasury of Legends
↑ Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece – Arkadia: The Cattle of Geryon
↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Korinthia: Cyclopean Head of Medusa
↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Argolis: Buried Head of Medusa
↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins
↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Characters

Assassins	Layla Hassan • Victoria Bibeau • Kiyoshi Takakura • Alannah Ryan • Harlan Cunningham \| Amunet \| Kassandra (Ikaros) • Darius

Cult of Kosmos	Aspasia • Deimos • Nyx (Elpenor • Sotera • The Master • Hermippos • Midas) • Polemon (Epiktetos • The Centaur of Euboea • The Chimera • The Silver Griffin • Machaon) • Kleon (Brison • Podarkes • Rhexenor • Iobates • Kodros) • Exekias (Pallas • Deianeira • Belos • Swordfish • Okytos) • Iokaste (Melite • Harpalos • Zoisme • Diona • Chrysis) • The Hydra (The Mytilenian Shark • Melanthos • The Octopus • Sokos • Asterion) • Pausanias (Skylax • The Monger • Lagos • Kallias • Silanos)

Templars / Order of the Ancients	Juhani Otso Berg \| Amorges • Pactyas (Akantha • Bubares • Echion • Konon • Phratagounè • Timosa • Order Elite) • Phila (Augos • Nestor • Megakreon • Sophos) • The Immortals • Gergis (Artazostre • Dimokrates • Pithias • Gaspar • Harpagos) \| Xerxes I

Isu	Aletheia \| Persephone • Hades • Poseidon • Hermes • Hekate • Atlas • Gadiros • Ampheres • Azaes • Neokles • Aita • Juno • Melitta • Xarios

Olympos Project	Cyclops (Brontes • Steropes • Arges) • Writhing Dread (Medusa • Ligeia) • Minotaur • Sphinx • Cerberos • Lycanthropes (Lyra) • Hekatonchires

Mercenaries	Kassandra the Eagle-Bearer • Exekias the Legend • Talos the Stone-Fist • Sosipatros the Archon's Servant • The Poisoner • The False Leonidas • Zetes the Retired • Hyrkanos the Cunning • Agis of the North • Theos the Stargazer • Gaia the Fist • Exadios the Backbreaker • Edonos the Charging Bull • Atos the Beast Caller • Hirpes the Sordid • Aias the Clean • Kephalon the Thinker • Proktos the Moon King • "Eagle Bearer" (Chikaros) • Polykaste the Jilted • Narkissos the Babbler • Nestor the Great • Testiklos the Nut • Harpina the Heavy Hitter • Iaeira the Overcomer • Damais the Indifferent • Astarte the Swamp • Nanno the Abakos • Okyllos the Successor • Thaleia the Talon Hand • Laches the Eternal • Abia the Shaded \| Cyclops of Kephallonia • The Poisoner of Athens • Testikles the Olympian • Deianeira the Boeotian Champion • Epiktetos the Forthcoming • Swordfish of Octopus Bay • The Monger of Korinthia • Achilles the Trojan War Hero • King Agamemnon of Mycenae • Herakles the Legendary • Perseus the Gorgon Slayer

Love interests	Aikaterine • Alkibiades • Anais • Aspasia • Auxesia • Daphnae • Diona • Kosta • Kyra • Lykaon • Lykinos • Mikkos • Odessa • Roxana • Thaletas • Thyia • Timotheos • Xenia • Zopheras • "Eagle Bearer" • Natakas \| Adonis • Elpis

Others	Archidamos • Aristophanes • Artaxerxes I • Barnabas • Brasidas • Darius II • Demokritos • Elpidios • Euripides • Herodotos • Hippokrates • Iola • Markos • Myrrine • Nikolaos • Perikles • Phidias • Polykleitos • Praxilla • Pythagoras • Phoibe • Sargon • Sophokles • Sokrates • Thespis • Thrasymachos \| Leonidas • Dienekes • Kurush

Factions

Assassins (Layla Hassan's cell | Protectors of Persia) | Templars (Sigma Team | Order of the Ancients) • Cult of Kosmos • Delian League • Peloponnesian League • Achaemenid Empire • Minor factions (Daughters of Artemis • Followers of Ares • The Dagger • Periklean Circle)

