From the introduction: For ages, Poseidon and Athena had been rivals for the attentions of the people of Athens, Poseidon offering the people a spring of water, and Athena offering them an olive tree. The people chose the gift of Athena making her the patron of the city. Ever since, Poseidon has brooded over his loss. One day, the sea nymph Medusae, who was the most beautiful of the three Gorgon sisters, was courted by the god Poseidon. She ran away from him and hid in the temple of Athena in the Acropolis at Athens. There, the god caught her and raped her on the floor of the temple. When Athena discovered this, she cursed Medusae, turning her into a hideous monster and banishing her to a lonely island.