Sentence:  On an Attic vase of the middle of the fifth century the head of <WSD>Medusa</WSD> in the hand of Perseus is represented as that of a beautiful woman free from any distortion. This led us to conclude ("supra", p. 158) that <WSD>Medusa</WSD> must have been so represented at Athens in the greater arts even previous to this vase, for the vase-painters never invent such bold novelties for themselves. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The only mortal of the three gorgon sisters. She is killed by Perseus. The other two sisters were Euryale and Stheno.