Birth of Perseus I

The Perseid Shower can seen from Midnight to dawn of Sunday, August 12, 2012. So I am writing about Perseus whom the meteor shower is named after. I am also dispelling the lies that Clash of the Titan (2010 version) about Perseus and Andromeda.

The story begins before the birth of either Andromeda or Perseus. In the land of Argolis there was a great warrior-king named Abas. His grandfather, Acrisius, king of Argos, had a twin brother named Proetus. Talk about sibling rivalry! Acrisius and Proetus were enemies even before their birth. While still inside their mother's womb, the two brothers began their lifelong quarreling. The two brothers were supposed to grow up to rule Argos (a city in southern Greece) together. But as soon as they reached manhood, Acrisius and Proetus fought for the throne of Argos. The brothers agreed to split the kingdom up; Acrisius got Argos and Proetus got the rest.

Acrisius, married to Aganippe, had no sons but did father the child, the beautiful Danae. He wanted a male heir.  Male heir  so like many rulers of Ancient Greece he  asked the  Oracle of Delphi how that might occur. The oracle answered, "You will have no sons, and your grandson must kill you." Fearing for his own life; Acrisius immediately locked his daughter in a dungeon with bronze doors guarded by savage guards, but what are bronze and dogs against Fate and Zeus. He hoped that in this way, he would not have to kill her and spare his own life. Zeus appeared to Danae in a shower of gold and impregnated her.

When Acrisius learned of his daughter's pregnancy, he  was very angry but was afraid to kill the boy or his mother because he feared Zeus.   Not daring to kill poor Danae, he locked his daughter and the young Perseus (her son) into a casket and ordered it pushed into the sea, saying "If she dies, it be on Poseidon's head." The casket didn't drown, under the protection of Zeus and the Fates.   Zeus saw the desperate woman and asked Poseidon to calm the sea water. Indeed, the sea calmed down and after a few days, Danae and his new-born son landed on the island of Seriphos.

They was hauled ashore on the island of Seriphos by a kind fisherman named Dictys. He took the two at once to his brother, King Polydectes, who raised Perseus. As Perseus grew he found his situation difficult. He had to protect his beautiful mother against the advances of Polydectes. Polydectes couldn't just kill Perseus, but he did want to get rid of him, so he told all his friends and announced that he was planning to beg the hand of Hippodameia, a daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa, a city in southwestern Greece.
Everybody had to bring a present, including Perseus. Polydectes pretended to be furious when Perseus arrived empty-handed, for he was not only very strong and brave but very poor. "What, no wedding present?" yelled Polydectes. " I don't have any money." exclaimed Perseus. " That's what you get for a lazy good-for-nothing." said Polydectes. Perseus was furious. "I can bring you any present in the world, anything." he said. "Then bring me the head of the gorgon Medusa!" replied Polydectes. "Fine!" said Perseus. 

Not daring to see his mother, he sailed off to Greece to learn where the monsters were to be found. He went to Delphi, but all the priestess could tell him was that the men should not eat Demeter's golden grain but only acorn. He then traveled to Dodona where the Selli lived and made their bread from acorns. They did not know where the Gorgons lived. So Perseus prayed to the gods.

Hermes: Messenger of the Gods

Heard his prayer;  gods Hermes and Athena came to his help. They told him that before he attacked Medusa, he must first be properly equipped, and that what he needed was in the possession of the nymphs of the North. To find the nymph's abode, they must go to the land of Graeae, older sisters of the gorgon.  The three women were all grey themselves and withered as in extreme age. They had but one eye for the three, which they would take turns with, each removing it from her forehead after she had had it for a time and then handing it to another. Hermes unfolded the plan. He would lead Perseus to them and when they arrived, he would remain hidden until one of them took their eye out of their forehead to pass it on. At that moment, he would rush forward and seize the eye and refuse to give it back until they told him how to reach the nymphs of the North. Hermes gave Perseus a  curved sword to attack Medusa, which could not be bent or broken by the Gorgon's scales. This was a wonderful gift, but what use was a sword if the creature to be struck by it could turn it into stone before he was within striking distance? Athena stood beside Perseus and she took off the shield of polished bronze and gave it to him. She told him he would be able to see Medusa in it as in a mirror, and so avoid her deadly power.

When they found the Grey Women, Perseus carried the plan and was successful in learning where the nymphs of the North lived. And so without knowing, he was bound for the country of the Hyperboreans. No one had been able to reach the place of the Hyperboreans but since Hermes was with him, the road laid open to Perseus. There he found a host full of people always banqueting and holding joyful revelry, who welcomed him kindly. They gave him three things: winged sandals, a cap which made the wearer invisible (not as powerful as Hades’s Helm of Invisibility), and a Bag of Holding which would always become right size for whatever was to be carried in it.

With his new handy-dandy flying shoes he flew to the end of the world to the land of the gorgons (to the northwest) where the sun and moon never shown. He found and entered the lair of the Gorgons and lay in wait among the rain-worn statues of men and beasts. Luckily for Perseus, the Gorgons were asleep and Perseus, viewing Medusa using his shield like a mirror and guided by Athena, cut off Medusa's head with one stroke of his blade. It must have shocked everyone concerned when Pegasus the winged horse and the warrior Chrysaor sprang fully grown from her corpse. (They were the products of Medusa's union with Poseidon in Athena's temple, which was why Athena transformed Medusa in the first place. More on Medusa's transformation later.) Perseus decided to leave them alone and quickly took his leave. Good thing too, because Pegasus' neigh woke the other Gorgons (Euryale and Stheno) who immediately started chasing Perseus. Perseus slipped on Hades' helmet and was safe.