Perseus

PerseusCellini.

PerseusWith Medusa's head.

Perseus (in ancient Greek, Περσεύς) is a demigod from Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Danae. He is the husband of Andromeda and father of seven children. Tradition attributed the founding of Mycenae to him.

Birth of Perseus

Perseus holding the head of Medusa (French of Pompeii).

According to the version of Pseudo-Apolodoro and that of Pausanias, an oracle had announced to Acrisius, king of Argos, that he would die at the hands of his own grandson. To avoid this, Acrisius had his daughter Danae locked up in a bronze tower (or in an underground chamber made of that material) to prevent him from having any relationship with any male. However, the king of the gods, Zeus, transformed into a shower of gold that fell on Danae from her roof, impregnating her. But there is another tradition, which Ovid collects in his Metamorphoses, which said that it had been Preto, Acrisio's brother, who had seduced Danae. In any case, the princess conceived Perseus. When Acrisio found out, not believing the birth of the child to be divine, he threw him with Danae into the sea in a wooden chest. The sea was calmed by Poseidon at the request of Zeus, and the mother and son survived and reached the coast of the island of Serifos. On that island King Polydectes ruled, and his sister Dictis took in the woman and the child, whom she would raise as if she were his son.

Expedition to kill Medusa

Painting by Joachim Wtewael: Perseus liberating Andromeda. Louvre Museum. Paris. The Renaissance painters often associated, erroneously, the flight of Perseus with the winged Pegasus horse. In the tradition of Greek myths, Perseus flies with his winged sandals.

Later, Polydectes fell in love with Danae. Thinking that the young Perseus could be a hindrance to his plans, he tried to get rid of him by means of a stratagem: he made everyone believe that he intended to conquer the princess Hippodamia and asked the inhabitants of the island to give him a gift each as present, to be able to offer it in turn to the princess. Perseus said that he would not object to giving up anything: even if it were to be the head of Medusa, that she was one of the three Gorgons and could turn men to stone with just a look. Polydectes accepted the horses of other inhabitants of the island as gifts, but he did not accept those of Perseus, and he ordered him to bring him the head of the Gorgon that he had promised him.

Perseus set out, guided by the gods Athena and Hermes, in search of the daughters of Phorcys: the grays, sisters of the gorgons. The grays were three old women who only had one eye and one tooth for the three of them, and they passed them to each other. Perseus took their eye, and, in exchange for returning it, forced them to confess where the nymphs lived, their sisters.

Thus, Perseus found the nymphs, from whom he would obtain a magical bag to contain his head safely, winged sandals and the helmet of Hades, which made the wearer invisible. In addition, he received from Hermes a steel (in other versions, diamond) sickle, with which he could cut off the head of Medusa, and he received from Athena a mirror-shiny shield.

Supplied with these objects, Perseus managed to enter the home of the Gorgons, who, like the Grayas, were daughters of Phorcys. While the Gorgons were asleep, Perseus approached them. Athena guided the hand of Perseus, who also used the bronze shield that the goddess had lent him as a mirror to see Medusa without looking directly at her. Thus, Perseus managed to cut off the Gorgon's head, from which the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Crisaor were born. Stheno and Euryale, the immortal sisters of Medusa, searched for Perseus but could not find him because Hades' helmet made him invisible.

Encounter with Atlas

Perseus then went to the country where Atlas reigned, to whom, once there, he asked for hospitality. Atlas, however, remembered that an oracle had told him that a son of Zeus would come to steal the fruits of the garden of the Hesperides, and he tried to expel Perseus. He used Medusa's head, and Atlas was turned to stone.

Andromeda Rescue

Perseus kills Polidectes.

Upon reaching Ethiopia or, in other versions, Jaffa, Perseus found Andromeda chained to a rock: her parents, the kings Cepheus and Cassiopeia, had ordered her to be left there to be devoured by a sea monster, Ceto, that it had been sent by the gods as punishment for Cassiopeia boasting of being more beautiful than the Nereids. An oracle of Amun had said that they would only be freed from the monster if Andromeda was offered to him as food. Perseus fell in love with Andromeda and decided to free her from her. After asking Cepheus and Cassiopeia for the princess's hand, he killed the monster with his sword, or, according to other versions, petrifying a part of the monster by showing him Medusa's head.

During the wedding banquet with Andromeda, Phineus, her paternal uncle and at the same time her fiancé, arrived. A battle began between those who supported the link and the supporters of Phineus. Perseus killed many, but, seeing the numerical inferiority of his side, he had no choice but to use the head of Medusa to turn Phineus and those who accompanied him into stone.

Perseus takes revenge on Polydectes

Afterwards, Perseus returned to Serifos. There, Dictis and Dánae had taken refuge in a temple fleeing from the harassment of Polydectes. Perseus appeared before Polydectes and before his entire court, he took out Medusa's head and showed it to the entire audience, which was petrified. He then made Dictys king of Serifos, gave Hermes back the winged sandals and gave him the bag and helmet of Hades, and gave Medusa's head to Athena, who would put it on her shield.

Prophecy Fulfillment

Later, Perseus decided to return to Argos, with Danae and Andromeda. Having found out that his grandson was traveling to meet him, Acrisio put land in the middle heading to Lárisa, where he began to witness some games. Perseus also attended those games and participated in the discus throw, but he did so with such bad luck that he hit Acrisius on the head and killed him, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Due to this accidental death, Perseus did not want to continue ruling in Argos, his rightful kingdom. His second uncle Megapentes, Danae's cousin was king of Tiryns, so they exchanged kingdoms: Perseus thus became king of Tiryns and Megapentes of Argos.

Children and descendants

According to Apollodorus, Perseus had children with Andromeda. Before going to Hellas, he fathered Perses, whom he left with Cepheus (it is said that the kings of Persia descend from him); and already in Mycenae Alcaeus, Esténelo, Heleo, Méstor and Electrión were born. They also had a daughter Gorgophone, whom Perieres married. Host), and Electrion to Lysidice (parents of Alcmene), but Stenelo preferred Nicipe (parents of Eurystheus). The best known of his descendants would have been Heracles, son of Alcmene. In other traditions it is said that the daughter of Perseus was not Gorgofone, but Autocte, who bore daughters to Aegeus, but no sons. son: Cynurus, eponym of a city in Laconia.

The character of Perseus in movies and video games

• In the Italian film Perseus the invincible1963, directed by Alberto De Martino, the character of Perseus was interpreted by Richard Harrison.
• 1973: Perseus (Персей), short film of cartoons produced by Soyuzmultfilm and directed by Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya (Aлександра Снежко-л Boцкая, 1909-1980).
• In the 1981 film Future of Titans, the character of Perseus was played by Harry Hamlin (n. 1951).
• In the 2010 film of the same title, the character was played by Sam Worthington.
• In the 2010 feature film, Perseus's story does not correspond to the myth except by names and by various facts; it does not have a temporary or descriptive pattern with the myth, nor with the 1981 film.
• The Perseus character "Percy" Jackson is so called in reference to Perseus, although the character of Riordan is the son of Poseidon and a mortal named Sally Jackson, and not Zeus. Among the similarities with Perseus, Percy kills Medusa and meets Cronos.
• In the play "God of War 2" of Playstation 2, 2007, the Perseus character makes his appearance.