Perseus is a legendary ancient Greek athlete, hero and winner, a character in the myths of Ancient Greece. Perseus – demigod, son of the supreme god of thunder and lightning Zeus and the earthly princess, the beautiful Danae.
Danae's father, King Acrisius, having heard the oracle's prediction that her daughter would give birth to a child from God, and this child would accidentally kill him, Acrisius, imprisoned her and assigned a maid to guard the princess day and night. But Zeus, in love, entered the beautiful Danae in the form of a golden shower, and while the maid was excitedly collecting gold coins from the floor, he entered the princess’s bedroom. The famous classical painting by the artist Rembrandt tells exactly about this love story. From this love meeting Perseus was born.
When Perseus grew up, he became famous for defeated the monster Medusa the Gorgon. This sorceress wore hissing poisonous snakes on her head instead of hair, and everyone who looked at the Gorgon turned to stone forever. So many people and heroes died that tried to destroy the monster. King Polydectes, having imprisoned Perseus' mother, Danae, in his chambers, sent Perseus to kill the Gorgon in order to get rid of him once and for all. Such an order then was tantamount to sending someone to certain death.
The gods helped Perseus kill Medusa - they gave him magical equipment: winged sandals, a magic bag, an invisibility hat. Perseus's dexterity and ingenuity helped him kill Medusa and avoid the abyss - he looked at the sleeping monster through her reflection on the copper mirror shield. Having cut off Medusa's head, Perseus brought it in a bag to Polydectes' palace and showed it to the king. The head of Medusa for a long time retained the property of turning people to stone, and Polydectes and his retinue turned to stone, and Perseus freed his mother from captivity.
After this feat, Perseus was called to free people from another monster. It was a sea monster rising from the abyss to eat the captives prepared for it as sacrifices. Having killed the sea serpent, Perseus freed the captives tied to the rock, and then married one of the captives - Princess Andromeda. Perseus and Andromeda had many children, they lived happily ever after.
The story of Perseus is one of heroism, perseverance and courage. Message about Perseus Perseus is a legendary ancient Greek athlete, hero and winner, a character in the myths of Ancient Greece. Perseus is a demigod, the son of the supreme god of thunder and lightning Zeus and the earthly princess, the beautiful Danae. Danae's father, King Acrisius, having heard the oracle's prediction that her daughter would give birth to a child from God, and this child would accidentally kill him, Acrisius, imprisoned her and assigned a maid to guard the princess day and night. But Zeus, in love, entered the beautiful Danae in the form of a golden shower, and while the maid was excitedly collecting gold coins from the floor, he entered the princess’s bedroom. The famous classical painting by the artist Rembrandt tells exactly about this love story. From this love meeting Perseus was born. When Perseus grew up, he became famous for defeating the monster Medusa the Gorgon. This sorceress wore hissing poisonous snakes on her head instead of hair, and everyone who looked at the Gorgon turned to stone forever. So many people and heroes died that tried to destroy the monster. King Polydectes, having imprisoned Perseus' mother, Danae, in his chambers, sent Perseus to kill the Gorgon in order to get rid of him once and for all. Such an order then was tantamount to sending someone to certain death. The gods helped Perseus kill Medusa - they gave him magical equipment: winged sandals, a magic bag, an invisibility hat. Perseus's dexterity and ingenuity helped him kill Medusa and avoid the abyss - he looked at the sleeping monster through her reflection on the copper mirror shield. Having cut off Medusa's head, Perseus brought it in a bag to Polydectes' palace and showed it to the king. The head of Medusa for a long time retained the property of turning people to stone, and Polydectes and his retinue turned to stone, and Perseus freed his mother from captivity. After this feat, Perseus was called to free people from another monster. It was a sea monster rising from the abyss to eat the captives prepared for it as sacrifices. Having killed the sea serpent, Perseus freed the captives tied to the rock, and then married one of the captives, Princess Andromeda. Perseus and Andromeda had many children, they lived happily ever after. The story of Perseus is one of heroism, perseverance and courage.
Perseus is a great hero of Greek mythology. Part 1
Perseus, Greek - son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of King Acrisius.
Perseus - was a mythological hero who lacked negative traits. In this respect, he is superior, for example, to Hercules, who sometimes succumbed to fits of rage and also often got drunk, or Achilles, for whom personal interests were above the interests of the entire army. Perseus was equal in beauty to the gods, distinguished by strength, dexterity and unparalleled courage, and most importantly, he always achieved success in everything.
