Staying true to the myth, despite seeing her as a monster, she was also a victim. Minerva, also known as Athena in Greek Culture, chose to change the beautiful priestess into a gorgon to allow her to defend herself from possible attacks at her, such as when Neptune (Poseidon in Greek Culture) raped her. Gorgons, in both Roman and Greek culture, are seen as monsters, however, this is a contrast to how Medusa, a turned Gorgon, is depicted.
Medusa came to exist in the Roman civilization 700 years after Homer talked about her in his epics. In contrast to Ancient Greek art, Romans came to portray Medusa as a beautiful creature. They would carefully carve her face details to make her look beautiful. Her depiction was also used as a symbol of protection, seen on breastplates and shields. Mosaics have been found around Europe where Medusa was used as a defense from negative vibes. Medusa was depicted with beautiful curly hair, with just a couple of snakes around her, so it would still show her "bestial origins."