Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. Perseus and his wife Andromeda happily settled in Tiryns and became the parents of seven sons and one daughter. She is perhaps best recognized by her hair of living snakes and ability to turn living creatures to stone. In the film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, the two masked twins' "peculiarity" is revealed to be that they are Gorgons, with serpentine faces and the ability to petrify.[18]. The Gorgons and the Beheading of Medusa. Today, Perseus is still the name of a constellation in the northern sky. [3] Its use in this fashion was depicted in the Alexander Mosaic, a Roman mosaic (ca. The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts. Athena invented the flute for Medusa, imitating the lament of the two surviving Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale. The story of Perseus birth and the prophecy of his grandfathers death would become the center of the myth known as The Golden Shower.. url = window.location.href; Son of Dana, grandson of King Acrisius; He was guided by Athena and Hermes. Acrisius fled from Argos to Larissa (a city in Thessaly) to avoid Perseus. In Pompeii, a fresco shows an infant Perseus, holding aloft the Gorgons head, and this pose is replicated in statues and artwork around Greece. Free access to premium services like Tuneln, Mubi and more. Angry at Perseus (instead of the gods that wished her to be sacrificed) he took up arms and started a great fight. The sea nymphs fell angry to hear that and complained to Poseidon, the god of the sea. He was the son of mighty Zeus and mortal Danae. While some myths suggest that Perseus volunteered to retrieve the head as a wedding gift, others say he was ordered to as a method of getting rid of the pesky young man. Rather than the father of Perseus, Poseidon is a lover of Medusa, a sea monster who Perseus slew. The beautiful Andromeda was the daughter of the Ethiopian king Cepheus and queen Cassiopeia. As such, the helmet would have been Hades most important object, and to offer it to Perseus was a great symbol of the underworld gods care for his nephew. When you *summarize*, you elaborate. No, he was sent to kill her by King Polydectes of Seriphos. To this day, the god can be seen as Mount Atlas. The Gorgoneion, or Gorgon head, was used in the ancient world as a protective apotropaic symbol. Activate your 30 day free trialto continue reading. Medusa grew wings, tusks, and long claws. Brightest star: Mirfak ( Per) Visible at: Latitudes between +90 and 35. Harold Levine, Norman Levine, Robert T. Levine, Glencoe Language Arts: Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 9, Impact California Social Studies World History, Culture, and Geography The Modern World. Perseus then went to Argos to claim his inheritance. While Hermes used the helm of Hades, and many heroes wore the armor of Hephaestus, no other character in Greek mythology obtained that many accouterments from different gods. Argos itself was associated with Thebes and Corinth, and its myths reflect its contacts with the Levant and Egypt. Eventually, She continues to be recreated in pop culture and art, surpassing the popularity of many other mythological characters. From the nymphs Perseus obtained the Cap of Invisibility, a pair of winged sandals, and a bag (kibisis [ki'bi-sis]). (a) overconfidence, (b) temerity, (c) dismay, (d) brashness. Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and blacksmith to the Olympians, would create armor and weapons for many heroes over the years. 2010 Movie TrailerNope, it's not faithful to the original myth, but it's still fun. Perseus hunted the King down and showed him the head of the Gorgon literally. Among the ancient Greeks, it was the most widely used symbol to avert evil. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. By wearing the winged sandals, he could move in and out quickly. When Perseus sought a place to rest, Atlas refused him. In Hermann Melville's Moby-Dick, the narrator asserts that Perseus was the first whaleman, when he killed Cetus to save Andromeda. We're guessing you've seen a story a like this before and you loved it. Her long, beautiful hair became a head of snakes. Danae conceived Perseus when Zeus, taking the form of a golden shower, impregnated her. Like most of the mythological heroes, the genealogy of Perseus makes him the son of a god and a mortal. Athena, insulted that Medusa was no longer a virgin, punished her by turning her into a monster. By looking at the bronze shields reflection, he never had to gaze directly upon the monster. I don't have enough time write it by myself. What Happened When Perseus Returned With the Head of Medusa? To help him, god Hermes gave him a curved sword and a pair of winged sandals (other versions of the myth say that Hermes did not give Perseus a pair of winged sandals but a white winged horse) while Athena gave him a mirror of polished bronze and a cap from Hades that could make invisible anyone who would wear it. Just in the nick of time the sea monster turned to stone. Medusa had been loved by Poseidon, and from her body sprang their children, CHRYSAOR [kreye-say'or] (golden sword), and the winged horse, PEGASUS [peg'a-sus], or PEGASOS. originally a beautiful priestess in the Temple of Athena; raped by Poseidon in Athena's Temple, goddess who punished Medusa for having been raped by Poseidon in her temple, She bragged that she was more beautiful than the Sea-God Nereus, so for punishment for her arrogance a sea serpent would come and eat her people until her daughter was sacrificed, gave Perseus his daughters hand in marriage, gifts given to Perseus to