The Myth of Perseus: Short Summary

The Oracle's Prophecy and Perseus' Fate

In the myth, Perseus and Medusa, Perseus goes on a journey to get Medusa’s head for the king Polydectes. In the end, he saved Andromeda, and Perseus was turned to stone by the head of Medusa, and Perseus was crowned king of Seriphos. However, in the beginning, things were different for little Perseus. Acrisius, who was a king, stood before an oracle and listened to his fate. The Oracle warned that his descendants, through his daughter, will rule a great nation.

It also said that he had no sons, but his daughter would produce a son, and that son will be his death. This news startled Acrisius, and he had set out to kill his daughter Danae. But his daughter pleaded with him, and she said that Perseus was the son of Zeus. His response was to throw both Danae and Perseus into a chest, and cast it off to sea.

Perseus' Journey: From Exile to Heroism

After a long time on sea, Dictys, a fisherman, found the chest washed up on Seriphos, and rescued them.

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He took them in and cared for them, since they had no child. Perseus grew up, and Danae’s beauty didn’t go unnoticed as they lived there. The King, Polydectes, who was Dictys brother, grew obsessed with Perseus’ mother. He had tried many ways to get her to be his wife, and one day the King had announced he would be taking a new wife. He asked Perseus what he had to offer, because he claimed that he received valuable gifts already.

Perseus replied that he would rather get him the head of Medusa, than get him such valuable gifts. And Polydectes accepted, and poor Perseus had set out to get the head of Medusa.

The Quest for Medusa's Head

When he had set out, he came across sea nymphs who were so old that they shared one eye. He had stolen the eye and demanded that the nymphs tell him where he could find Medusa. They finally gave in, after he threatened to throw their eye into the sea. Perseus reaches the gorgons seaside cave, where Medusa and her sisters lay. He used a shield and looked in the reflection, to find Medusa, and when he did, he cut off her head with a slice! He put her head in a bag, and made his way home.

Perseus' Triumph and the Rescue of Andromeda

However on his way, he finds Andromeda tied to a rock. He learns that she was tied to the rock because her father, Cepheus king of Ethopia, was sacrificing her to a sea monster. In the end, Perseus rescues her, then returns home. When he arrives home, he approaches Polydectes. Polydectes questions him about Medusa’s head, and he pull it out of the bag, turning away from it. Polydectes turns to stone, to match his stone cold heart, and Perseus and Andromeda get married in the end.