PerseusPerseus was the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. An oracle told King Acrisius that a son of Danae would be the cause of his death. So he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to make sure she would never be married or have children. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of the tower in the form of a shower of gold, and Danae became his bride and got her pregnant.
Enraged over this union King Acrisius out Danae and Perseus into a chest and threw them into the ocean. Zeus did not think they should die though so he directed Poseidon to calm the troubled waters, and caused the chest to float safely to the island of Seriphus where Polydectes was King. Luckily the kings brother who was a fisherman, caught them in his net and pulled them to shore. Perseus grew up to become a strong young man. Polydectes heard about Danae and wanted her to marry him, but she rejected him. Polydectes would have married Danae by force if Perseus wasn't there to protect her .Polydectes wanted to get rid of Perseus so he pretended to be marrying a daughter of a friend of his. Everybody had to bring a present, including Perseus. Polydectes pretended to be furious when Perseus arrived empty-handed, for he was not only very strong and brave but very poor. Perseus pleaded and promised Polydectes anything in the world so Polydectes asked for the head of the gorgon Medusa and Perseus agreed. |
For days Perseus wandered, searching for the gorgons lair. The gorgons were horrible, instead of hair they had black serpents that writhed on their head and if you looked a gorgon you were instantly turned to stone. So Perseus needed a bit of help. Hermes and Athena, two of the big greek gods showed up in front of Perseus. They had belongings that would help him in slaying Medusa. Hermes gave Perseus his winged sandals and the sickle which Kronos used to overpower Uranus and Zeus used against mighty Typhoeus. Athena gave him a reflective shield so he wouldn't be turned to stone. They told him he must find the Graeae three ancient hags, who told him where to find the Nymphs of the North, who will provide him with a cap of darkness and a magic wallet.
To get information from the Graeae, Perseus spied on them from the bushes when one took out the one eye they owned to give to another Perseus sprang from his hiding place and snatched the eye from them. Then he said, "I have your eye and if you don't tell me how to find the Nymphs of the North you shall never have it back!" So they reluctantly told them how to find the Nymphs of the North. He gave them back their eye and flew off on his winged sandals.
|
Perseus proceeded to the Nymphs who told him where the Gorgons lived and also gave him the cap of darkness, which made him invisible and the magic wallet. To kill Medusa Perseus approached the sleeping Medousa while using his refelctive shield, and beheaded her with eyes turned away. Which made him victorious.
On his way back to Greece, he spied the princess Andromeda chained to the rocks as a sacrifice to a sea-monster. Perseus killed the monster, and rescued Andromeda and brought her back to Greece to be his bride.
On Seriphos, he turned King Polydectes to stone, then travelled to his grandfather's kingdom to claim the throne and live a happy life with Andromeda.Many great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, the most famous was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.
On his way back to Greece, he spied the princess Andromeda chained to the rocks as a sacrifice to a sea-monster. Perseus killed the monster, and rescued Andromeda and brought her back to Greece to be his bride.
On Seriphos, he turned King Polydectes to stone, then travelled to his grandfather's kingdom to claim the throne and live a happy life with Andromeda.Many great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, the most famous was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.