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PAGE ONE
As told by the authors Ovid
and Hesiod
King Acrisius of Argos had only one
child, a daughter named Danaë. She was beautiful above all the
other women of the land, but the King was not content because he
wanted to have a son. Journeying to the Oracle of Delphi, he was
told by the priestess that he would never be the father of a
boy, and even worse, his daughter would have a son who would
kill him.
In an attempt to escape his fate, he tried to ensure that Danaë
would not have any children. He shut and guarded her in a house
built of bronze and sunk underground. He hoped that in this way,
he would not have to kill her and thus would spare his own life.
One day, Zeus visited her as a shower of gold and she bore his
son. For a time, she tried to conceal the child from her father,
but the narrow limits of the bronze house made it increasingly
difficult and soon Perseus was discovered by his grandfather.
Acrisius was very angry but was afraid to kill the boy or his
mother because he feared Zeus. He had a great chest made, placed
the two in it, and brought it to the sea and cast it into the
water. The chest was tossed out to sea and finally one day, they
landed on an island but they had no way to get out of the box.
Fate willed it, or even Zeus, that they were discovered by a
good fisherman, name Dictys. He came upon the box, broke it open
and took them home to his wife who was as kind as he. The two
lived there for many years, Danaë being content to let her son
follow the fisherman's humble trade. But in the end more trouble
came. Polydectes, the ruler of the small island (and Dictys'
brother) fell in love with her. He wanted her, but not her son
(who was now fully grown), and he set himself to think of a way
of getting rid of him.
There existed some fearsome monsters called Gorgons who lived on
an island and were known far and wide because of their deadly
power. Polydectes talked to Perseus and told him that there was
nothing that he rather have than one of their heads. He
announced that he was to be married and called his friends to
the celebration, including Perseus. Each guest, as a custom,
brought the bride-to-be a gift, except for Perseus. Mortified,
he then stood up and declared that he would go off and kill
Medusa (which was one of the Gorgons) and bring back her head as
his gift. This was exactly what the king had planned. There were
three Gorgons and whoever looked at them was turned instantly to
stone. Polydected fully expected Perseus never to return alive.
Not daring to see his mother, he sailed off to Greece to learn
where the monsters were to be found. He went to Delphi, but all
the priestess could tell him was that the men should not eat
Demeter's golden grain but only acorn. He then traveled to
Dodona where the Selli lived and made their bread from acorns.
They too did not know where the Gorgons lived.
When and how Hermes and Athena came to his help was not known
but he must have known despair before they did so. At last,
however, as he wandered, he met a strange and beautiful person -
none other than Hermes, the messenger god and the guide for the
giver of good. This radiant person told him that before he
attacked Medusa, he must first be properly equipped, and that
what he needed was in the possession of the nymphs of the North.
To find the nymph's abode, they must go to the land of the Grey
Women (Graea) where all was dim and shrouded in twilight. These
three women were all grey and withered as in extreme age. They
had but one eye for the three, which they would take turns with,
each removing it from her forehead after she had used it for a
time and then handing it to another.
Hermes unfolded the plan. He would lead Perseus to them and when
they arrived, he would remain hidden until one of them took
their eye out of their forehead to pass it on. At that moment,
he would rush forward and seize the eye and refuse to give it
back until they told him how to reach the nymphs of the North.
Hermes gave Perseus a sword to attack Medusa, which could not be
bent or broken by the Gorgon's scales. This was a wonderful
gift, but what use was a sword if the creature to be struck by
it could turn it into stone before he was within striking
distance? The goddess Athena stood beside Perseus and she took
off her shield of polished bronze and gave it to him. She told
him he would be able to see Medusa in it as in a mirror, and so
avoid her deadly power.
When they found the Grey Women, Perseus carried out Hermes' plan
and was successful in learning where the nymphs of the North
lived. And so he now was bound for the country of the
Hyperboreans. No one had been able to reach the place of the
Hyperboreans but since Hermes was with him, the road laid open
to Perseus. There he found a host full of people always
banqueting and holding joyful revelry, who welcomed him kindly.
They gave him three things: winged sandals, a cap which made the
wearer invisible, and a magic wallet which would always become
right size for whatever was to be carried in it.
