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• #Medusa greek mythology full

#Medusa greek mythology full

He at once asked them for the necessary information, and on their refusing to grant it he stole their single eye, which he only gave back to them when they gave him full directions with regard to his route. The Grææ were three very old, gray-haired women, sisters of the Gorgons, who shared one eye and tooth. Perseus started on his expedition, and, guided by Hermes and Athena, arrived, after a long journey, in the far-off region, on the borders of Oceanus, where the Grææ lived. To accomplish this, Athena, the patron of heroes, advised him to find the Hesperide Nymphs, whom only the Grææ knew where they lived. Polydectes held Perseus to his reckless promise and demanded the head of the only mortal Gorgon, Medusa, whose gaze turned people to stone.

He held a large banquet where each guest was expected to bring a gift, but Perseus was unaware of this custom, so he asked Polydectes to name the gift he would not refuse it.

Yet for many years Danae and Perseus remained on the island, where, unbeknownst to Polydectes, Perseus received an education suitable for a hero from the best teacher available–Achilles’, Hercules’, Jason’s, and Theseus’ teacher, Chiron the Centaur.Īs he grew up, Perseus believed Polydectes was less than honorable, and protected his mother from him then Polydectes plotted to send Perseus away on a long, impossible task to humiliate him, or even better, kill him so that he would stop interfering with his plan to marry Danae. Polydectes knew he wanted Danae as his wife the instant he laid eyes on her. Pitying the helpless condition of its unhappy occupants, he led them to the palace of the king. The chest floated safely to the island of Seriphus, where Dictys, brother of Polydectes, king of the island, was fishing on the seashore and saw the chest abandoned on the beach. Enraged, Acrisius commanded the mother and child to be placed in a chest and thrown into the sea.īut it was not the will of Zeus that they should die. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of the tower in the form of a shower of gold, and the lovely Danae became his bride.įor four years Acrisius had no idea this happened, but one evening as he happened to walk by Danae’s room, he heard the cry of a young child from within, which led to the discovery of his daughter’s marriage with Zeus. An oracle foretold to Acrisius that a son of Danae would be the cause of his death, so he imprisoned her in a tall tower in order to keep her isolated from the world. Perseus, one of the most famous of the legendary heroes of ancient times, was the son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. Unit 3: Adventure and The Hero’s Journey Photo by nightowl on Pixabay, $\cczero$ Perseus and MedusaĪdapted from The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.