Perseus

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Perseus

• Shivani Baisiwala
• Janvi Chawla

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Ovids Metamorphoses

• Perseus story is told in the Metamorphoses
• Book 4 has the stories of Perseus and Atlas and
  of Perseus and Andromeda
• Book 5 contains the story of Perseus and Phineas

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Parentage

• Perseus (?e?se??) was the son of Jupiter and
  Danaë, daughter of Acrisius (King of Argos) and
  Eurydice
• Acrisius (monstrous mortal) went to the oracle to
  find out what the future of his throne would be.
  Instead of hearing happy news, he was told that a
  child from his daughter was destined to kill him.

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• As a result, he imprisoned Danae in a tower.
  However, Zeus appeared in the form of shower of
  gold, and nine months later, Perseus arrived.

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Parentage

• Apollodorus indicated another version of Perseus'
  conception, writing that the real father was
  Proëtus, brother and rival of Acrisius.
• Proëtus had seduced his niece, so that Danaë
  became pregnant

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Perseus and Medusa

• Having found that Danaë had given birth to a son,
  Acrisius locked both mother and child in a chest
  and threw them into the sea.
• However, Zeus asked his brother, Poseidon, to
  guide the chest to the island of Seriphus, where
  the fisherman Dictys found them.

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Perseus and Medusa

• When Perseus grew into a strong young man,
  Polydectes, who was Dictys' brother and the king
  of Seriphus, fell in love with Danaë. Polydectes
  wanted to marry her, but did not want or like her
  son, Perseus, and the feeling was mutual!
• Polydectes invited Perseus to a celebration where
  he had falsely announced his plan to marry a
  daughter of Oenomaüs, Hippodameia.

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• Every guest brought a gift except for Perseus.
  When berated for failure to bring a gift, Perseus
  rashly promised the king that he would bring
  anything the king wished.
• Polydectes jumped at this chance to get rid of
  Perseus and he said that he wanted the head of
  Medusa, a hideous monster, called a Gorgon, whose
  very gaze could turn you to stone!

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The Graeae

• First, with the guidance of Hermes and Athena,
  Perseus sought out the Graeae, sisters of the
  Gorgons.
• Their names are Enyo, Pephredo, and Deino and
  they are the daughters of Phorcus and Ceto.
• They possessed only one eye and one tooth among
  them.
• Perseus stole the eye and tooth and promised to
  return them after the Graeae had revealed how he
  could find the Gorgons and certain nymphs.
• However, when they gave him the information, he
  flung the eye into Lake Triton so they could not
  inform their sisters of his arrival.

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The Nymphs

• From the nymphs, Perseus got a pair of winged
  sandals, a bag for Medusas head and a helmet of
  invisibility.
• Also, Hermes gave him an adamantine sickle. Some
  accounts also say that it was Hermes, rather than
  the nymphs, who gave Perseus the winged sandals.

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The Gorgons

• Now invisible, Perseus flew to the Gorgons.
• They are Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.
• Their heads are covered in snakes, they have
  wings of gold, and they could turn people into
  stone just by looking at them
• Medusa is the only mortal one
• Why? Well, Poseidon was in love with her and they
  played scrabble on the floor of Athenas
  temple. Out of anger, Athena changed Medusa into
  a monster.

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How Perseus Does It

• Perseus, with Athenas guidance, kept his eyes on
  the reflection in his bronze shield (which Athena
  had given him) rather than looking at Medusa.
• When he saw the image of Medusa, he beheaded her
  and left, still invisible so that the other
  Gorgons couldnt catch him.
• When he beheaded Medusa, Pegasus and Chrysaor
  came out children as a result of her union with
  Poseidon.

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Libya

• As Perseus flew back, he flew over Libya.
• Drops of blood fell from Medusas head down to
  the desert, changing into deadly serpents.

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Atlas

• When Perseus had reached the western limit of the
  earth, he wanted to stop and rest.
• This was the realm of Atlas, who had golden trees
  bearing golden fruit.
• Perseus told him that he was a son of Zeus, and
  Atlas was immediately wary because he had been
  told that a son of Zeus would one day rob him of
  his golden apples.
• Therefore, he tried to kick Perseus out.

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• Perseus then raised the head of Medusa and turned
  Atlas to stone.
• Atlas became a mountain and then, because the
  gods willed it, he supported the sky.
• Hercules was the person meant by the prophecy who
  would one day steal the Golden Apples.

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Andromeda

• Flying on, Perseus arrived in Ethiopia where
  Cepheus, King of Joppa, ruled.
• Unfortunately, his wife, Cassiopeia, had bragged
  that she was more beautiful that the nymphs of
  the sea.
• In punishment, every year Poseidon sent a monster
  out of the sea to lay waste to the country.
• When the king asked an oracle what he should do,
  the oracle said that he must sacrifice his
  daughter, the beautiful Princess Andromeda.
• So, he chained her to a rock and left her for the
  monster to devour her.

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Perseus and Andromeda

• When Perseus flew by and saw Andromeda, he flew
  near her and took off his cap of invisibility.
• Having landed in Joppa and having heard what was
  going on, he resolved to save her on the
  condition that she would marry him. King Cepheus
  agreed.

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Killing the Monster

• When the monster, who was named Cetus, came out
  of the sea, Perseus once again began to fly.
  However, the monster saw his shadow on the water
  and began to attack it.
• Then, Perseus swooped down and struck his sword
  through the monsters shoulder and through its
  hide.
• Finally, the monster died and Perseus took
  Andromeda back to palace.

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More Adventures

• Then, he returned the cap, the bag, and the shoes
  to the nymphs and went back to get the Gorgons
  head and Andromeda.
• However, Cepheus had already made another
  marriage proposal for Andromeda he had
  betrothed her to her uncle, Phineas.

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• When Perseus entered the palace and saw what was
  happening, he lifted out Medusas head and turned
  all those challenging him to stone.
• Then, he took Andromeda with him and continued
  on.

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The Killing of Polydectes

• When he reached Seriphos again, Perseus entered
  the palace and announced to Polydectes that he
  had brought the head of Medusa
• Polydectes, not believing that this was true
  challenged Perseus to show him the head.
• Perseus obliged, and immediately everyone who had
  remained to mock Perseus was turned to stone.

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Aftermath

• Perseus then made Dictys the King of Seriphos.
• He gave the Gorgons head to Athena, who placed
  it in the center of her shield.
• Perseus and Andromeda were happily married and
  they had a son named Perses, who gave rise to the
  Persian people.

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Returning (Continued)

• Meanwhile, Acrisius had heard about Danae and
  Perseus and realized that they were still alive.
• Therefore he fled to Thessaly, where Perseus and
  Andromeda had, alas, gone as well.
• Both he and Perseus ended up at a set of funeral
  games.
• Perseus was participating in the discus throw.
• His throw accidentally flew into the crowd, where
  it struck Acrisius, who died.
• Immediately, the people called out Acrisius,
  King Acrisius and Perseus knew that he had
  killed the king and could not hope of taking over
  his kingdom.

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The Death of Acrisius