The Odyssey mentions the Gorgon while Odysseus is leaving the Underworld.
In the Underworld episode of Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus becomes frightened that Persephone might send the Gorgon’s head against him. He therefore returns to his ship with his companions. This brief reference shows that the Gorgon was already a frightening supernatural figure in early Greek epic tradition.
The passage does not provide the full later story of Perseus killing Medusa. Instead, it assumes that listeners recognize the Gorgon as a terrifying presence associated with death and the realm beneath the earth. Later authors expanded the character and supplied the detailed genealogy and heroic quest.
The Odyssey is traditionally attributed to Homer and is generally dated to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE, although the poems developed through an oral tradition. Its Gorgon reference is one of the earliest surviving literary mentions of the monster.