2. ISLAND OF
SERAPHOS
ISLAND OF
ARGOS
AN ENCOUNTER
WITH HERMES AND
ATHENA
End of the Earth
(Land of the Gray
women)
LAND OF
THE HAPPY
BEINGS
(NYMPHS)
LAND OF THE
GORGONS
LYBIA
N
DESE
RT
ETHIOPI
A
serapho
s
ARGO
S
3. ï¶ Acrisius, the king of Argos, was told by the oracle of
Delphi that his own grandson would kill him one day.
This grandson would be the child of his daughter Danae.
Scared of the upcoming future and his destiny,
King Acrisius decided to deprive his daughter of
any possible intercourse, mating and child
bearing, so he built a room beneath the earth and
imprisoned Danae there.
However, as the legend says, Zeus came to her
in the form of golden rain, pierced through the
walls of chamber, and Danaeâs body. Hence,
Perseus was born.
Hearing the news but not believing that Zeus was the
father of the newborn, Acrisius let his daughter and
grandchild out to the open sea on an ark.
4. They eventually came to the shores of
Seraphos island, where they were saved by
Dictys, the brother of King Polydectes.
Perseus grew up to a handsome and strong
young man, one more time he found himself
in the way of one king, this time King
Polydectes, who wanted Danae to become
his wife.
Knowing that he wouldnât have the woman for himself as long as Perseus
was there to protect her, the king made a plan to send Perseus not only far
away but also to a dangerous mission. Polydectes told Perseus to bring him
the head of the gorgon Medusa.
5. Hermes advised him that he should
have a winged sandals, the magic
wallet andthe helmet of invisibility. The Gray
women can tell him where to find
these things.
Hermes also
gave him a
magnificent
curvred sword.
6. Athena gave him a
bright shield to look
into it instead of at the
monster so that he will
not turn into stone
7. Perseus snatched the eye
from the Gray Women as
they passed it from one to
another and being
helpless they told him
where he can get the
three priceless things he
needed to get Medusaâs
head.
8.
9. The Gorgons were asleep
when he saw them and
through the help of Athena
he easily cut off Medusaâs
head.
The Gorgon sisters roared
with fury but they could
not outstrip the winged
sandals.
10. âą He didnât notice that
the blood falling
from Medusaâs head
turned into snakes.
12. A wedding feast was celebrated but
Phineas came and want to take
avenge for Andromeda was
promised to he him to be her bride.
The feast turned into battle and at
the end Phineas became a stone
together with two hundred men
who
did not hide their faces when
Perseus asked them to do so.
13. Polydectes didnât believe that he slain
Medusa. Perseus showed him the
head and he turned into stone.
That was the last time he used the
head of Medusa and
he gave it to Athene.
Danae wanted to go home and
reconciled with her father so
Perseus made Dictys the King of
Seraphos.