Perseus was born under unusual circumstances. His grandfather Acrisius, the king of Argives, was predicted that he would be killed by his own grandson. To avoid this fate, Acrisius hid his daughter in an underground dungeon of stone and bronze to isolate her from contact with men. However supreme god Zeus outwitted Acrisius. Since he liked Danaë extremely, he entered the dungeon through the ceiling, showering with golden rain. After the allotted time, Danae gave birth to a son, whom she named Perseus. Danae did not hide the divine origin of her son, however, Acrisius decided to get rid of him. He ordered a large one to be made wooden box, locked his daughter and grandson in it, hammered the box with his own hands and threw it into the sea.
However, the son of Zeus was not destined to drown like a blind kitten. The waves carried the box far to the east, to the island of Serif, where it was caught by the fisherman Dictys, brother of the local king Polydectes. He took Danae and Perseus to the royal palace, and Polydectes gave her the warmest welcome. He showered Danae and her son with attentions, counting on her gratitude and, perhaps, something more on her part. But Danae did not like his attentiveness, which turned into importunity; she wanted nothing to do with him - and certainly not the son that Polydectes wanted to have from her. Many years passed like this. Desperate to achieve his goal with good, he decided to resort to force, but by this time Perseus had already grown up and was able to stand up for himself and his mother.
Polydectes decided at any cost to get rid of Perseus, who was preventing him from speaking out against him openly; he did not risk it, fearing the wrath of the ruler of gods and people. Instead, he decided to push the young man into a rash act. Once at a feast, Polydectes doubted the divine origin of Perseus: for this, they say, words alone are not enough, this still needs to be proven, say, to perform some superhuman feat. Perseus agreed, and then Polydectes invited him to kill the terrible gorgon Medusa and bring her head.
The task was truly superhuman. Firstly, it was known that at one glance at Medusa - a winged monster with long fangs and snakes instead of hair - everyone turned to stone; secondly, it was not known where Medusa lives along with her two sisters. Only the gods could help Perseus in this matter, and since the gods love the brave, they decided to help Perseus, especially since he was the son of Zeus himself. Hermes gave him a magical curved sword, and the goddess Athena gave him a shiny copper shield in which everything was reflected as in a mirror.
In search of the gorgons, Perseus traveled through many countries and overcame many obstacles that robbers and monarchs prepared for travelers. Finally, he found himself in a dull and gloomy country, where the old grays lived, the sisters of the Gorgons, who knew the way to them. The gray had only one eye and one tooth for three. While one of them had an eye, the other two were helpless and the sighted sister had to lead them by the hand. Perseus waited for the moment when one of the faces passed the eye to the other (at that time neither of them saw anything), and snatched the eye. He returned it only after the Grays explained to him the way to the island of the Gorgons. The path to the Gorgons led past a grove in which lived friendly nymphs who gave Perseus three precious gifts: an invisibility helmet that had previously belonged to Hades, winged sandals and a magic bag that expanded or contracted depending on what was put in it. Having put on winged sandals, Perseus flew into the sky and headed west, towards the island of the Gorgons.
From a bird's eye view, Perseus saw three sleeping gorgon sisters on the shore of the island. He knew that two of them were immortal, only Medusa was mortal. But how can you recognize her? Perseus tried in vain to identify Medusa, looking at the reflection of the sisters in the shiny shield (if he had looked directly at them, he would have turned to stone). Fortunately, Hermes appeared on the scene and pointed him to the Gorgon lying near the sea. Encouraged by Hermes, Perseus flew at Medusa like an eagle at a hare.
Sensing the enemy, the snakes on Medusa’s head moved and hissed. But before Medusa could open her eyes, Perseus cut off her head with one swing of his sword, put it in his bag and flew up. Dark blood gushed from Medusa’s body, from which the giant Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus were born. Both immortal gorgons immediately took off to avenge the death of their sister. But Perseus, in his invisibility helmet, was already far away; his winged sandals carried him east, to Serif.
Perseus made a stop in the northwestern part of Africa, where the titan Atlas lived, who, as punishment for rebellion against the gods, was doomed to prop up the vault of heaven forever. Atlas was predicted that a visit from one of the sons of Zeus could cause him great trouble, so he did not like uninvited guests. When Perseus appeared before him, called himself the son of Zeus and said that he had defeated Medusa, Atlas called him an impudent liar and ordered him to get away. Naturally, Perseus was offended. He took the head of Medusa from his shoulder bag and, turning away, showed it to Atlas to convince him of his truthfulness. At one glance at Medusa, Atlas turned into a stone mountain, which still stretches between Marrakesh and Tunisia.
Having rested, Perseus put on his sandals and continued on his way. In the hot air North Africa blood leaked through the bag from Medusa's head. As soon as its heavy drops fell to the ground, poisonous snakes were born from them. Over time, they multiplied so much that they destroyed all life in these parts and turned them into a sandy desert. But before this happened, Perseus was already very far away - at the very edge of the then known world, in Ethiopia.