When they found the Grey Women, Perseus carried out Hermes' plan
and was successful in learning where the nymphs of the North
lived. And so he now was bound for the country of the
Hyperboreans. No one had been able to reach the place of the
Hyperboreans but since Hermes was with him, the road laid open
to Perseus. There he found a host full of people always
banqueting and holding joyful revelry, who welcomed him kindly.
They gave him three things: winged sandals, a cap which made the
wearer invisible, and a magic wallet which would always become
right size for whatever was to be carried in it.
Now, Perseus was ready for the Gorgons and Hermes knew where
they lived. So the two flew back across the ocean and over the
sea to the Terrible Sisters' island. Luckily they were asleep
when Perseus found them. In the mirror of the shield, he saw the
creature with great wings and bodies covered with golden scales
and hair a mass of twisting snakes. Athena and Hermes pointed
out which one was Medusa because the other two were immortal.
With a single sweep of the sword, he cut her neck and his eyes
were fixed on the shield with never a glance at her, he swooped
low enough to seize her head. He dropped it into the wallet,
which closed around it. The other two Gorgons woke up horrified
at the sight of their slain sister, they tried to pursue the
slayer, but Perseus had on the cap of darkness and they could
not see him.
After the slaughter of Medusa, Perseus, bearing with him the
head of the Gorgon, flew far and wide, over land and sea. As
night came on, he reached the western limit of the earth, where
the sun goes down. Here he would gladly have rested till
morning. It was the realm of King Atlas, whose bulk surpassed
that of all other men. He was rich in flocks and herds and had
no neighbour or rival to dispute his state. But his chief pride
was in his gardens whose fruit was of gold, hanging from golden
branches, half hid with golden leaves.
Perseus said to him, "I come as a guest. If you honour
illustrious descent, I claim Jupiter for my father; if mighty
deeds, I plead the conquest of the Gorgon. I seek rest and
food." But Atlas remembered that an ancient prophecy had warned
him that a son of Jove should one day rob him of His golden
apples. So he answered, "Begone! or neither your false claims of
glory nor parentage shall protect you;" and he attempted to
thrust him out. Perseus, finding the giant too strong for him,
said, "Since you value my friendship so little, deign to accept
a present;" and turning his face away, he held up the Gorgon's
head. Atlas, with all his bulk, was changed into stone. His
beard and hair became forests, his arms and shoulders cliffs,
his head a summit, and his bones rocks. Each part increased in
bulk till be became a mountain, and (such was the pleasure of
the gods) heaven with all its stars rests upon his shoulders.
On his way back, he came to Ethiopia and found that a lovely
woman was about to be devoured by a horrible sea serpent. Her
name was Andromeda. When Perseus arrived, the maiden was on a
rocky ledge by the sea, chained there to wait for the coming of
the monster. Perseus found her and instantly fell in love with
her. He waited beside her and when the great snake came for its
prey, he cut off its head. Perseus took Andromeda to her parents
and asked for her hand in marriage, which they gladly gave him.
When he returned to the island where he was raised, he found no
one. The fisherman's wife had died long ago and Dictys and Danaë
had fled from the furious Polydectes when she refused to marry
him. They had taken refuge in the temple. The king was having a
banquet at the palace, and Perseus seized the opportunity. He
walked into the palace and took out the head of Medusa and all
the guests and the King were turned into stone.
When the islanders knew that they had been freed from the
tyrant, Perseus found Danaë and Dictys. He made Dictys king of
the island and he and his mother returned with Andromeda to
Greece to reconcile with Acrisius. When they reached Argos, they
discovered that Acrisius had been driven away. Perseus heard
that the King of Larissa was holding a great athletic banquet
and he journeyed to take part. In the discus-throwing
competition when his turn came and he hurled the heavy missile,
it swerved and fell among the spectators. Acrisius was there on
visit and the discus struck him and he died at once.
Through this act, Apollo's oracle at Delphi proved to be true.
Perseus and Andromeda lived happily ever after. Their son was
Electryon, who was the grandfather of Hercules. Medusa's head
was given to Athena, who bore it always upon the aegis, Zeus'
mighty shield, which she carried for him.
A WHOLE LOT MORE
PERSEUS INFO ON PAGE TWO
A WHOLE LOT MORE
PERSEUS INFO ON PAGE TWO
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