How the Greek hero Perseus slayed Medusa

Perseus’ story starts with a prophecy that guided his life. 

King Acrisius of Argos was frightened by an oracle’s warning that his daughter’s son would kill him, so he took extreme steps to stop this fate. 

To carry out his plan, he locked his daughter, Danaë, in a bronze chamber to keep her away from any suitors. 

Meanwhile, Zeus, the king of the gods, was drawn to Danaë’s beauty and visited her in the form of a shower of gold. From this union with a god, Perseus was born. 

Acrisius became even more worried when his grandson was born because he feared punishment from the gods and could not kill the child.

Instead, he placed Danaë and the infant in a wooden chest and set them adrift at sea. 

Eventually, the chest washed ashore on the island of Seriphos, where a fisherman named Dictys found it. 

Dictys and his wife took Danaë and Perseus into their home, where they raised the young hero in a simple and caring household. 

The mission to defeat Medusa, one of three Gorgon sisters, is perhaps the most famous part of Perseus’ story. 

King Polydectes of Seriphos wanted to marry Danaë, so he needed to remove Perseus from the island. 

Following this decision, Polydectes ordered Perseus to fetch Medusa’s head as if it were a gift. Medusa had snakes for hair and could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. 

Perseus realised the danger and asked for help from the gods. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Hermes, the messenger god, answered. 

They gave him essential items: a mirrored shield from Athena to avoid looking at Medusa’s eyes, winged sandals from Hermes so he could fly, and a sword called the Harpe. 

Armed with these gifts, Perseus set out on his dangerous journey. 

On his journey, he first found the Graeae, three ancient sisters named Enyo, Pemphredo, and Deino, who shared one eye and one tooth. He tricked them into telling him where the Gorgons lived. 

With that information, he travelled to the Gorgons’ lair, a remote area at the edge of the known world. 

When he arrived, Medusa was asleep among her sisters. He carefully avoided her gaze and used Athena’s mirrored shield to see her reflection as he moved his sword. 

He struck Medusa’s neck with a quick blow and cut off her head. He placed it into a magical bag called the kibisis, which concealed Medusa’s deadly power. 

When he returned from defeating Medusa, Perseus saw Andromeda, a princess chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. 

Her mother had claimed that Andromeda was more beautiful than the sea nymphs, and this claim angered Poseidon, the god of the sea; he sent a monster, Cetus, to punish them. 

To save her kingdom, Andromeda’s mother offered her as a sacrifice. 

Perseus felt compassion and used Medusa’s head to turn the sea monster to stone, saving her. 

Afterwards, they married; their marriage showed the joining of bravery and goodness. 

During his travels, Perseus met the Titan Atlas, who refused to help him because a prophecy said that a son of Zeus would steal Atlas’ golden apples. 

Perseus showed Atlas Medusa’s head in response, and Atlas then became a mountain range. 

This story highlights the importance of hospitality and the risk of pride. 

Perseus’ life came full circle when he took part in athletic games in Larissa and accidentally killed an older man with a discus. 

That man was his grandfather, King Acrisius of Argos; this event fulfilled the prophecy that had started his life. 

This tragic moment shows that fate in Greek myths cannot be avoided. 

After Acrisius’ death, Perseus founded the city of Mycenae, which grew into a powerful kingdom and appeared again in later myths, such as the adventures of Hercules and the Trojan War. 

Because of his deeds, the gods placed Perseus in the sky as a constellation; this placement ensured his story would be remembered.