HERO’S OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY - PERSEUS

 

King Acrisius of Argos was warned by an oracle of Apollo one-day

That he would be killed in time by a son born to his daughter Danae

Fearful He locked her up in a bronze tower and threw away the key

And thus prevented her from having children or being able to marry

 

The bronze tower had no doors but it had one very small window

Then one night Danae who was very sad saw a strange sort of glow

The god Zeus entered disguised as a golden shower bright as dawn

He joined in union with the girl and as a result Perseus was born

 

Acrisius learned of this and when entered the tower he was furious

Danae sat with a baby on her lap, smiled and said, "this is Perseus"

Acrisius put Danae and baby into a brazen chest and cast it out to sea

Perhaps the King expected it to sink like a stone but it was not to be

 

Instead of sinking the chest floated away from the shores of Argos

Eventually fetching up on a lonely beach on the island of Seriphos

Dictys the king’s brother found the chest while he was out fishing

And he took its contents under his protection without questioning   

 

One-day king Polydectes, Dictys's brother took a fancy to Danae

And he pressed his attentions upon her, which she turned him away

Perseus who had grown up to become a very strong young man

Made his own objections to Polydectes as only a young man can

 

And the king angry but outwardly amenably agreed he would desist

He would have married her by force if Perseus wasn't there to resist

So he grew more subtle in the pursuit of achieving his desire of her

And so decided on a plan to be rid of Perseus so he could not interfere

 

Polydectes pretended to be marrying Hippodameia a friend’s daughter

And everybody was required to bring a gift no matter who they were

Polydectes pretended to be furious when Perseus arrived empty-handed

“Why do you dishonor me and my bride in this way”? He demanded

 

Perseus though very strong and brave was also very poor in his defense

He explained to the king that he had no money and he meant no offence

He pledged to bring the king any gift in the world and he would cede

“Then bring me the head of the gorgon Medusa!" and Perseus agreed

 

The gorgons were horrible but Perseus set off to kill medusa as he said

Instead of hair the creatures had black serpents that writhed on their head

And they had brazen hands that could have crushed Perseus effortlessly

But worst of all if you looked a gorgon you were turned to stone instantly

 

For weeks he wandered on his perilous way in search of the gorgon’s lair

One night in an unknown country he was finally overcome by despair

Then suddenly appearing before him goddess of crafts and war Athena

She offered him help on how to find and defeat the gorgon Medusa

 

Go and seek out the kindly nymphs of the north she told him Firstly

Ask for the Cap of Darkness which renders the wearer total invisibility

Before he left Perseus was given her own mirrored shield by Athena

And the sickle of adamant and winged sandals from Hermes her brother

 

Seeking out the nymphs was not as simple as he had first thought

Perseus must first visit the Graeae sisters for the location he sought

And to find the graeae he had to go to the world’s western parameter

Find Atlas and ask him to direct him to the sister’s home in the vicinity

 

He traveled to the west and found Atlas one of the renegade Titans

Who was paying eternally for defying Zeus by holding up the heavens

Perseus politely asked atlas where he could find the three graeae sisters

This atlas duly did by nodding in the direction of the cave dwellers

 

The Graeae Sisters were strange hags with one eye between the three

Which they were constantly fighting over to have their chance to see

Perseus hid at the mouth of the cave and watched them very carefully

Then he picked his moment and snatched the eye so they couldn’t see

 

Then Perseus demanded they tell him the northern nymph’s location

If they did not then they would never get their precious eye back again

Eventually the old hags told Perseus what he need to know Reluctantly

He tossed the eye in a corner and on winged sandals flew across the sea

 

The northern nymphs were called naiads and were actually minor deities

They were mortal creatures who dwelt in pools and ponds in societies

The kindly Nymphs gave him the Cap of Darkness that he was seeking

As well as a special magic pouch to carry Medusa’s severed head in

 

They told him he must go still farther north to find the gorgons' lair

When Perseus found a large rocky island he would find medusa their

So with the cap of darkness and the magic pouch he set of north again

Where he found an island adorned with statues which used to be men

 

Before setting down on the island Perseus put on the Cap of Darkness

Then reflected in his shield he saw the gorgons asleep in the bleakness

Perseus then flew down safe in his invisibility to fine medusa prone  

And He swung the sickle and felt it tearing through sinew and bone

 

Still using the shield, he put the head in the magic bag without delay

And Before Medusa's sisters attacked him Perseus flew quickly away

On his way home first visited Atlas and because he pitied the titan

Using medusas head he turned him to stone and relieved his burden

 

As he traveled closer to Seriphos he saw a statue chained to a rock

When he flew down, he saw that it was not a statue, but a young woman

Her name was Andromeda and her mother had boasted that her beauty

Was greater than that of the Nereid’s who were the nymphs of the sea 

 

So Andromeda must be sacrificed to appease the god of the sea Poseidon

And a great sea monster would devour her from the rocks she stood upon

Even as she spoke a monster rose from the sea with the force of a cyclone

Perseus took the head from the pouch and the monster turned to stone

 

He cut her chains and took her to her father, King Cepheus of Phoenicia

Cepheus gladly agreed when Perseus asked for the hand of Andromeda

So once again for Seriphos Perseus set off and in his arms was Andromeda

There was one last stop so Perseus could compete in the games at Larisa

 

But when he threw a discus it hit an old man in the stands called Acrisius

So, the prophecy came true he was killed by his daughter’s son Perseus

And after mourning briefly Perseus and Andromeda’s last journey began

When they arrived the first person, they met was Dictys the fisherman

 

Dictys told them how the king hadn’t married and of his mothers burden

But Danae wouldn't marry him, so he forced her to be his handmaiden

Perseus was furious leaving Andromeda with Dictys he went to the palace

After alerting his friends he showed Polydectes and his court Medusa’s face

 

When Polydectes and his supporters had been turned to stone forever

As rulers Perseus and Andromeda lived happily for many years together

And their descendants became great kings down through the generations

After death Perseus and Andromeda were put in the sky as constellations