P23.7 PERSEUS & MEDUSA
| Museum Collection | British Museum, London |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | London 1873,0820.352 |
| Beazley Archive No. | 206339 |
| Ware | Attic Red Figure |
| Shape | Hydria |
| Painter | Attributed to the Pan Painter |
| Date | ca. 460 B.C. |
| Period | Classical |
DESCRIPTION
Perseus decapitates the Gorgon Medusa. The hero wears a chiton, winged cap and high boots, and holds a sickle-shaped blade (harpe) in his hand. The Gorgon's head rests in a round sack (kibisis) slung across his shoulder. Medusa lies behind him, beheaded with blood flowing from the raw stump of her neck. She is depicted as a winged giantess, half risen, awoken from slumber at the moment of her death. The hero's patron goddess Athena strides behind them. She wears a peaked helmet and serpent-trimmed aegis-cloak, and brandishes a long spear.