Chapter 3536: Medusa (2)
Chapter 3536: Medusa (2)
When Medusa was finally beheaded by the hero Perseus, she was pregnant at the time. The winged horse Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor flew out from her body.
No one showed a hint of blame toward the actions of Poseidon and Athena in this incident because Poseidon and Athena were gods after all, and Medusa was just a minor priestess in a temple. How could the light of the stars compete with the sun and the moon? How could a mere priestess compare to gods?
Regarding this matter, even if the evildoers could not be punished, the punishment should not have fallen on the victim.
Even in mythology, if a woman was raped, it was considered the woman’s fault. Women were accused of being indiscreet, accompanied by questions of why the perpetrator did not rape someone else instead of them.
Nuwa and Medusa were both snake women, yet their fates were completely different. The ancient goddess Nuwa created humanity and saved people from utter misery. She is a symbol of a compassionate and gentle deity in the hearts of the Chinese people. Furthermore, ancient Chinese mythology mostly consisted of stories about deities saving humanity or interacting with other deities. Most of these stories highlight the characteristics of ancient Chinese deities as being detached from the mortal world and having no desires or demands.
Conversely, the tragic story of Medusa turning into a snake woman reveals that most gods in Greek mythology possessed human traits such as jealousy, lust, and various other aspects of human nature.
They unleashed their natural instincts and had no scruples regarding sex. They had absolutely no reservations regarding siblings, parents, or children.
For example, Zeus was involved with his wife, various goddesses, as well as his own sisters, daughters, and aunts. He could be considered a massive lecher.
At the same time, this also reflected the open social atmosphere of ancient Greece during that period.
Medusa was powerless. After being raped by the god of the sea, she begged Athena for help. It would have been one thing if Athena simply chose not to save her. After all, choosing whether or not to save someone is a personal action. The other party was the god of the sea, and it was normal that Athena would not conflict with him over a minor priestess.
However, Athena vented all of her anger onto Medusa.
Moreover, Athena was the goddess controlling justice and wisdom in the mortal realm. She punished Medusa by turning her into an ugly snake monster, resulting in a situation where no one dared to look directly at her, or else they would turn into stone.
It was impossible to see any justice in this.
Medusa was a tragic figure. The majesty of the gods could not be blasphemed. Medusa, who was no longer a virgin priestess, had blasphemed the goddess of wisdom, especially by having such a thing occur inside the temple.
Furthermore, Athena and Poseidon already had some grievances and conflicts. Poseidon doing such a thing in Athena’s temple was partly because Medusa was inherently beautiful, and partly because gods were unscrupulous. Male gods were men, and naturally loved beautiful women.
Being able to enjoy himself while also getting revenge was quite good for him.
When Athens was first built by a Phoenician, Poseidon and Athena competed for the glory of naming it and eventually reached an agreement.
The one who could provide the most useful thing for humanity would become the patron deity of the city. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and conjured a warhorse, while Athena conjured an olive tree, which was a symbol of peace and prosperity.
Because the warhorse was considered to represent war and sorrow, Athens was named after the goddess. The goddess quickly brought the city under her protection.
Medusa’s wish was to not be raped, to not become an incredibly ugly snake monster, and especially to not have her head severed.
Ning Shu rubbed the center of her eyebrows. Although she was a priestess and, to a certain extent, represented Athena, she could not compare to these gods.
Every god had their own divine power and power over nature.
Currently, Ning Shu was inside the temple. The entire temple was within the range of Athena’s divine power. Basically, everyone’s actions were right under Athena’s nose.
Back then, Athena was able to endure the god of the sea breaking into her temple and then doing such a thing.
Poseidon swaggered in and then swaggered out. It was only after he left that she vented her anger on a woman who had no power to fight back and had been raped.
It was simply baffling.
Bullying the weak and fearing the strong was human nature. It was the same for gods.
Ning Shu the energy she had cultivated with her Unsurpassable Martial Arts within her body. Spiritual energy from the surroundings surged toward her. By cultivating, she would at least have some power to protect herself. Otherwise, she would have no power to fight back when facing that wild horse, Poseidon.
She wondered if the suppression from this plane was significant.
It probably would not be very significant. After all, the sky was full of gods with various methods. The suppression would not be that strong.
However, Ning Shu could not easily test this inside the temple.
A temple attendant came in to help Ning Shu wash and dress. Ning Shu looked into the basin. The water reflected her face. Her face was indeed beautiful, with a delicate and straight nose bridge and deep-set eyes. Her eyelashes were very long, and when she blinked, they swept like fans.
Her facial features were three-dimensional. She was an exquisite beauty in the eyes of Westerners.
Ning Shu cupped some water to wash her face. She used pigments to draw some marks on her face. This could be considered a special type of makeup to wear before Athena, to perform sacrifices, and to receive the citizens who came to worship.
Ning Shu wore a veil and was clad in sheer fabric. As she moved, a pair of long, slender legs faintly appeared through the thin material.
Upon arriving before the goddess’s statue, she saw that the temple housed a magnificent statue of Athena inlaid with ivory and gold.
Ning Shu prostrated herself in worship, muttering words under her breath.
The statue of Goddess Athena was not even one-tenth as beautiful as Athena herself.
Athena was the famous bright-eyed goddess. Her distinguishing features were a pair of bright and large gray eyes, a broad forehead, and a healthy bronze complexion.
Her hair was thick and dense, sometimes draped over her back and sometimes rolled into a bun tied with a golden ribbon. The color was a shade between gold and brown.
Athena wore a helmet and armor. Her right hand held a spear or the goddess of victory. Compared to other goddesses, she possessed more of a masculine energy.
Athena was one of the twelve Olympian gods. Her power could not be underestimated.
No matter what transgressive actions were committed in Athena’s temple, the perpetrators would be punished by Athena.
She was Athena’s representative in the mortal realm.
Ning Shu performed the complicated sacrifices, and then she prayed for and bestowed blessings upon the citizens who came to the temple.
It was likely because this body was truly beautiful that she attracted many gazes, especially those of men.
Ning Shu felt as though she was being visually violated, but she still could not do anything out of bounds and could not reprimand anyone.
Beauty and kindness—these wonderful things all required strength to protect them. Otherwise, they would become disasters.
Medusa was just a minor priestess, yet she possessed looks that made women jealous. This was a disaster.
When raped by Poseidon, she had no power to fight back. When punished by Athena, she still had no power to fight back.
After being visually violated for a while, the sacrifices finally came to an end. Ning Shu returned to her room in the temple.
Even the walls of her room were painted with portraits of Athena. Ning Shu rubbed her eyes. These exaggerated colors made her eyes hurt just looking at them.
Ning Shu parted the layers of brightly colored gauze curtains and then lay down on a long chair.
As Ning Shu lay on the chair, her neck was slender, and her slightly curly, chestnut-colored hair was incredibly thick. Her legs were long and perfectly shaped. The curves of her body faintly appeared through the sheer fabric. She was so stunningly beautiful that it made people’s blood boil.
She was barefoot. Her snow-white feet wore golden bells. With Ning Shu’s movements, the golden bells emitted a clear sound.