Perseus was the son of Danae and the high god of the Greeks, Zeus. Her father, Acrisius, had locked her away when it was prophesized that his grandson would kill him. Despite his efforts, Zeus visited Danae disguised as a shower of gold and impregnated her. When Perseus was born, Acrisius cast them into the sea in a locked chest. Mother and son washed up on a beach on the island of Seriphos where a fisherman named Dictys found them and took them to the temple of Athena. Here Danae raised her son.
Goddess Athena
Trouble began when Perseus was a young man and Polydectes, king of Seriphos, fell in love with Danae. She rejected him so he attempted to rape her. Dictys intervened and stopped him. Polydectes then demanded gifts from the young men of the island. While other youths presented him with horses and other expensive items, Perseus was poor and could give him nothing. The goddess Athena, angry at the king for assaulting Danae in her temple, suggested that Perseus bring Polydectes the head of the Gorgon, Medusa, as a great prize.
The Gorgons
There were three Gorgons, the daughters of Ceto and Phorcys. Two of them, Euryale and Stheno, were immortal, the third, Medusa, was not. They are described as having wings of gold, serpents for hair, bodies covered with scales, claws of brass, teeth like a wild boar and a stare that turned men to stone.
Greek Gods Help
Athena knew that Perseus would not be able to slay Medusa without help so she asked her siblings to assist him. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, gave him winged shoes so he could fly and Hades, the god of the underworld, gave him a cap of darkness so he would be invisible. Hephaestus, god of fire, gave him a sword capable of penetrating gorgon scales. Demeter, goddess of agriculture, gave him a pouch that never ran out of food and Athena gave him a bronze shield. Thus equipped, Perseus set out on his quest.
The Graeae
First he had to find the Gorgons. Legend had it they lived in Libya beyond the River Oceanus so Perseus went to Hyperborea where the people there sent him to Africa where dwelt the Graeae, sisters of the Gorgons who had been born with grey hair and had only one eye and one tooth between them. They were the Gorgons first line of defense. Perseus came upon them wearing his cap of darkness so they could not see him and snatched the eye away while it was being passed around and threw it in a lake. Each Graeae thought the other had the eye so he was able to pass by them without them knowing.
Medusa
Continuing on Perseus flew over land filled with people and animals turned to stone. He found the Gorgons asleep and using his shield as a mirror so he would not have to look at them, cut off Medusa’s head. Putting the head in a magic pouch he flew away before the sisters awoke. As Perseus flew away drops of Medusa’s blood fell to earth and in one case became Pegasus, the winged horse, in others turned into snakes.
Andromeda
On his way home, Perseus encountered Atlas who refused him hospitality. Perseus uncovered Medusa’s severed head and turned the Titan into a mountain. As he was flying over the Ethiopian kingdom of Cepheus he saw a young woman chained to a rock to appease Poseidon after her mother had offended a sea-goddess. He fell in love with the beautiful Andromeda and offered to save her from the sea-monster if they would consent to his marrying her. Cepheus agreed.
Phineus Attacks
When the sea-monster arrived for his snack, Perseus flew at him and using his magical sword attacked and slew the creature. Cepheus and his queen welcomed Perseus as their son-in-law but during the wedding feast, Phineus, the king’s brother, arrived and declared that Andromeda had been promised to him. With two hundred men, Phineus attacked the wedding feast. Fortunately, Peresus had his Medusa head handy and holding it aloft turned Phineus and his two hundred into stone.
Revenge of Perseus
Perseus and Andromeda then went back to Seriphos where they found Polydectes about to force Danae to marry him. When the king jeered at Perseus, refusing to believe he had killed Medusa, Perseus flashed the head and turned him to stone. He gave the throne to Dictys, the fisherman who had saved Danae and himself from the sea. When his grandfather, Acrisius learned of his return he remembered the prophesy that Perseus would kill him and fled the country to Thessaly. Many years later while Perseus was competing in the funeral games of the king of Thessaly, he threw a discus that accidentally struck and killed Acrisius.
King of Tiryns
Perseus and Andromeda lived happily together, having six sons and a daughter. Perseus became king of Tiryns and founded the city of Mycenae where he ruled. Upon her death Andromeda was turned into a constellation by Athena.
Bibliography
Myths of the Greeks and Romans – Michael Grant - Mentor Books – 1962
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece – John Pinsent – Bantam Books – 1972
Dictionary of Classical Mythology – J.E. Zimmerman – Bantam Books – 1964
William Silvester - Most of Bill's writing over the past few years has been for the philatelic press and consists primarily of columns and articles about the ...
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