One day, the king of Argos Acrisius was predicted that his daughter Danae would give birth to a son, by whose hand he was destined to die. To avoid
fulfillment of the prediction, then King Acrisius locked his daughter in a copper-stone dungeon, but Zeus fell in love with Danae, entered there in the form of golden rain, and after that Danae’s son Perseus was born.
Hearing the cry of the child, the king ordered Danae and her baby to be taken out of there, imprison them both in a barrel and throw them into the sea. For a long time Danaya and the child were carried by the raging waves, but Zeus protected her. Finally she was thrown ashore on the island of Serif. At this time, a fisherman named Dictys was fishing on the seashore. He noticed a barrel and pulled it ashore. Having freed Danae and her little son from the barrel, he led them to his brother, the king of the island Polydectes. He received them cordially, left them to live in his royal house and began to raise Perseus.
Perseus grew up and became a handsome young man. When Polydectes decided to marry Danae, Perseus prevented this marriage in every possible way. For this, King Polydectes disliked him and decided to get rid of him. He instructed Perseus to perform a dangerous feat - to go to a distant country and cut off the head of the terrible Medusa, one of the three terrible monsters called Gorgons. There were three of them, and one of them was called Stheno, the other was Euryale, and the third was Medusa, and only this of the three was mortal. These winged snake-haired maidens lived in the far West, in the region of Night and Death.
They had such a terrible appearance and such a terrible look that anyone who saw them turned to stone at their mere glance.
King Polydectes hoped that if young Perseus met Medusa in that distant country, he would never return back.
So the brave Perseus set off on a journey in search of these monsters and, after long wanderings, finally came to the region of Night and Death, where the father of the terrible gorgons, named Forkys, reigned. Perseus met three old women on the way to the Gorgons, who were called Grays. They were born with gray hair, all three had a single eye and only one tooth, which they shared alternately.
These grays guarded the Gorgon sisters. And along the way to them there lived good nymphs. 
Perseus came to the nymphs, and they gave him winged sandals that could easily support him in the air. They also gave him a bag and a helmet of Hades, made from dog skin, which makes a person invisible. The cunning Hermes handed him his sword, and Athena handed him a metal shield, smooth as a mirror. Armed with them, Perseus took off on his winged sandals, flew across the ocean and appeared to the Gorgon sisters. When he approached them, the terrible sisters were sleeping at that time; and Perseus cut off Medusa's head with his sharp sword and threw it into the bag given to him by the nymphs. Perseus did all this without looking at Medusa - he knew that her gaze could turn him to stone, and held a mirror-smooth shield in front of him. But as soon as Perseus had time to cut off Medusa’s head, the winged horse Pegasus immediately emerged from her body and the giant Chrysaor grew up.
At this time the sisters of Medusa woke up. But Perseus put on his invisibility helmet and, wearing winged sandals, flew back, and his terrible sisters, the Gorgons, could not catch up with him.
The wind lifted him high into the air, and when he flew over the sandy Libyan desert, drops of Medusa's blood fell to the ground and poisonous snakes, of which there are so many in Libya, grew from her blood.
Mighty winds arose and began to carry Perseus through the air in different directions; but by evening he managed to reach the far West, and young Perseus ended up in the kingdom of the giant Atlas. Fearing to fly at night, Perseus sank to the ground.
And the giant Atlas was a rich king of that country, and he owned many herds and huge gardens; in one of them grew a tree with golden branches, and the leaves and fruits were also all golden.
It was predicted to Atlas that one day the son of Zeus would appear and pluck golden fruits from the tree. Then high wall Atlas surrounded his garden and instructed the young Hesperides and the terrible dragon to guard the golden apples and not let anyone near them.
Perseus appeared to Atlas and, calling himself the son of Zeus, began to ask him to receive him. But Atlas remembered the ancient prediction and refused shelter to Perseus and wanted to drive him away. Then Perseus took Medusa's head out of the bag and showed it to Atlas. The giant could not resist the terrible power of Medusa and was petrified from horror. His head became the top of a mountain, and his shoulders and arms became its spurs; his beard and hair turned into dense forests. A spiky mountain rose and grew to enormous sizes. She reached the very sky, and it lay with all its stars on the shoulders of Atlas, and from then on the giant held this heavy burden.
Having thus taken revenge on Atlas, the next morning Perseus rose again on his winged sandals into the air, and he flew for a long time until he finally arrived at the shores of Ethiopia, where Cepheus reigned.
Perseus saw the young beautiful Andromeda chained to a rock on a deserted shore. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother Cassiopeia, who once, boasting of her beauty to the nymphs, said that she was the most beautiful of all. Angry, the nymphs complained to Poseidon and asked to punish her. And Poseidon sent a flood and a terrible sea monster to Ethiopia, devouring people and livestock.
