Perseus Greek Son of the god Zeus and Danae; husband of Andromeda; father of Perses; slayer of the Gorgon Medusa.

Perseus Greek Son of the god Zeus and Danae; husband of Andromeda; father of Perses; slayer of the Gorgon Medusa. After many exploits, Perseus may have become king of Argos, but legends differ about what actually happened. Some say that Perseus, Andromeda, and their son, Perses, went to Asia and founded the land of Persia; others say that Perseus accepted the throne of Tiryns and founded the city of Mycenae. The Childhood of Perseus - Mythology. Danae, daughter of King Acrisius of Argos was mother of Perseus. An Oracle had predicted that Acrisius would die at the hands of a son of Danae. Acrisius locked Danae in a bronze tower or chamber. The great god Zeus entered the tower and covered Danae with a shower of gold, after which she bore the son that she named Perseus. Acrisius put mother and son into a wooden chest and cast them upon the sea, hoping thus to avoid the fate the oracle had foreseen. The fisherman Dictys spotted the chest and rescued the pair. He took them to the court of King Polydectes on the island of Seriphos. Perseus 113 Some years later Polydectes fell in love with Danae and wanted to marry her. Perseus, now a robust young warrior, knew that his mother did not want the attentions of the king. To get the young man out of the way, Polydectes contrived to send him on a dangerous and impossible quest. Polydectes asked Perseus to bring back the head of Medusa. Perseus and Medusa - Mythology. Perseus and his mother had been cast away from Argos by King Acrisius, the father of Danae. They found shelter at the court of King Polydectes on the island of Seriphos. When Perseus became a young man, Polydectes sent him on a quest: to bring back the head of Medusa, the sight of whom turned men to stone. Fortunately, Perseus had allies among the gods. Athene, who had turned Medusa from a beautiful maiden into a hideous monster with snakes for hair, still hated Medusa for defiling one of her temples. Athene warned Perseus never to look directly at Medusa lest he be turned to stone, and gave him a burnished shield to use as a mirror. Hermes gave him a sickle, a leather bag in which to carry the severed head, and a pair of winged sandals so that he could fly. Hermes also told Perseus where to find the Graea and how to borrow the helmet of Hades, which would allow him to become invisible. The Graea (Gray Women) were the sisters of the Gorgons. They had only one eye and one tooth among the three of them, which they used in turn. Perseus snatched away the eye and gave it back only when the Graea told him where to find Medusa. Now well protected by the weapons of the gods, Perseus slew Medusa and cut off her head, which he carefully stowed in his leather bag. From the blood of Medusa sprang Chrysaor and the winged horse, Pegasus, children of Medusa and the sea god, Poseidon. Perseus and Andromeda - Mythology. With Medusa's head in his leather bag, Perseus set off on his winged sandals to take the head to King Polydectes of Seriphos. As he flew along the coast, he saw a beautiful woman chained to a rock, weeping. She was Andromeda, daughter of King Cepheus of Ethiopia, in northeast Africa, and of Cassiopeia. Perseus saved Andromeda from being devoured by a sea monster. He uncovered the head of Medusa and turned the monster to stone. Perseus and Andromeda fell in love and decided to marry. At the wedding feast, Perseus defeated another suitor of Andromeda, Phineus, by using the Gorgon's head to turn Phineus and his soldiers into an army of stone. Perseus and Polydectes - Mythology. When Danae and her infant son Perseus were cast adrift in a wooden box on the Aegean Sea, they were rescued by a fisherman, Dictys, and taken to the court of King Polydectes. Polydectes and Dictys (who may have been the brother of the king) took good care of the mother and child. As the years went by, Polydectes became enamored of Danae. To get the son out of the way, Polydectes sent Perseus on the quest to bring back the head of Medusa. Danae was protected from the amorous king by Dictys. They took refuge in a temple. Polydectes amassed an army and went after them. Perseus came to the rescue and turned the king and his soldiers into stone, again using the head of Medusa. Dictys became the new king of Seriphos. Perseus, Danae, and Andromeda returned to Argos, the birthplace of Perseus. Perseus and Acrisius - Mythology. After Perseus had killed Medusa and turned Polydectes to stone, he and his wife, Andromeda, and his mother, Danae, returned to Argos. The now aging King Acrisius, who had long ago set his daughter and her infant son adrift, fled the arrival of Perseus, the young hero, remembering an ancient prophecy that said a son of Danae would kill Acrisius. But he could not escape his fate. Acrisius went to Larissa, where games were being held. Perseus also attended the games. Perseus threw a discus that went awry and hit Acrisius, who died from the blow. Thus the prophecy that Acrisius would be killed by a son of Danae was fulfilled.