From Humbaba to Medusa: A Historical and Iconographic Overview

Abstract

This study provides an overview of Mesopotamian influences on Greek art, especially the influence of Humbaba imagery from the Epic of Gilgamesh on the Gorgons’, particularly Medusa’s. Based on specific examples of artefacts and historical sources, including vases, masks, cylinder seals and inscriptions, the present paper explores how motifs and symbolic representations were understood and interpreted across the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis highlights parallels in narrative themes, visual compositions and protective symbolism, suggesting that Greek adaptations may hypothetically reflect selective borrowings from broader Eastern artistic and mythological traditions rather than independent invention.