In Greek mythology, Pontus was Medusa’s maternal grandfather in the genealogy linking her to Phorcys and Ceto. Pontus was a primordial deity associated with the sea and was the son of Gaia.
Pontus fathered several ancient sea beings with Gaia, including Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia. Phorcys and Ceto became the parents of the Gorgons, including Medusa, as well as other dangerous or marvelous creatures in Greek myth.
This genealogy comes most clearly from Hesiod’s Theogony. It places Medusa within a broad family of primordial sea powers and monstrous beings rather than treating her as an isolated creature.
Pontus is often confused with Poseidon because both are connected with the sea. They are not the same figure: Pontus is a primordial personification of the sea, while Poseidon is an Olympian god who rules the sea in later Greek mythology.