Perseus was son of Zeus andDanae,
grandson of Acrisius, who had been foretold that the son of Danae would
kill him. After the boy was born Acrisius had Danae and Perseus thrown
into the sea in a wooden chest. By the will of Zeus the chest was cast
up on the shores of the island of Seriphos, where a fisherman, called Dictus,
found them and took in his house. He rose Perseus as his own son. The King
of the island Polydectes, brother of Dictus, fall in love with Danae and
looked for a chance to get rid of Perseus. Polydectes challenged Perseus
to fight the Gorgons. With the help of
Athena
and Hermes,
who first brought him to the
sea nymphs to help him get armed, Perseus managed to behead the
sleeping Medusa. He put her head in the
special pouch bag and started home. The sisters of Medusa awoke, infuriated
they looked for the murderer of their sister, but could not spot him. On
the way back he saved Andromeda and
with her returned to Seriphos. There he found his mother and his adopted
father Dictus seeking refuge at the altars of the gods, because Polydectes
had tried to rape Danae. Perseus showed Polydectes the head of Medusa and
the tyrant was turned into stone. Perseus made Dictus the king of the island
and left for Argos with Andromeda. Their he participated in games and when
he threw the discus, he hit to death Acrisius, who was present at games
as a spectator. Thus the prophecy of the oracle came true.
See: Frederick Leighton.
Perseus and Andromeda.
Anton Raphael Mengs. Perseus
and Andromeda.
Peter Paul Rubens Perseus
Liberating Andromeda, Perseus and
Andromeda.
Paolo Veronese. Perseus
and Andromeda.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones The
Arming of Perseus. One of the nymphs holds out a helmet
that makes anyone in it invisible; another offers him the winged sandals
of Hermes, and the third holds the pouch fro the head of Gorgon.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones The
Escape of Perseus.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones The
Baleful Head. belongs to a series of eight depictions
on the antique myth of Perseus. Here Perseus is shown presenting the head
of Medusa to Andromeda. To avoid danger they gaze its reflection in a pool.