In the Tetrabiblos, the 2nd-century astrological text of the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy, Algol is referred to as "the Gorgon of Perseus" and associated with death by decapitation: a theme which mirrors the myth of the hero Perseus's victory over the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa.
The Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy, in his work *Tetrabiblos*, describes Algol as "the Gorgon of Perseus," connecting it to the theme of death by decapitation, a motif that echoes the mythological tale of Perseus slaying Medusa.