The oracle predicted that Kepheus should give his daughter Andromeda to this terrible monster to be devoured; and so she was chained to a sea rock.
Perseus saw the beautiful Andromeda chained to a rock. She stood motionless, and the wind did not move her hair, and if there had not been tears in her eyes, one could have mistaken her for a marble statue.
The amazed Perseus looked at her, went down to her, and began to question her. crying girl, what is her name, where she comes from and why she is chained to a desert rock. Not right away, but finally the girl told Perseus who she was and why she was chained to this rock.
Suddenly the sea waves rustled and a monster emerged from the depths of the sea. Opening its terrible mouth, it rushed towards Andromeda. The girl screamed in horror, King Kepheus and Cassiopeia came running to her scream, but they could not save their daughter and began to mourn her bitterly. Then Perseus shouted to them from above:
- I am Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus, who cut off the head of the terrible Medusa. Promise me to give your daughter as my wife if I save her.
Kepheus and Cassiopeia agreed to this and promised to give him not only their daughter, but also their entire kingdom in addition.
At that time the monster swam, cutting through the waves like a ship, closer and closer, and now it was almost at the very rock. Then young Perseus rose high into the air, holding his shiny shield in his hand. The monster saw the reflection of Perseus in the water and rushed at him in rage. Like an eagle that pounces on a snake, so Perseus flew at the monster and plunged his sharp sword deep into it. The wounded monster flew high into the air, then rushed down at Perseus, like a wild boar pursued by dogs. But the young man in his winged sandals dodged the monster and began to strike him with his sword, blow after blow, and then black blood gushed from the monster’s mouth. During the battle, Perseus's wings got wet; with difficulty he flew to the shore and, noticing a rock rising from the sea, saved himself on it. Holding the stone with his left hand, he inflicted several more wounds on the monster with his right hand, and the monster, bleeding, sank to the bottom of the sea. 
The young man rushed to Andromeda and freed her from the chains.
The delighted Kepheus and Cassiopeia joyfully greeted young hero and they took the bride and groom to their house. Soon a wedding feast was arranged, and Eros and Hymen were at their wedding with torches in their hands, playing flutes and lyres, singing funny songs; listened wedding guests a story about the exploits of the hero Perseus.
But suddenly a crowd appeared at Kefei’s house, led by the king’s brother Phineus, who had previously wooed Andromeda, but left her during the trouble.
And so Phineus demanded that Andromeda be given to him. He raised his spear at Perseus, but Cepheus shielded him. Then the enraged Phineus threw his spear at the young man with all his might, but did not hit. Perseus grabbed the same spear, and if Phineas had not hidden behind the altar, it would have pierced his chest, but the spear hit one of Phineus’s soldiers, who fell to the ground dead. And then a bloody battle began at a merry feast. Like a lion, Perseus fought against numerous enemies; the young hero was surrounded by a large crowd of enemies led by Phineus. Leaning against a high column, he hardly fought off the warriors attacking him, but finally saw that he could not defeat his enemies who were superior in strength. Then he took Medusa’s head out of the bag, and one after another, at the sight of her, the enemies turned to stone. Now the last warrior stands like a stone statue with a spear raised in his hand.
Phineus saw in horror that his warriors had turned to stone. He recognized them in stone statues, began to call them and, not believing his eyes, touched each of them - but he only had a cold stone at hand.
In horror, Phineus extended his hands to Perseus and asked to spare him. Laughing, Perseus answered him: “My spear will not touch you, but I will erect you as a stone monument in the house of my father-in-law.” And he raised the head of the terrible Medusa above Phineus. Phineus looked at her and immediately turned into a stone statue, expressing cowardice and humiliation.
Perseus married the beautiful Andromeda and went with his young wife to the island of Serif, where he saved his mother by turning King Polydectes, who was forcing her into marriage, into stone, and Perseus gave power over the island to his friend Dictys.
Perseus returned the winged sandals to Hermes, and the helmet of invisibility to Hades; Pallas Athena received the head of Medusa as a gift and attached it to her shield.
Then Perseus went with his young wife Andromeda and his mother to Argos, and then to the city of Larisa, where he took part in games and competitions. Perseus’s grandfather, who moved to the country of the Pelasgians, was also present at these games. Here the oracle's prediction was finally fulfilled.
While throwing the disc, Perseus accidentally hit his grandfather with it and inflicted a mortal wound on him.
In deep sorrow, Perseus found out who this old man was and buried him with great honors. Then he gave power over Argos to his relative Megapent, and he himself began to rule Tiryns.
Perseus lived happily with Andromeda for many years, and she bore him beautiful sons.
Myths and legends of ancient Greece. Illustrations.
