The Gorgon, Medusa, was said to have been raped by the God of the Sea, Poseidon, but were there any children that were a product of this animosity? Did the monstrous Gorgon bear any children that were related to her defilement caused by Poseidon in the Temple of Athena?
Medusa was said to have born two children for the God of the Sea, Poseidon. They were the famous winged horse, Pegasus, and the lesser-known giant, Chrysaor. Both of them were spawned from her decapitated body after Perseus severed her head.
Though Medusa’s story was definitely one of the most well-known stories within Greek mythology that have popularized her in modern media, many would argue that the most peculiar parts of it were often told after her death. It can even be said that one of her children was just as famous as the Gorgon herself, if not more…
Pegasus, The Winged Horse
The most famous of the two children of Medusa was Pegasus, the Winged Horse of Zeus. He and his brother were both born from the bloody stump of their mother’s decapitated body when the Hero, Perseus, cut off Medusa’s head.
The story of Pegasus was a fascinating one and his hoofs were believed to have created water streams wherever he struck. Before becoming the horse of Zeus though, Pegasus was owned by another…
The Story of Pegasus and Bellerophon
Long ago when the winged horse Pegasus was born, he was wild and free to roam the world. No one could tame the horse until one of the greatest heroes in Greece, Bellerophon came along.
Bellerophon was a celebrated poet and the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, was so impressed that she gifted him with a golden bridle that could tame any animal. The hero used his gift to tame the winged horse, Pegasus, while it was drinking at the Pierian spring.
With Pegasus as his steed, Bellerophon would become one of the most legendary heroes of all Greek mythology. He fought against the women-warrior nation, the Amazons, and the ferocious warriors of Solymi.
He also used Pegasus to exact his revenge on Stheboea, a woman who rejected his advances and testified against the hero. Bellerophon invited her to join him on the winged horse just to fling her off to her death while they were flying.
Bellerophon’s downfall came when his ego got the better of him and he started to think that he was worthy of being ascended to divinity. The hero slew the fire-breathing Chimera and thought the mortals were no longer worthy of his presence.
He flew to Mount Olympus with Pegasus thinking that he would be welcomed as an Olympian God by the King of the Gods, Zeus. For his hubris, Zeus rewarded him by smiting him with his lethal Lightning Bolt. It stung Pegasus so badly that he threw the hero off his back, making Bellerophon plummet to his death.
Ascension of Pegasus
Though Bellerophon never reached Olympus to ascend to Godhood, Pegasus did eventually reach the home of the Gods and Zeus welcomed him. He stabled Pegasus with his other steeds and started to ride him into battle carrying his lightning bolts.
Pegasus would later become the steed that Zeus rides iconically and the horse would serve loyally to the King of the Gods. Zeus even rewarded Pegasus with a constellation named after him which is still remembered to this day.
Chrysaor, The Golden Sword
The lesser-known son of Medusa who also spawned from the beheaded body of the Gorgon. Chrysaor was believed to be either a giant human or a winged boar depending on his depiction by different authors.
His name is normally translated into “golden sword” which is why he was commonly depicted holding a golden sword in his hand. Some also believed that the golden sword reference refers to wheat instead of an actual sword.
This was because Chrysaor was a powerful king who ruled a kingdom that included the Iberian Peninsular. They were known for their agriculture of wheat production hence why people would link his name to the reference.
Unlike his brother, Pegasus, Chrysaor wasn’t mentioned much in Greek mythology and stayed relatively unknown to most people. His only mention was that of his son, Geryon, who was a three-headed giant.
Many believed that Chrysaor was married to the Oceanid, Callirhoe, and their union resulted in the birth of Geryon. The hero, Hercules, had an encounter with Geryon when he drove off the giant’s cattle as one of his twelve labors.
Some believed that Geryon wasn’t a three-headed giant, but three different sons of Chrysaor working together instead. This was so that it made more sense as people started to rationalize the myth.
Other than that, there isn’t much more known about the Giant as he was completely absent from the myth. Kinda odd seeing that both his brother and mother were incredibly famous in Greek mythology.
Conclusion
The children of Medusa were fathered by the God of the Sea, Poseidon after the God raped the priestess of Athena in her own temple. One of them was the very well-known Pegasus while the other was the relatively unknown Chrysaor.
Both were born from the stump of their mother’s decapitated corpse after the hero, Perseus, slew her and lobbed her head off. Pegasus was well known in the mythos as one of the main steeds of Zeus, the King of the Gods.
Chrysaor, on the other hand, was unknown to most as he was mostly excluded from Greek mythology. His only mention was when his son, Geryon, had a conflict with the Demi-god, Hercules, as the latter drove his cattle away as one of his twelve labors.
The story of Medusa was famous among the people but who would have thought that she was the mother of Poseidon’s children as well?
