Perseus - Greek Hero Perseus

Perseus is a hero from Greek mythology best known for his clever decapitation of Medusa, whose head turned people to stone. Like most of the mythological heroes, Perseus was the son of a god and a mortal.

Family of Perseus:

The mother of Perseus was Danae, whose father was Acrisius of Argos. Danae was impregnated with Perseus by Zeus who had assumed the form of a golden shower. Electryon was Perseus' son. Electryon's daughter was Alcmena, Hercules' mother.

Infancy of Perseus:

An oracle told Acrisius that a child of his daughter Danae would kill him, so Acrisius did what he could to keep Danae from men, but he couldn't keep out Zeus in the form of a golden shower. After Danae gave birth, Acrisius sent her and her son away, by locking them in a chest and putting it to sea. The chest washed up on the island of Seriphus which was ruled by Polydectes.

The Trials of Perseus:

Polydectes, who was trying to woo Danae, found Perseus to be a nuisance, so he sent Perseus on an impossible quest: to bring back the head of Medusa. With the help of Athena and Hermes, a polished shield for a mirror, and some other useful items the one-shared-eyed Graeae helped him locate, Perseus was able to cut the head off without being turned to stone, and enclose it in a "wallet"

Perseus and Andromeda:

On his travels, Perseus fell in love with a maiden named Andromeda who was paying for the boasts of her family (like Psyche in Apuleius' Golden Ass) by being exposed to a sea monster. Perseus agreed to kill the monster if he could marry Andromeda. Her father agreed, Perseus slew the monster, but then Andromeda's uncle stood in the way of Perseus' marital bliss. Perseus duly turned the uncle to stone with the help of the Medusa head.

Perseus Returns Home:

Perseus then returned home where he found King Polydectes behaving badly, so he showed him the prize Polydectes had set him to fetch, and so, of course, Polydectes turned to stone.

The End of the Medusa Head:

The Medusa head was a powerful weapon, but Perseus was willing to give it up to Athena, who placed it in the center of her shield.

Perseus Fulfills the Oracle:

Perseus then went to Argos and Larissa to compete in athletic events (this was before the Olympics). There he accidentally killed Acrisius when a wind swept away a discus he was holding. Perseus then went to Argos to claim his inheritance.

Local Hero:

Perseus founded Mycenae, which is in the Argolis.

Argos for Tiryns:

Since Perseus had killed his grandfather, he felt badly about reigning in his stead, so he went to Tiryns where he found the ruler, Megapenthes, willing to exchange kingdoms. Megapenthes took Argos and Perseus, Tiryns. Later Perseus founded the nearby city of Mycenae.

Death of Perseus:
Another Megapenthes killed Perseus. This Megapenthes was a son of Proteus and a half-brother of Perseus. After his death, Perseus was made immortal and put among the stars.

Main Source: Carlos Parada Perseus

Ancient Sources on Perseus:

Apollodorus, Library
Homer, Iliad
Ovid, Metamorphoses
Hyginus, Fabulae
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica.