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Perseus is perhaps the oldest of the Greek heroes with depictions of his beheading of the Gorgon Medusa being among the earliest scenes from mythology appearing in art. Even in mythology he is believed to have lived three generations before that other great hero Hercules, who was himself one generation before the Trojan War. Perseus’ mortal father was Danaos and his mother was Danae, the daughter of Akrisios (or Acrisius), the king of Argos. However, Perseus, as with other Greek heroes, was believed to have had divine parentage, something which helped to explain how they could achieve such fantastic feats, providing a link between men and gods and fulfilling their function as role models.
In Perseus’ case, Zeus was thought to be his real father after the king of the gods himself had slept with Danae when she had been imprisoned by her father. Akrisios had locked up his daughter in an underground prison made of bronze after an oracle had declared that his future grandson would kill him. Of course, this was no barrier to Zeus who entered the cell as a shower of golden rain. Naturally, when the child was born, Akrisios was unwilling to believe Danae’s far-fetched story of the golden rain. Suspicious and still mindful of the oracle, he sealed up the mother and child in a wooden chest and had them thrown into the sea. Zeus did not abandon his filial duties, though, and a quiet word with Poseidon ensured sufficiently calm seas, so that the chest washed up safely on the shores of the Aegean island of Seriphos and was found by Diktys, a fisherman who took them in and cared for the castaways.
It was here on Seriphos that Perseus peacefully spent his formative years, impressing everyone with his physical prowess and courage. However, as he grew older Perseus became an obstacle to the designs King Polydektes (or Polydectes) had on Danae, and the king began to look for ways to rid himself of the youth. An opportunity arose when Perseus rashly boasted he could slay the dreaded Gorgon Medusa, whose stare could instantly turn men to stone. Polydektes immediately challenged Perseus to make good on his promise and if he failed, then the king would take possession of his mother Danae.
The task seemed an impossible one, but here Perseus received guidance from the gods. Hermes and Athena counselled him to seek the advice of the three Graiai, who were known to be very wise and were actually sisters of the Gorgons. The three old witches shared one tooth and one eye between them and Perseus stole the eye, promising to return it only if the Graiai told him certain facts which would help him on his perilous mission. In some accounts the hero wanted to know the whereabouts of Medusa, in other versions he asks the Graiai where he could find the nymphs who had the cap of Hades, which made its wearer invisible, and winged sandals or boots so that he might fly. He also wanted a special bag (kibisis) in order to safely keep the severed head of Medusa, whose lethal stare still had power even after death. Naturally, the Graiai wanted their eye back, so Perseus got what he wanted and in addition, Hermes gave him a special sickle (harpe) of adamantine to do the deadly deed.
Using his flying sandals then, Perseus traveled to the ends of the earth (literally) and creeping up on the Gorgon, our light-footed hero, invisible thanks to his cap, beheaded Medusa without much fuss using his divine sickle, the only unexpected event being the emergence of Chyrsaor and Pegasus, the winged horse, from the severed neck of the dead Gorgon. The two surviving Gorgons gave chase, but Perseus received aid from Athena and he easily escaped with his prize.
Finally arriving back at Seriphos, Perseus learned that Polydektes had been abusing his mother in his absence. The hero, therefore, presented to Polydektes the head of Medusa as promised but made sure the deadly stare caught the king’s eye and turned him to stone. Perseus then presented the head as a gift to Athena who placed it at the center of her fearsome aegis.
In Perseus’ case, Zeus was thought to be his real father after the king of the gods himself had slept with Danae when she had been imprisoned by her father. Akrisios had locked up his daughter in an underground prison made of bronze after an oracle had declared that his future grandson would kill him. Of course, this was no barrier to Zeus who entered the cell as a shower of golden rain. Naturally, when the child was born, Akrisios was unwilling to believe Danae’s far-fetched story of the golden rain. Suspicious and still mindful of the oracle, he sealed up the mother and child in a wooden chest and had them thrown into the sea. Zeus did not abandon his filial duties, though, and a quiet word with Poseidon ensured sufficiently calm seas, so that the chest washed up safely on the shores of the Aegean island of Seriphos and was found by Diktys, a fisherman who took them in and cared for the castaways.
It was here on Seriphos that Perseus peacefully spent his formative years, impressing everyone with his physical prowess and courage. However, as he grew older Perseus became an obstacle to the designs King Polydektes (or Polydectes) had on Danae, and the king began to look for ways to rid himself of the youth. An opportunity arose when Perseus rashly boasted he could slay the dreaded Gorgon Medusa, whose stare could instantly turn men to stone. Polydektes immediately challenged Perseus to make good on his promise and if he failed, then the king would take possession of his mother Danae.
The task seemed an impossible one, but here Perseus received guidance from the gods. Hermes and Athena counselled him to seek the advice of the three Graiai, who were known to be very wise and were actually sisters of the Gorgons. The three old witches shared one tooth and one eye between them and Perseus stole the eye, promising to return it only if the Graiai told him certain facts which would help him on his perilous mission. In some accounts the hero wanted to know the whereabouts of Medusa, in other versions he asks the Graiai where he could find the nymphs who had the cap of Hades, which made its wearer invisible, and winged sandals or boots so that he might fly. He also wanted a special bag (kibisis) in order to safely keep the severed head of Medusa, whose lethal stare still had power even after death. Naturally, the Graiai wanted their eye back, so Perseus got what he wanted and in addition, Hermes gave him a special sickle (harpe) of adamantine to do the deadly deed.
Using his flying sandals then, Perseus traveled to the ends of the earth (literally) and creeping up on the Gorgon, our light-footed hero, invisible thanks to his cap, beheaded Medusa without much fuss using his divine sickle, the only unexpected event being the emergence of Chyrsaor and Pegasus, the winged horse, from the severed neck of the dead Gorgon. The two surviving Gorgons gave chase, but Perseus received aid from Athena and he easily escaped with his prize.
Finally arriving back at Seriphos, Perseus learned that Polydektes had been abusing his mother in his absence. The hero, therefore, presented to Polydektes the head of Medusa as promised but made sure the deadly stare caught the king’s eye and turned him to stone. Perseus then presented the head as a gift to Athena who placed it at the center of her fearsome aegis.
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