Perseus

in fabulous history, a son of Jupiter and Danae, the daughter of Acrisius, 44s Acrisius\ had confined his daughter in a brazen tower, to prevent her becoming a mo- ther, because he was to perish, according to the words of an oracle, by the hands of his daughter’s son; Perseus was no sooner born (vid. Danae). than he was thrown into the sea with, his. mother Danae, The hopes of Acrisius were frustrated 3 the boat which carried Danae and her son ‘was driven upon the island of Seriphos, one of the Cyclades, where they were found by a fisherman, and carried to Polydectes, the king of the place. They were treated with great humanity, and Perseus was entrusted’ to the care of the priests of Minerva’s temple. His rising genius soon displeased Polydectes, who wished to offer violence to Danae, yet feared the resentment of her son. Polydectes, however, resolved to remove every obstacle. He invited his friends to an entertainment, who were to present the monarch - with a beautiful horse. Perseus was also in. vited, as Polydectes knew that he could not receive from him the expected present. Perseus told the king, that ashe could not give him a horse, he would bring him the head of the mortal gorgon Medusa. The offer was doubly agreeable to Polydectes,’as the attempt might end in the ruin of Perseus, But the innocence of Perseus was patronized by the ‘gods, Pluto lent him his helmet, Minerva her buckler, and Mercury his wings and talaria, with a short dagger called hérpe. With these arms Perseus traversed the air, conducted by Miner. va, and having discovered from the Graiz, the sisters of the Goan. the place of their res i-’ dence, he instantly flew to it.. According to Hesiod and Apollo dor us, it’ was beyond the western ocean Having found them asleep, he approached them, and cut off Medusa’s head with one blow. The noise awoke the two sisters, but Pluto’s helmet rendered Perseus invisible. The conqueror made his way through the air, and from the blood of Medusa’s head sprang those innumerable serpents in the deserts of Libya. Chrysaor also, with his golden sword, sprang from the drops of blood, as well as the horse Pegasus. Mean time Perseus had cro ed the deserts of Libya, but the approach of night obliged him to alight in the territories of Auas, king of Mauri tan i a, where the monarch only refused Perseus the hospitality he demanded, but he even offered violence to his person, Perseus finding himself inferior to Atlas, showed him Medusa’s head, and instantly he was changed intoa large mountain which bore the same name, in Africa. Perseus continued his flight, and as he pa ed over Libya, he discovered on the coasts Aithiopia the naked Andromeda, exposed to a sea monster. He was struck at the sight, and offered her father Cepheus to deliver her if he obtained her in marriage. Cepheus consented, and immediately Perseus flew towards the monster, then advancing to devour Andromeda, and he plunged his dagger in his right shoulder, and destroyed it. ‘This happy event was attended with the greatest rejoicings, and the nuptials were celebrated with the greatest festivity. The universal joy, however, was soon disturbed. Phineus, Andromeda’s uncle, attempted to carry away the bride; a bloody battle ensued, and Perseus again shewed the Gorgon’s head to his adversaries, and they were instantly turned to stone, each in the posture and attitude in which hethen stood. Perseus, after this adventure, retired to Seriphos, at the moment that his mother Danae fled to the altar of Minerva to avoid Polydectes, who attempted to offer her violence. Polydectes met the same fate as Atlas and Phineus, he was also turned into a stone by the power of Medusa’s head. And Dictys, who had for- merly saved the life of Perseus and Danae, was placed by Perseus on the throne of Seri- phes. He then restored the armour he had received from the gods, having placed the Gorgon’s head on the /Egis of Minerva. Af- ter these exploits, Perseus embarked for the Peloponnesus with his mother and Andromeda. When he reached the coast he was informed that Tent am i as, king of Lari a, was then ce- lebrating funeral games in honour of his father. This intelligence drew him to Lari a, to sig- nalize himself in throwing the quoit, of which, according to some, he was the inventor. But here he was attended by an evil fate, and had the misfortune to kill a man with a quoit which he had thrown in the air. ‘This was his grandfather Acrisius, and the oracle was fulfilled. This unfortunate murder greatly depre ed the spirits of Perseus: by the death ot Acrisius he was entitled to the throne of Argos, but he refused to reign there, and ex- changed his kingdom for that of Tirynthus, and the maritime coast of Argolis, where Me- gapenthes the son of Proetus then reigned. Being settled in this part of the Peloponnesus, he determined to found a new city, which he made the capital of his dominions, and which » he called Mycenz, because the pommel of his sword, called by the Greeks myces, had fallen there. The time of his death is unknown, yet it is universally agreed that he received divine honours like the rest of the ancient he- - roes. Perseus had by Andromeda, Alceus, Sthenelus, Nestor, Electryon, and Gor go phone, and after death, according to some mythologists, he became a constellation in the heavens. 218