Locations

United Kingdom (London) | Egypt (Giza) | Isu Locations (Atlantis (Gateway to the Lost City) • Ancient Forge • Cave of Mt. Zas • Cave of the Forgotten Isle • Myson Cave • Nisyros • Sphinx Lair • Labyrinth of Lost Souls • Petrified Temple • Teichos of Herakles) • Greece • Aegean Sea (Andros) • Volcanic Islands (Thera • Anaphi • Nisyros) • Krete (Messara (Gortyn) • Pephka) • Kythera Island • Melos • Attika Peninsula (Attika (Athens • Dekelia • Lavrio • Port of Piraeus) • Boeotia (Lake Kopais • Mykalessos • Orchomenos • Thebes) • Megaris (Megara • Pagai)) • Forest Islands (Thasos • Abantis Islands (Euboea • Skyros) • Petrified Islands (Chios • Lesbos)) • Kephallonia Islands (Kephallonia (Sami) • Ithaka) • Korinthian Gulf • Peloponnese (Arkadia (Tegea) • Argolis (Argos • Epidauros) • Achaia (Dyme • Patrai • Pellene) • Elis • Korinthia (Korinth) • Lakonia (Sparta) • Messenia) • Pirate Islands (Keos (Koressia) • Seriphos • Lestris) • Paradise Islands (Delos • Mykonos • Naxos Island • Paros Island) • Southern Sporades (Samos • Kradia Isle • Kos) • Northern Greece (Lokris • Makedonia (Amphipolis • Potidaia) • Malis • Phokis (Kirrha)) • Afterlife (Elysium • Underworld)

Events

Search for the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus | Peloponnesian War (Battle of Amphipolis • Battle of Pylos) • Plague of Athens | Greco-Persian Wars (Battle of Thermopylae)

Terms and concepts

Achievements • Ainigmata Ostraka • Crafting • Customization • Currencies (Drachma • Orichalcum) • Dual-wielding • Eagle Vision • Engraving • Genetic memory • Helix Credits • Historical Locations • Leap of Faith • Memories • Message boards • Outfits • Photo Mode • Pieces of Eden (Artifact Fragment • Atlantis Artifacts • Pyramid • Spear of Leonidas • Staff of Hermes Trismegistus • Sword of Damokles) • Ships (Adrestia) • Skills • Social stealth • Story Creator Mode • Swimming • Viewpoints

Weapons and tools

Bows • Blunt weapons • Swords • Spears • Shields

DLC

The Blind King • Secrets of Greece • Legacy of the First Blade (Hunted • Shadow Heritage • Bloodline) • The Fate of Atlantis (Fields of Elysium • Torment of Hades • Judgment of Atlantis) • The Lost Tales of Greece • Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==History==
 ===Myths===
-In [[Greece|Greek]] mythology, she was described as having had hair composed of live [[poison|venomous]] [[snake]]s, wings and a gaze so deadly that all who faced it turned into stone. She was slain by the hero [[Perseus]] with [[Perseus' Sword of Eden|a Sword of Eden]],<ref name="Glyph 5">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Glyphs|Glyph 5: "Instruments of Power"]]</ref> a [[Harpe of Perseus|harpe]] according to legend, given to him by [[Hermes Trismegistus|Hermes]]. Hermes also helped Perseus by giving him winged sandals, and the goddess [[Athena]] gave Perseus a [[bronze]] shield polished mirror-bright.<ref name="A Treasury of Legends">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' – [[A Treasury of Legends]]</ref>
+In [[Greece|Greek]] mythology, she was described as having had hair composed of live [[poison|venomous]] [[snake]]s, wings and a gaze so deadly that all who faced it turned into stone. She was slain by the hero [[Perseus]] with [[Perseus' Sword of Eden|a Sword of Eden]], a [[Harpe of Perseus|harpe]] according to legend, given to him by [[Hermes Trismegistus|Hermes]]. Hermes also helped Perseus by giving him winged sandals, and the goddess [[Athena]] gave Perseus a [[bronze]] shield polished mirror-bright.<ref name="A Treasury of Legends">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' – [[A Treasury of Legends]]</ref>
 After Perseus cut off her head, the winged foal [[Pegasos]] sprung from Medusa's neck,<ref name="A Treasury of Legends" /> along with his brother [[Chrysaor (mythology)|Chrysaor]].<ref name="Cattle of Geryon">''[[Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece]]'' – [[Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece#Arkadia|Arkadia: The Cattle of Geryon]]</ref>