help him on his quest to defeat Medusa, Volunteering to bring Medusa's head as a wedding gift to Polydectes, Nymphs of the West seducing Perseus represents this part of the Hero's Journey, Slaying the Medusa represents this part of Perseus's Hero's Journey. Epaphus was identified by the Egyptians with the sacred bull, Apis. He made armor for Heracles and Achilles, arrows for Appolo and Artemis, and an Aigis (or goat-skin breastplate) for Zeus. However, instead of it being in battle or any form of murder, death came only as an accident. window.location.href = hostToCompare + path; Retelling the tale of the Medusa has been a labour of love for one Cyprus-based author", "Royal Ballet: Within the Golden Hour / Medusa / Flight Pattern review monsters and melancholy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cultural_depictions_of_Medusa_and_Gorgons&oldid=1131290463, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 13:14. Perseus may have been the first of Greece's monster slaying heroes, but he definitely wasn't the last. Sign up to receive exclusive deals and announcements, Fantastic service, really appreciate it. 200 BC) in Pompeii. Agenor, who became the ruler of Phoenicia, was father of Cadmus and Europa (see MLS, Chapter 17), while Belus ruled in Egypt. In the mythology of Argos, a son of Phoroneus was also called Apis, from whom came the ancient name for the Peloponnese, Apia. [10][11], Medusa (played by Jemima Rooper) appears in the BBC One series Atlantis before she became a Gorgon.[12]. 2. His bones became stones. Since Perseus had killed his grandfather, he felt bad about reigning in his stead, so he went to the Tiryns where he found the ruler, Megapenthes, willing to exchange kingdoms. defeated Medusa; and killed a sea serpent and Polydectes. Enjoy access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from Scribd. The mythological monster Medusa, her sisters, and the other Gorgons, have been featured in art and culture spanning from the days of ancient Greece to present day. Gill, N.S. The best-known story of Perseus and Dionysus comes from Nonnus, who wrote an entire biography of the bacchic god. At this time, Zeus was given his thunderbolts, and Poseidon his famous Trident. WebThe mythological monster Medusa, her sisters, and the other Gorgons, have been featured in art and culture spanning from the days of ancient Greece to present day. window.location.href = hostToCompare + path; Perseus then went to Argos and Larissa to compete in athletic events. Their child was PERSEUS [pers'e-us], whom Acrisius discovered after four years from the noise the child made by playing. He turned the sea monster to stone by showing it Medusas head and afterward married Andromeda. Perseus is the Only Hero to Wear Items From Four Separate Gods. In the discus-throw, his discus accidentally killed Acrisius, and so the prophecy of the oracle was fulfilled. Dionysus could not be turned to stone, however. With quick thinking he uncovered the head of Medusa, pointing it straight at the eyes of the sea monster. Frightened by this prophecy, Acrisius imprisoned his daughter in a bronze chamber and buried her underground. Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae. According to Ovid, as Perseus traveled back to Polydectes, he stopped in the lands of Atlas. Click here to review the details. In the anime series Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Reiji Mizuchi, one of the antagonists of Metal Fusion, owns the Beyblade Poison Serpent, which originally is based on a Cobra, but when in Attack mode, is based on Medusa. Pseudo-Hyginus states, By Joves [Zeus] will, it was borne to the island of Seriphos, and when the fisherman Dictys found it and broke it open, he discovered the mother and child. Medusa: The Ancient Greek Myth of the Snake-Haired Gorgon, Greek Mythology Picture Gallery: Images of Medusa, 10 Fast Facts on Athena and Her Parthenon, The 10 Greatest Heroes of Greek Mythology, The Greek Mythology of Clash of the Titans, Mythical Creatures: The Monsters from Greek Mythology. Perseus was one of the greatest and oldest pan - Hellenic heroes of Greek mythology. However, the same text says that Danaes father, Acrisius, was of Egyptian stock, so Perseus may have been the first Greek in the family through both lines. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled, and Perseus was officially the rightful claim to the throne of Argos. Hermes and Athena advised Perseus how to perform the task, telling him first to go to the three GRAEAE [gree'ee or greye'eye], or GRAIAI (daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, children of Pontus and Ge) and sisters of the Gorgons, who between them had but one eye and one tooth. Chimera, the 1972 National Book Award-winning novel by John Barth, includes a novella called Perseid that is an inventive, postmodern retelling of the myth of Perseus. The chief characters in the Perseus legend, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and the sea monster (Cetus), all figure in the night sky as constellations. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, the king of the gods became a golden rain and seeped into the cracks of the chamber. He founded Mycenae, and from him and Andromeda descended the kings of Mycenae in the generations before the family of Atreus. Area: 615 sq. The constellation depicting Perseus lies in a prominent part of the Milky Way, which is perhaps why Aratus termed him dust-stained. Perseus is cast out into the sea in a wooden chest with his unfaithful mother, yet they survive the rough seas by praying to Poseidon for the seas to be calm. 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