Perseus And The Gorgon's Head
In Tiryns lived King Acrisius, who had only one child, the lovely Danae. Being very anxious to have a son succeed him, Acrisius asked Apollo what he had done that denied him this. His question was unanswered, instead Apollo warned him that Danae would have a son who would kill him.
Acrisius was very angry, and locked Danae up in a tower so that she would never marry. But Zeus visited Danae secretly, and they had a son named Perseus. When he heard that he had a grandson, Acrisius was filled with fear. He set Danae and the baby in a wooden chest, and pushed the chest out to the sea. All night the chest floated over the sea, and in the morning it was washed up on the shores of the island of Seriphos where Polydectes was king. Dictys, a fisherman, who was also the king's brother, found Danae and the child, and took them to his home and looked after them. In time Perseus grew up to be a strong and noble youth, and in time King Polydectes heard of them, and fell in love with Danae. But she would not marry him, for he was well known for his cruelty and wickedness. Polydectes decided to take her by force, but Perseus was always there to guard his mother.
So he devised a scheme to remove Perseus. He held a great feast, inviting all the youths of Seriphos, including Perseus. They all came bringing rich gifts, except Perseus, who came empty-handed. All the others mocked at him, and in the end, Perseus cried, "I'll bring a finer present than any of you!"
"Then you will bring me a Gorgon's head!" Said Polydectes.
Perseus left the palace, and went to sit in the beach, thinking of what he should do. And while he sat there, two Immortals came. They were Athena and Hermes.
"Do not be afraid, Perseus. By the will of Zeus, we are here to help you. I lend to you the sharpest weapon in the world, the sickle of Cronos," said Hermes.
"And I lend to you my shield. Any mortal who look upon the eyes of a Gorgon will be turned to stone immediately, but if you look on her reflection in this shield, all will be well," said Athena.
"First you must visit the Grey Sisters and learn from them how to find the Nymphs of the North Wind. They will lend you anything else you need, and they will also tell you how to find the Gorgons," said Hermes again.
Then Perseus left for a lonely cave in the north where the Grey Sisters lived. They were old women with only one eye and tooth to share between them. Perseus stepped quietly behind them, and as they passed the eye from one to another, he snatched it.
"Daughters of the Titan Phorcus, I have your eye! And you will tell what I wish to know unless you want to live in the darkness," cried Perseus.
So Perseus learnt the way to the Nymphs of the North Wind. He returned the eye, and journeyed there immediately. When he reached, he was welcomed kindly by the Nymphs, and they lend him the Winged Sandals, a magic bag to hold the Gorgon's head, and also Hades' Helmet of Invisibility. They also taught him how to get to the place where the Gorgons lived.
Perseus bade farewell, and soon arrived on the stony land of the Gorgons. As he walked along, he saw statues of men and beasts which had been living creatures until turned to stone by the glance of the Gorgons. Then he saw the three terrible sisters lying asleep in the sun. The Gorgons had hair of snakes and skin of dragon-scales. They also had white tusks like pigs and golden wings which grew from their shoulders. Wearing the Helmet of Invisibility, he walked nearer, looking only at the reflection in Athena's polished shield. Then he saw the face of a Gorgon in the shield, and he drew the sickle and cut off the head with one single blow. He quickly dropped the head into the magic bag. The Gorgon he killed was called Medusa.
The hissing snakes on Medusa's head woke the other Gorgons, who were eager to avenge their sister. Perseus leapt into the air, and with the Winged Sandals, flew away as speedily as he could. Night came, and in the morning he flew over a sea-shore where he saw a maiden chained to the face of a rock.
"Lovely maiden, why are you chained here?" Said Perseus.
She was Andromeda, and she told him how her mother Cassiopea had offended the sea-nymphs. The sea-nymphs then sent a monster to ravage the land, until her father King Cepheus chained her there as a sacrifice.
Perseus had fallen in love with her, and decided to save her. Then he saw a ripple in the water, and in a while a monster emerged. Swiftly, Perseus drew out the Gorgon's head from the magic bag and held it in front of the monster's eyes. The monster was turned to stone, and Perseus cut Andromeda's chain with his sickle, then carried her back to King Cepheus. There was rejoice, and the two were wedded.
Not long afterwards, Perseus and Andromeda set sail for Seriphos, where he found that his mother Danae was enslaved while Dictys was imprisoned. Perseus went alone to the palace, where he found Polydectes sitting at a table with his followers.
"Well, it's Perseus! Have you brought me the present you promised?" Laughed Polydectes.
Perseus answered nothing, and pulled the Gorgon's head from the magic bag for all to see. Polydectes and his followers were all turned to stone. That evening Hermes came to Perseus and took away all the gifts, including the head of Medusa. Later Dictys became king of Seriphos, with Danae as his queen.
Perseus and Andromeda set sail for Argolis, and on the way he stopped at Larissa, where the king was holding a game. Perseus distinguished himself greatly in these, but when it came to throwing the round iron disc, he hurled it so hard that it struck and killed an old man who sat watching. The old man was Acrisius, who had left Tiryns in fear that Perseus would return and fulfil the oracle.
Sorrowing, Perseus and Andromeda went on their way, and they ruled over Argolis for many years. They had many adventures, and in one such adventure, Perseus killed Dionysus. He himself perished not long afterwards, murdered by Megapenthes.
But the son of his granddaughter Alcmena was destined to be a hero who would surpass all others in his mighty deeds, and who was to help Zeus in his battle against the Giants. For this child was Heracles, whom the Romans called Hercules.