Myth
13
Perseus
Much of this from Appollodorus
And Pherecydes
(orig. 5th c BC; we have summaries)
Descendants
of Io:
Houses
of Argos, Thebes, and Crete
Io a
priestess of Hera
Zeus tries to get it on in a cloud
turned into a cow:
Hera asks for it as a gift
protects the cow with ARGUS (the many-eyed)
Zeus
sends Hermes: Argeiphontes “Argus-slayer”
A gadfly
torments her, and she wanders and wanders
Finds
Prometheus
Aeschylus,
Prometheus Bound, she tells of her
seduction and persecution
She
gives birth to Epaphus,
ruler of Egypt
Is
Io Hera (cow-eyed?)
Isis?
(with cow-head?)
Lucian Dialogues
of the Sea Gods, 11 (p. 286)
Epaphus’ descendants: Aegyptus and Danaus:
Fifty
sons and fifty daughters (Danaids)
Kill
them on wedding nights,
Hypermnestra with Lynceus
become founders of House of Argos
Danaids--later (in Hellenistic period) show up in eternal torment in
Hades--carrying leaky water containers
Descendants:
Acrisius fathers Danae
prophecy: your grandson
will kill you
enclose her in a cave,
but Zeus: golden shower 2
Divine origin of PERSEUS
Throw
them in a box into the sea
(Lucian,
Dialogues, 12)
Wash
up on island of Seriphos, found by Dictys
Polydectes (Dictys's brother) falls in love
demands a gift of a
horse from everyone
Perseus
promises anything else: A GORGON's
head
The Hero's quest
Gorgons
(see Hesiod, Theogony, 266ff)
Stheno, Euryrale, Medusa
enormous tusk and eyes
that turn anyone into stone, snakes for hair, golden wings
Athena
sends Perseus to get help from Graeae
to find helpful
nymphs
From
nymphs (magical items):
cap of Hades
(invisibility)
winged sandals
special pouch for
carrying a Gorgon’s head
Special
sword and shield
Uses
shield as mirror, Chops of Medusa's head
(out comes Pegasus)
Home:
Medusa's head to turn Polydectes to stone
gives the head to
Athena (who wears it on her shield)
Side story: Andromeda
Asks
Atlas for a place to rest… (Ovid, 4.700 ff)
while returning
stops in Joppa (Jaffa)
Andromeda is tied to a rock
as a sacrifice to Ceto
daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia
offended the Nerieds
To
appease Poseidon
Perseus
helps in exchange for marriage
defeats the sea
monster
Ovid,
4.669–901:
Put
Medusa down, turns seaweed turns to coral
Accidentally
kills his grandfather Acrisius after secretly
entering a discus competition
They
all turn into stars
Perseus 2, Andromeda 2, Cepheus
2, Cassiopea 2, Ceto
2
Perseus
and Folktale
Danae's seclusion,
violation, liberation
Perseus:
·
part-divine
·
accidentally
kills grandfather
·
(no male
buddies; no taboo-breaking)
·
Greatest
emphasis on QUEST
·
adventures
·
Happily ever
after
·
Relationship
with women more in line with children's story than many other legends
·
positive associations
with females--does not travel to underworld
