Perseus

Perseus & Medusa

Birth & Childhood of Perseus

King Acrisius of Argos had one daughter, Danae. However, the king was not satisfied with having his beautiful daughter, he wanted a son. So he traveled to Delphi and asked the oracle if he would ever have a son. The oracle's answer was that no, he would not have a son, and not only that, but Danae's son would kill him. Trying to avoid fate, he had a bronze box built in the ground, with only a hole in the ceiling to let air in. He then (being the parent of the year that he was) put Danae into the box, thinking that his problem was solved. Unfortunetly, Zeus had other plans. He transformed himself into a shower of gold dust and fell in through the hole in the box. Nine months later, Danae gave birth to a son, Perseus. At his birth, Acrisius (who really should have noticed the fact that she was pregnant sooner) asked who the father was, and Danae proudly said "Zeus". Acrisius didn't exactly belive her, but just to be on the safe side, he didn't kill her and Perseus. Instead, he put them in a great chest, locked it, and threw it in the sea. Danae and Perseus washed up on an island. The chest was discovered by a kind fisherman named Dictys who took them in.
The ruler of this island was island was Polydectes. Polydectes was a cruel ruler who didn't take notice of Danae until Perseus was a young man. Danae was still the most beautiful woman on the island and Polydectes lusted after her. Polydectes announced that he was getting married (to Danae, just Danae didn't know that yet) and had a celebration. Everyone brought a wedding gift except for Perseus. Perseus declared that he would find the island where the Gorgons (There was three of them, including Medusa. They had wings and snakes for hair. Anyone who saw them turned into stone) lived and kill Medusa (the only mortal Gorgon), taking her head back as a wedding present.

Even though Perseus had said that he would kill Medusa he wasn't completely sure where they actually lived, which posed as quite the problem. Not only did Perseus have to find where Medusa lived, but he had to figure out how to kill her without killing himself. Luckily, two Gods had been keeping an eye on him, Hermes and Athena (they basicly did all the work for him). After Perseus visited Delphi and Dodona with no results, he was to the point of almost giving up when Hermes finally came to his aid. Hermes told him where he must find the proper weapons to defeat Medusa. These weapons were in the hands of the nymphs of the North and in order to find the nymphs, he needed to see the Gray Women. The Gray Women were three very old women who only had one eye between them. After one had had it for a time, they would give it to the other. Hermes brought Perseus to the place where the Gray Women lived and told him to hide until they changed eyes, then take their eye during the pass. He did so, and it took them awhile to realize that someone else had the eye. Perseus refused to give it back until they told him where the nympths of the North lived. They did so, eager to have their only eye back. So off Perseus went, (led by Hermes) to the nymphs of the North. The nymphs treated him well and he was reluctant to leave. When he finally did, they gave him winged sandals that would make him fly, a magic wallet that would enlarge or shrink to hold anything, and a cap that made the wearer invisible. Hermes and Athena both gave Perseus a gift as well. Hermes gave him a sword that would cut through Medusa's scales and not break. Athena gave him a ploished bronze shield. Perseus was told to aim the shiled so he could see Medusa in the reflection of it, and to look at that instead of at her, which would have turned him into stone.
When Perseus came upon the Gorgons, they were all asleep. Still, even then, Athena and Hermes were with him. When Perseus cut off Medusa's head, Athena's hand guided his. He took off Medusa's head and put it in the magic wallet. In doing so, he woke up Medusa's sisters, but they could not find him because he was wearing the cap of invisibility.