They are very entertaining and interesting. The most powerful civilization at one time described the interaction of the gods of Olympus and ordinary people. Quite a lot important role In the myths of the ancient Greeks, tales about various heroes played. One of such famous characters is Perseus (Greece). He is credited with defeating the deadly monster Medusa the Gorgon. The ancient Greek legend about Perseus will be briefly told in the article.
Birth of a Hero
In the old days, the sayings of oracles had great value for the ancient Greeks. The ruler of Argos, Acrisius, tried to escape the predicted fate by imprisoning my own daughter Danae, who was famous for her unearthly beauty. According to the prediction, the king was supposed to die at the hands of his grandson. However, the measures taken by Acrisius did not become a difficult obstacle for the great Zeus, who penetrated into hard to reach place, where Danae was kept, under the guise of golden rain. The son born from the thunder god was named Perseus. The news of the birth of Perseus greatly frightened the king of Argos. He ordered Danae and the baby to be put in a box, after which they were beaten tightly and thrown into the sea.
Serif
The myths of Ancient Greece about Perseus tell that it was not easy for the little future hero and his mother. After long wanderings across the endless expanses of the sea, the boarded up box, thanks to the roaring waves, finally landed on the shore of the island of Serif. At that time, the fisherman Dictis was throwing his fishing nets into the water. It was he who became the savior of Danae and Perseus. After opening the box, the fisherman’s surprise knew no bounds, because he clearly did not expect to see beautiful woman and a cute baby. Subsequently, Dictys decided to show them to his brother Polydectes, who ruled Serif.
Danaë and Polydectes
The king of the island, Polydectes, welcomed Danae and her son. He left them to live in his luxurious palace. Thus, Perseus spent his childhood and youth under the tutelage of King Polydectes on Serif.
Over time, the young man became strong and slender. Perseus was noticeably different from his peers in his divine beauty, strength, dexterity and courage. Not a single guy on the island could compare with him in anything.
Polydectes could not resist the unearthly beauty of Danae. That is why the king wanted to take her as his wife. However, Perseus was categorically against such a marriage, making every effort to prevent it from taking place. Because of this, Polydectes disliked him and decided to get rid of the only obstacle on the way to his cherished goal. Perseus was tasked with going to a distant land to behead the Gorgon Medusa. No mortal has yet managed to survive an encounter with a terrible monster. Therefore, King Polydectes prepared a one-way mission for Perseus.
Medusa Gorgon and her sisters
According to the myths of Ancient Greece, the sea deity Phorcys and his sister Keto had three daughters who looked like snake-haired monsters. Euryale and Stheno were immortal from birth, and only their younger sister Medusa remained vulnerable.
According to legend, Medusa the Gorgon was a pretty girl with beautiful hair. Trying to find protection from Poseidon's advances, she hid in the temple of Athena. However, God still managed to penetrate the girl’s shelter in the form of a bird and take possession of her. The angry goddess took out her anger on Medusa, turning her into a terrible monster with snake-like hair.
Medusa Gorgon, unlike her sisters, although she was not immortal, could fascinate people with her gaze. Her amazing gift served as a deadly weapon. It was enough for a person to see the direct gaze of the Gorgon Medusa, as he instantly turned into a stone statue.
Perseus fees
According to the myths about Perseus, the various gods of Olympus provided the hero with great help. Among his patrons, it is worth noting Athena, who was known for her hatred of Medusa the Gorgon. The god Hermes, his half-brother, also played an important role in equipping the hero. Thus, before the journey, Perseus became the owner of very valuable artifacts.
The hero received a metal shield from Athena. It was so smooth that it was practically indistinguishable from a mirror. Hermes handed him a sharp weapon. Perseus's sword, like soft wax, chopped even the hardest steel.
Journey of Perseus
The young hero needed to get to the western edge of the earth, because that’s where the Gorgons lived. Perseus had to go through many countries and see various peoples on the way to a dark place.
To find out the exact location of Medusa, the hero had to outwit the three Gray sisters, who shared one tooth and one eye. Perseus waited in ambush for an opportune moment while one gray-haired old woman was handing over the only eye to another, and with a quick movement he intercepted it. The sisters had no choice but to tell Persia the location of the Gorgons.
Before the battle with Medusa the Gorgon, Perseus visited the inhabitants of the legendary northern country Hyperboreans. They made a solemn sacrifice for the god Apollo, and also presented Perseus with a Hades cap made of dog skin. It made it possible to make its owner completely invisible. In ancient times Greek mythology the hat had great importance, because it was often used by the gods themselves. Perseus was also given magic sandals, with which he could quickly soar above the ground. The donated bag had the magical ability to change in size depending on the volume of things placed inside. Having put the sandals and hat of Hades into it, Perseus went to the decisive battle.
