Perseus was the son of the Greek god Zeus and the mortal princess Danae. Danae's father put his daughter and grandson in a chest and set it on the sea. When a fisherman found the chest, he took the princess and her child to the king, Polydectes. When Perseus grew up Polydectes sent him off to decapitate the monster Medusa. With the help of Athena, Hermes, and Hades, Perseus accomplished his mission and set off in a hurry, pursued, as he was, by Medusa's sisters, as shown in this picture. In his travels, he encountered the maiden Andromeda, chained up to be devoured by the local sea monster. Perseus rescued and married her, starting a family with illustrious descendants, like Hercules (Heracles).


