If we consider the imagery of the hunt - Actaeon as a skilled hunter and Artemis as the goddess of the hunt - another interpretation of Actaeon’s gaze is the tension between the hunters. As such, Actaeon’s gaze indicates human irreverence. Actaeon’s potential dishonorable intentions threaten Artemis’ protective symbolism. Therefore, Actaeon’s intrusive gaze on Artemis and her companions’ bathing scene is interpreted as a violation of female vulnerability. In Greek myth, Artemis is often the goddess that provides sanctuary for women: she protects women from rape, and rescues fleeing women.

As a result, he was torn apart by his own fifty dogs.Īctaeon’s Voyeurism: What’s the Meaning? The Death of Actaeon, by Titian, 1559-1575, via the National Gallery, London In response to his voyeuristic gaze, Artemis transformed Actaeon into a stag, the very animal that his own dogs had been trained to hunt. Angry at this, Diana made horns grow on his head, and he was devoured by his own dogs.” Pseudo-Hyginus records the story in his Fabulae (180): “Actaeon, son of Aristaeus and Autonoe, a shepherd, saw Diana bathing and desired to ravish her. When the goddess spotted him, she was infuriated. Decency would have made Actaeon turn away, but he did not. When he awoke, he saw Artemis bathing in the spring. One day when traveling in the forest, Actaeon came to rest near a peaceful spring. According to Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian from the 1st century BCE, “ presuming upon his dedication to Artemis of the first-fruits of his hunting, he purposed to consummate the marriage with Artemis at the temple of the goddess, but according to others, it was because he represented himself as superior to Artemis in skill as a hunter.” (Library of History 4.81.3–5) This did not stop Actaeon’s infatuation with Artemis. In other versions, Actaeon saw himself as the better hunter and had great pride in his skill. However, this was impossible: Artemis had sworn off the company of men for life and taken an eternal vow of chastity. In some versions of the myth, Actaeon revered the goddess Artemis so much that he wanted to marry her. He was raised by Chiron in the wild, and he nurtured fifty hunting dogs.

As Athena assumes the image of Medusa’s curse, she warns of the dangers of looking at the alluring, as it can lead to destructive consequences.Īctaeon Diana (Artemis) and Actaeon, by the workshop of Jean Jans the Younger, late 17th-early 18th century, via the Metropolitan Museum, New YorkĪctaeon was a skilled huntsman, such that he was often compared with Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. In Greek myth, Athena’s breastplate (or, depending on the version, her shield) has the head of Medusa fixed to it: this is at once a powerful image that strikes fear into the enemy, and also a warning of the wrath of the goddess. Her presence suggests a cultural understanding of Medusa’s gaze as a protective ward. Artwork of Medusa’s head is found in many places - floor mosaics, on chariot wheels, decorative busts, above doorways, etc. Medusa’s name means “guardian” in ancient Greek, and so her gaze offers protection. She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil.” (MET Museum, Medusa in Art)

Perhaps this ancient Greek myth warns of the dangers of the lustful gaze.Īthena’s Shield depicting Medusa, The Parthenon Replica, 1897, Nashville, via Wikimedia CommonsĪnother interpretation is that Medusa is an “apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off the negative, much like the modern evil eye. As Medusa was deceived and exploited, she suffered - perhaps unfair - consequences. The man who trusts womankind trusts deceivers.”Įqually, the Medusa myth is a warning to women and young girls to not be tempted by the advances of a man. For example, Hesiod warns against women in his Works and Days, “Do not let a flaunting woman coax and cozen and deceive you: she is after your barn. Women were perceived to be treacherous and cunning. This viewpoint originates from the old misogynistic views of ancient Greek society. To look upon a woman and be enthralled completely was to condemn oneself to “death” - symbolised by turning to stone. Medusa’s Gaze: What’s the Meaning? Terracotta Relief Plaque with Head of Medusa, 2nd century BCE, via the Metropolitan Museum, New YorkĪn initial theory is that Medusa’s curse was a warning for ancient Greek men to beware the dangers of womankind.

Pictures of medusa