Battle with Medusa the Gorgon
Thanks to the magic sandals, Perseus managed to cross the sea and get to the island where the snake-haired monsters lived. When the hero managed to find the Gorgons, they were all asleep, to his happiness. The mirror-polished shield served Perseus as eyes. With its help, he was able to clearly see the sleeping sisters with steel scales and golden wings. Only the snakes on the Gorgons' heads moved a little.
The myth of Perseus and Medusa the Gorgon says that the hero’s task was complicated by the fact that the deadly sisters were like two peas in a pod. The slightest mistake could cost lives, because only one of them did not have immortality. However, even here the gods of Olympus came to his aid. Quick Hermes told Perseus the exact location of Medusa. Using the mirror shield donated by Athena, the hero cut off the Gorgon's head with one blow with his sharp sword.
Perseus's path home
The myths of Ancient Greece about Perseus contain information that, having thrown Medusa’s head into a magic bag, the hero hastened to quickly get away from the ominous island. However, the body of his victim fell from a cliff into the sea, thereby awakening the two Gorgons. Thanks to Hades' hat, the hero managed to avoid death from winged monsters and leave the island unhindered.
Perseus's way home lay through Libya. Drops of blood flowed from the severed head of Medusa to the ground, which turned into poisonous snakes. Subsequently, Libya turned into a desert country.
The next place on the way home was the refuge of Atlas, who, like the apple of his eye, protected a tree with golden branches, leaves and apples. The giant was predicted by the goddess Themis that his fruits would be stolen by the son of Zeus. Tired Perseus asked Atlas to take a break. However, the giant, because of the prophecy, ordered him to leave. After this, the angry hero pulled Medusa's head out of his bag and turned Atlas into a huge stone statue, which began to constantly support the entire vault of heaven.
Rescue Andromeda
In Ethiopia, the hero decided to take a break after a difficult flight. Just then the lovely girl Andromeda had to atone for the guilt of her stupid and arrogant mother. Queen Cassiopeia was proud of her beauty, declaring to everyone that she was the most beautiful. The nymphs begged Poseidon to punish the ruler of Ethiopia and her entire country. The sea god, as his punishment, sent a gigantic monster that rose from the depths and devastated everything in its path.
According to the statement of the oracle of Zeus, only the sacrifice of Andromeda could put an end to Poseidon's punishment. However, before the death of the beautiful girl, pale with horror, Perseus arrived in time. At the sight of Andromeda, the hero’s heart lit up strong feeling love. Perseus invited her parents to marry their daughter, promising to save her. Having received an approving response, the hero entered into a stubborn confrontation with sea monster, striking him one blow after another with his sword. After the end of the terrible battle, all the inhabitants of Ethiopia glorified Perseus.
Perseus' wedding
On the eve of the wedding ceremony, the hero made rich sacrifices to his patrons from Olympus. A luxurious feast took place in the royal palace, which was covered with greenery and flowers in honor of the newlyweds. All the people also feasted with the rulers of Ethiopia. During the feast, Perseus told the guests about his exploits. However, the wedding feast was ruined after Andromeda's first groom appeared with a large army. Phineus in the palace began to accuse the hero of stealing his bride, after which a desperate battle began. Perseus bravely fought against superior enemy forces, but was able to win only with the help of the head of Medusa. Thus, the statue of Phineus with an expression of fear and slavish prayer in his eyes remained forever in the palace.
Return to Serif and revenge on Polydectes
Perseus did not become after bloody battle stay in Ethiopia for a long time. Together with his beautiful wife, he hurried to return to his native island. Perseus's mother was in despair at this time, because she had to constantly hide in the temple of Zeus from Polydectes. The angry Perseus decided to get even with the king of Serif. Entering the palace, Perseus found him at a luxurious feast. Polydectes' surprise knew no bounds, because the king could not even doubt the victory of the Gorgons. The hero told those present that he had brought the head of Medusa. The ruler of Serif did not believe Perseus and began to accuse him of lying. When the hero’s cup of patience was overflowing due to the bullying of Polydectes and his friends, he took his head out of the bag and showed everyone irrefutable proof. After this, the king and all those who feasted instantly turned into stone statues.
A prediction that came true
Danae and Perseus wanted to meet with Acrisius, who continued to rule Argos. However, he, fearing the oracle’s prediction, did not allow his daughter and grandson into his house. Many years later on Olympic Games Perseus launched the disc accidentally towards the audience. A heavy projectile instantly killed Acrisius, thereby fulfilling the oracle's prophecy.
The myth of Perseus in cinema
The famous feat of the famous hero was successfully transferred to the cinema. In 1981, the feature adventure film “Clash of the Titans” was shot in the USA. The film was directed by Desmond Davis. And although the American film was somewhat different from ancient greek myths, the film adaptation of the exploit of Perseus was a huge success. The sea monster in Clash of the Titans was called the Kraken, which was borrowed from Norse mythology. If in the myth snakes appeared from the blood of Medusa, then in the film - scorpions. In any case, the audience really liked the film, and the special effects, for 1981, were simply excellent.
