The Roman poet Ovid reimagined Medusa as a beautiful priestess who was violated by Poseidon in Athena's temple and subsequently cursed by Athena.

Centuries after Hesiod, the Roman poet Ovid offered a profoundly different and highly influential account of Medusa's origins in his epic poem, *Metamorphoses*, written around 8 CE. Ovid narrates that Medusa was once a maiden of extraordinary beauty, particularly renowned for her hair. She was a priestess in the temple of Athena (Minerva in Roman mythology), sworn to chastity. According to Ovid, the sea god Poseidon (Neptune) saw Medusa and, overcome with desire, assaulted her within the very sanctuary of Athena. Outraged by the defilement of her temple and perhaps unable or unwilling to punish a fellow Olympian god, Athena redirected her fury onto Medusa, transforming her beautiful hair into venomous snakes and giving her the infamous petrifying gaze. This version introduces the tragic element of Medusa as a victim, punished for a transgression committed against her.