The Myth of Perseus and Medusa
One of Greece’s Greatest Heroes Must Battle a Hideous Monster
Oct 13, 2009
Perseus was the son of the beautiful Danae, daughter of King Acrisius of Argos. A seer had told Acrisius that the son of his daughter would kill him, so he hid her away. She managed to get pregnant in captivity: according to some versions of the myth the father was none other than Zeus, Lord of the Gods, who came to her as a shower of gold.
Unwilling to murder the son of a God, Acrisius set his daughter and grandson adrift at sea on a boat. They washed up on the island of Seriphos, where they were found by Dictys, a fisherman who was brother to King Polydectes.
A Quest for Perseus
Perseus soon grew into a strong young man, and about this time Polydectes fell in love with Danae. Perseus was in the way of his plans for seducing her, so Polydectes set a trap for him. He demanded a gift of a horse from every man on the island, knowing that Perseus did not have one to give. When Perseus asked what he would accept instead of a horse, Polydectes demanded the head of Medusa.
The Story of Medusa, Snake-Haired Gorgon
According to legend, Medusa (occasionally misspelled madusa or medussa) was the most beautiful of the priestesses at a temple of Athena. In some versions of the myth, she was a simple yet stunning maiden, in others, she was the daughter of certain elder Gods who predated the Greek Pantheon and lived with her equally horrid sisters Stheno and Euryale, and the three were known as the Gorgons. The beautiful young maiden was either seduced or raped in the temple by Poseidon, God of the Seas. Either way, she was blamed for desecrating the temple. Furious, Athena changed her into a hideous monster with snakes for hair. Simply meeting her gaze could turn humans into stone statues.
A Little Help from Divine Friends
Even though Perseus was a bright, strong young man with divine blood, he could not handle a monster like Medusa alone. He was given aid by the Gods Hermes, who gave him a sharp sword, Athena, who gave him a highly polished shield, and Hades, who lent him a helmet which would make him invisible. In some versions of the legend, some nymphs gave him some winged sandals and a special container or sack where he could keep Medusa’s head.
A Battle With a Gorgon
Now Perseus was well armed and only needed to find Medusa. He consulted the three witches known as the Graeae. These old witches had only one eye and one tooth between the three of them. Perseus stole the tooth and eye and wouldn’t give them back until they told him where to find Medusa. They told him, and depending on the version of the legend, he either gave the tooth and eye back or threw them in a lake (in some variations, the Graeae tell Perseus where to find the nymphs who give him the sandals and he finds Medusa on his own).
Perseus went to the cave where Medusa lived with her sisters, When Medusa approached, he watched her reflection in the shiny shield given him by Athena, cutting off her head without actually looking at her. From Medusa's blood sprang her offspring, the winged horse Pegasus and the Giant Chrysaor. Perseus put the head in the magic sack and flew away on the winged sandals. Medusa’s sisters gave chase, but they could not see him due to the magic of the helmet.
Return to Seriphos
King Polydectes had wasted no time in the absence of Perseus, trying to seduce Danae. She had eventually been forced to hide out with Dictys. When Perseus saw this, he turned Polydectes to stone with Medusa’s head and made Dictys King. He returned his gifts to Hades, Hermes and Athena and gave Athena Medusa’s head as a gift. She put it in the center of her shield, and depictions of her often show the Gorgon’s head there.
There is much more to the story of Perseus, one of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece.
Source:
Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heroes. New York: Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1974.
 |
