In Greek mythology , the most famous of the monsters known as
Anyone who looked directly at Medusa turned to stone. She was the only Gorgon who was mortal. The hero Perseus , looking only at her reflection in a shield given to him by Athena , killed her by cutting off her head. Perseus later gave the severed head to Athena, who placed it in her shield; according to another account, he buried it in the marketplace of {{link=%C3%81rgos">Argos .