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| Altar with Gorgon, Pegasus, and Chrysaor (about 500-475 BC) Gela, acropolis at Bosco Littorio Terracotta, painted Museo Archeologico Regionale di Gela, inv. Sop. BL 10 [Cat. no. 56] |
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Altar with Gorgon, Pegasus, and Chrysaor (about 500-475 BC)
Along with cat. nos. 57 and 58, this large altar (arula) was found in the commercial district by the sea in ancient Gela. A catastrophic event, like an earthquake, buried the three altars until their recent discovery.The front of this piece depicts the Gorgon Medusa wearing winged boots and knotting the belt of snakes at her waist. She is rendered in a running pose with her wings spread. Under her arms, she holds her children-Chrysaor and the winged horse, Pegasus-conceived from her relationship with the god of the seas, Poseidon. Chrysaor and Pegasus sprang from the bleeding body of their mother after the hero Perseus decapitated Medusa, whose horrifying expression was capable of turning men into stone.
Page 2 of 9 | On the next page: Altar with Three Female Figures (about 500-475 BC)