In 2010, the American film industry decided to update the film adaptation of the myth about the feat of Perseus. The remake of the 1981 film was also called Clash of the Titans. Louis Leterrier was appointed director, and Sam Worthington played the main role. Except traditional version, the film was also shown in 3D. While the 1981 film adaptation cost $15 million, the remake's budget was $125 million. The 2010 film was overall successful, grossing $493 million.
The creators of the remake also made changes to ancient Greek myths. The god Hades was presented in the film as a negative character who hated people and opposed himself to Zeus. However, Perseus, thanks to the head of Medusa, managed to cope with the Kraken and send Hades back to the underworld. Instead of ruling Argos or moving to Olympus, the brave hero wanted to enjoy an ordinary human life.
Thus, thanks to the myth of Perseus, you can learn about the legendary feat greatest hero Ancient Greece. American film adaptations will allow everyone to plunge into the exciting atmosphere of adventure and battles with various monsters.
Name: Perseus
A country: Greece
Creator: ancient greek mythology
Activity: conqueror of the monster Gorgon Medusa
Family status: married
Perseus: character story
The myths of Ancient Greece often contain biographies of heroes who were admired by poets, sculptors and painters. One has only to remember who defeated the mighty Minotaur and, thanks to Ariadne’s thread, got out of the tangled corridors of the labyrinth. It is noteworthy that Perseus, who defeated him, has no negative traits. While (in Roman mythology - Hercules) had fits of rage, and he was partial to strong drinks, and another hero - Achilles - was guided mainly by personal interests.
Perseus was so beautiful that he was sometimes compared to the gods. And his character traits include courage, dexterity and the ability to get out of difficult situations.
History of appearance
It is difficult to say when the inhabitants of the solar state, which is located in Southern Europe, came up with Perseus (by the way, many etymologists believe that this name dates back to pre-Greek times). But it is known that this character was admired by an ancient poet who died in the 8th century BC. on the island of Ios.
The future hero appeared under very unusual circumstances. The fact is that Acrisius received a prediction from the oracles: the Argive king was predetermined that he would fall at the hands of his own grandson.
It is not surprising that Acrisius tried with all his might to avoid his fate. The king hid his daughter in a prison made of stone and bronze. Thus, the princess was not only imprisoned, but also deprived of contact with men. However, the Thunderer deceived Acrisius: the Olympian liked Danaë so much that he reincarnated as golden rain and penetrated through the ceiling of the dungeon.
"Danae" by Rembrandt This plot inspired the masters of brushes and paints of the Renaissance. The artist interpreted the legend in a very original way: in the Dutchman’s painting, which is called “Danae,” there is no rain and gold coins, which caused controversy among researchers. The painting was even subjected to X-ray processing, as a result of which the original sketch was found.
After Zeus outwitted Acrisius, Danae gave birth to a baby named Perseus in due time. The girl did not hide the divine origin of her son, but the king did not want to accept the future fate, so he tried to get rid of his grandson. The owner of the crown ordered artisans to make a strong box in which Danae and Perseus were locked, and then the unfortunates were thrown into the sea. By the way, a similar plot appears in “The Tale of Tsar Saltan.”
The son of Zeus and Danae was not destined to drown in deep sea, so the waves carried the box east, to the island of Serif. He was caught by an angler named Dictys. The fisherman and part-time brother of the local king Polydectes took Danae and Perseus to the royal palace, and the owner of the throne gave the guests the most cordial welcome. Polydectes showered the daughter of Acrisius and her son with gifts, counting on mutual sympathy, but the girl did not want to have a relationship with him that went beyond friendship.
Many years passed, and the ruler of Serif, hoping that Danae would become his wife, gave up and stopped seeking the princess’s favor with good. By that time, Perseus had become an adult and was able to stand up for himself and his mother, so Polydectes decided to get rid of the strengthened young man.
Perseus in mythology
In the mythology of Ancient Greece, the feat of Perseus is directly related to the murder of Medusa the Gorgon. According to legend, this is a monster with a woman’s head and hair made of snakes. And whoever dares to look Medusa in the eyes instantly turns to stone.
Polydectes decided to get rid of the son of Danae at any cost, but did not dare to confront the descendant of Zeus directly. Therefore, the king came up with a cunning plan: at the feast, the ruler of the island publicly doubted the divine origin of Perseus and asked the young man to prove his relationship with the gods. When Perseus agreed to demonstrate his power to the king, he asked him to kill the terrible Gorgon Medusa and bring her severed head.
