Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.5 - 2.21.6
Medusa's reign over Lake Tritonis
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2.21.5
Not far from the building in the market-place of Argos is a
mound of earth, in which they say lies the head of the Gorgon
Medusa. I omit the miraculous, but give the rational parts of the
story about her. After the death of her father, Phorcus, she reigned
over those living around Lake Tritonis, going out hunting and leading
the Libyans to battle. On one such occasion, when she was encamped
with an army over against the forces of Perseus, who was followed
by picked troops from the Peloponnesus, she was assassinated by
night. Perseus, admiring her beauty even in death, cut off her
head and carried it to show the Greeks.
2.21.6
But Procles, the son
of Eucrates, a Carthaginian, thought a different account more
plausible than the preceding. It is as follows. Among the
incredible monsters to be found in the Libyan desert are wild men
and wild women. Procles affirmed that he had seen a man from them
who had been brought to Rome. So he guessed that a woman wandered
from them, reached Lake Tritonis, and harried the neighbours until
Perseus killed her; Athena was supposed to have helped him in this
exploit, because the people who live around Lake Tritonis are
sacred to her.
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