PAGE TWO

A whole bunch of Perseus info in point form

Prophecy and Birth.
When once Danae's father King Acrisius of Argos questioned the oracle, it said that Danae would give birth to a son who would kill him. Fearing that, he built a brazen chamber under ground and there he guarded Danae. But Zeus had intercourse with her in the shape of a stream of gold which poured through the roof into Danae's lap. When her father afterwards learned that she had got a child, he would not believe that she had been seduced by Zeus, but not wanting to take a chance of rousing Zeus' wrath, he put her with the child in a chest, and he cast it into the sea. The chest was washed ashore on the island of Seriphus, which is one of the chain of islands called Cyclades, where Polydectes was king.

Getting rid of uncomfortable person.
Polydectes, who colonized Seriphus and there became king, fell in love with Danae but could not be with her because of Perseus. And as a good method to get rid of unconfortable persons is to give them a dangerous assignment far away, Polydectes sent young Perseus to fetch and bring back the head of Medusa, and so Perseus departed under the guidance of Hermes and Athena.

The quest.
In order to find his way he met the GRAEAE, who were sisters of the GORGONS, and old women from birth. The three GRAEAE had but one eye and one tooth, and these they passed to each other in turn. But Perseus, taking their tooth and eye, compelled them to show him the way to the NYMPHS who had the winged sandals and a wallet (kibisis). So when the GRAEAE had shown him the way, he gave them back the tooth and the eye, and coming to the NYMPHS got what he wanted.

The death of Medusa.
So he slung the wallet about him, fitted the sandals to his ankles, and put the Helmet of Hades on his head, because wearing it, he saw everyone, but himself was invisible. And having received from Hermes an adamantine sickle he flew to the ocean and caught the GORGONS asleep, and while Athena guided his hand and he looked on a brazen shield, in which he could see the image of Medusa, he beheaded her and put the head in the wallet. Perseus proceeded in this way because whoever looked directly at Medusa was instantly turned into a stone. The other two GORGONS pursued him, but because of the helmet, which made him invisible, they could not see him, even less find him.

Andromeda released.
Perseus came then to Ethiopia where he found the king's daughter Andromeda set out to be the prey of a sea monster, a situation that had been caused by her mother's boasts against the NEREIDS. For she had said that she was better than them all, and for that reason the NEREIDS felt angry and Poseidon, sharing their wrath, sent a flood and a monster to invade the land. Andromeda, then, was exposed to the monster, in order to appease both Poseidon and the NEREIDS. When Perseus saw this girl in such a distress, he fell in love with her and promised King Cepheus that he would kill the monster, if he would give him the rescued girl to wife. The king agreed and Perseus slew the monster and released Andromeda. However her uncle, who had been betrothed to her, plotted against him. But Perseus, who now owned an extraordinary weapon, discovered the plot, and by taking out of the wallet the head of Medusa and showing it to the disappointed lover, he turned him into a stone.

Perseus came back to Seriphus only to discover that Polydectes behaved like a cruel ruler. And once again, remembering his weapon, he entered the palace and showed the king and his friends the head of Medusa, and all who saw it were instantly turned into stone. After this he gave all objects he had borrowed to their respective owners, and the head he gave to Athena, who inserted it in her shield. That is why some say that Medusa was beheaded for Athena's sake, because Medusa used to match herself with Athena in beauty.

Prophecy fulfilled.
When all this was done Perseus went with Danae and Andromeda first to Argos and later to Larissa, to compete in athletic games. And in the course of the competition Perseus killed King Acrisius of Argos by accident, the same man to whom the oracle had said that his daughter would give birth to a son who would kill him. And in that way, during the games, the oracle was fulfilled.

Some say, however, that Acrisius was obssessed with the oracle and that when he discovered that Perseus and Danae were staying at Polydectes's court, he went to get them, but at his arrival Polydectes interceded for them, and Perseus was made to swear that he would never kill his grandfather. Acrisius, however, had to stay there because of a storm, and in the meanwhile Polydectes died. And they say that it was at his funeral games that the wind blew a discus from Perseus's hand at Acrisius' head killing him. They also say that, after this, Perseus went to Argos and took possession of Acrisius' kingdom.

Exchange of kingdoms and foundation of Mycenae.
Perceiving that the oracle was fulfilled, he buried Acrisius and being ashamed to return to Argos to claim the inheritance of the man he had killed, Perseus went to Megapenthes at Tiryns and effected an exchange of kingdoms with him, surrendering Argos into his hands. So Megapenthes reigned over the Argives, and Perseus reigned over Tiryns. And, having taken over in this city, he also founded Mycenae.

Death and immortality.
Perseus is said to have being killed by Megapenthes, "on account of the death of his father", as someone puts it. Megapenthes is a son of Proetus by Stheneboea, that is, half-brother of Perseus. Perseus is also said to have been made immortal and placed among the stars.

MORE MEDUSA INFO HERE

MORE MEDUSA INFO HERE

BACK HOME