Polydectes set a superhuman task for Danae's son, for Medusa not only easily turned living beings into stone, but also lived with two sisters. The Olympian gods helped the hero cope with the monster: thanks to them, Perseus acquired useful attributes - a magical curved sword and a polished copper shield, in which everything was reflected as in a mirror.
The hero also visited the prophetic sisters - the old women of Forkiad, who had one eye and one tooth between them. The young man stole their secret items, and Grayi was offered sandals with wings, Hades' invisibility cap, and a magic bag in exchange.
Armed from head to toe, Perseus arrived at the gorgons' refuge. The son of Danae rose into the air with the help of magic sandals and cut off Medusa's head. In order not to turn into stone, the hero looked at the reflection on Athena's shield. And then, with the help of an invisibility cap, he hid from the other gorgons.
After this, having hidden the trophy in a bag, the mythological hero went to the northwestern part of Africa: there he met the titan Atlas, who, as punishment for the rebellion staged against the gods, had to forever prop up the firmament with his mighty shoulders. It is worth noting that Atlas, doomed to suffering, did not like uninvited guests, for he was predicted that one day the son of Zeus would appear and cause him trouble.
When Perseus introduced himself to the unfortunate son of the Thunderer, who cut off the head of Medusa the Gorgon, he did not believe him and called him a liar. Then the young man decided to prove the veracity of his words and pulled out a trophy from his bag. Atlas, looking at the head of the Gorgon, immediately turned into a block of stone, which is now located between Marrakesh and Tunisia.
Having rested, the hero went to Polydectes. As Perseus traveled in the heat, the Gorgon's blood soon leaked from the bag. The drops that fell on the hot ground immediately turned into rattlesnakes. Over time, they multiplied and destroyed all life that was in those parts, turning the area into a deserted desert. Fortunately, at that time Perseus was already far away.
The hero was heading to Ethiopia. On the way to the city of Joppa, which is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, he managed to free the king's daughter Andromeda, who was doomed to certain death: the girl was given to be devoured by a sea monster. Perseus dealt with Andromeda's fiancé and took the unfortunate woman as his wife. After killing the sea monster, Perseus washed himself of the blood in a pond, after which the water acquired a scarlet hue.
Then the young man finally arrived in Serif, where he found his mother in the temple: Danae was hiding from the persecution of King Polydectes. Perseus showed the head of Medusa to the owner of the crown and his companions, after which they all turned into stone blocks. According to another version, the young man turned all the inhabitants of Serif into stone. In fact, that island is very rocky - this fact became the background for playing out the plot by comic poets.
Later, Perseus and his mother decided to go to visit Acrisius, who, remembering the prediction, did not allow them to enter the door. But, as they say, you can’t run away from fate: after many years fatal prediction came true when Perseus was participating in a sports competition and accidentally threw a disc towards the audience. The projectile killed Acrisius. used to say that the king died after the third throw of Perseus.
Film adaptations
Directors are accustomed to delighting moviegoers not only with new ideas, but also with films based on historical or mythological subjects. Filmmakers have not ignored Perseus, so let’s look at the films where this hero appears.
"Clash of the Titans" (film, 1981)
The action adventure film directed by Desmond Davis won the attention of viewers because it presented a free interpretation of ancient Greek myths: if in legends snakes are born from the blood of Medusa, then in myths - scorpions. In addition, the painting shows how Perseus turns Phineus to stone, which was not in the painting. According to the plot, the mortal son of Zeus - Perseus - must save the beautiful Andromeda from magical spells and kill the Kraken. The main character has courage, determination, and loyal friends - the owl Bubbo and the winged horse Pegasus. The roles were played by Harry Hamlin, Ursula Andress, Claire Bloom and other show business stars.
"Clash of the Titans" (film, 2010)
Director Louis Leterrier shot a remake of the film of the same name, seasoning it with special effects. The filmmaker also decided not to base it on the original and came up with his own concept. The picture begins with a fisherman catching a casket in which the dead body of a woman with a living baby in her hands is hidden. Spyros and his wife decide to raise the boy and name him Perseus. When the rescued young man grew up, he learned that the gods were preparing a war. The brilliant cast of the film included Jason Flemyng and other film stars.
"Wrath of the Titans" (film, 2012)
Director Jonathan Liebesman continued the storyline and filmed a spin-off for Clash of the Titans. This time the film tells how, after defeating the sea monster, Perseus forgot about his heroic deeds, lived a quiet fishing life and raised his son. However, the walls of Tartarus began to crumble, so the thunderer Zeus asked Perseus to save the world from the coming chaos. Danny Huston and others were added to the cast.
In the 2010 film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, the main character was named after Perseus. True, the real Perseus was descended from Zeus, and the cinematic hero was the son of.