Perseus Son of Zeus, heroic vanquisher of Hippodameia. the Gorgon Medusa. "And I expect every one of my King Acrisius of Argos was loyal subjects to contribute a gift warned by an oracle that he to the bride price," he said, would be killed in time by a son looking meaningfully at Perseus. born to his daughter Danae. So he "What have you to offer?" promptly locked Danae up in a tower and threw away the key. When Perseus did not answer But the god Zeus got in, right away, Polydectes went on: disguised as a shower of gold, "A team of horses? A chariot of with the result that Perseus was intricate devising? Or a coffer of born. So Acrisius straightaway gems perhaps?" stuck daughter and infant into a brazen chest and pushed it out to Perseus fidgeted uncomfortably. sea. Perhaps he expected it to "If it meant you'd leave my sink like a stone, but instead it mother alone, I'd gladly give you floated quite nicely, fetching up anything I owned - which on a beach on the island of unfortunately is precious little. Seriphos. Here a fisherman Horses, chariot, gems, you name named Dictys came upon the it - if I had 'em, they'd be yours. unusual bit of flotsam and The sweat of my brow, the gain adopted a protective attitude of my strong right arm, whatever. toward its contents. Thus Perseus I'd go out and run the marathon if had the advantage of a pure and they were holding the Olympics simple role model as he grew to this year. I'd scour the seas for young manhood. Then one day treasure, I'd quest to the ends of Dictys's brother, who happened the earth. Why, I'd even bring to be king in those parts, took a back the head of Medusa herself fancy to Danae and pressed his if I had it in my power." attentions upon her. Pausing for a breath against the "You leave my mother alone," pitch to which he'd worked insisted Perseus, clenching a not- himself up, Perseus was shocked insubstantial fist. And the king, to hear the silence snapped by a Polydectes by name, had no single "Done!" choice but to desist. Or, rather, he grew subtle in the means of "Come again?" he queried. achieving his desires. "You said you'd bring me "Okay, okay, don't get yourself Medusa's head," Polydectes into an uproar," he said to replied. "Well, I say fine - go do Perseus, though not perhaps in it." those exact words. He put it out that, instead, he planned to seek And so it was that Perseus set out the hand of another maiden, one one bright October morn in quest of the snake-infested, lolling- Titan, who pays eternally the tongued, boar's-tusked noggin of price of defying Zeus almighty." a Gorgon whose very glance had the power to turn the person Okay, okay, and where's this glanced upon to stone. Atlas? Clearly, then, Perseus had his "Why, that's simple enough - at work cut out for him. Fortunately the very western edge of the he had an ally in Athena. The world." goddess of crafts and war had her own reasons for wishing to see Before sending him off on this the Gorgon vanquished, so she tangled path, Athena lent Perseus was eager to advise Perseus. her mirrored shield and suggested Why, exactly, Athena had it in how he make use of it. And while for Medusa is not entirely clear. her directions were somewhat The likeliest explanation is that deficient as to particulars, the Gorgon, while still a beautiful Perseus did indeed track down young maiden, had profaned one Atlas, who grudgingly nodded in of Athena's temples. For this the direction of a nearby cave sacrilege Athena turned her into a where, sure enough, he found the monster, but apparently this Graeae. Perseus had heard the wasn't punishment enough. Now version of the myth whereby Athena wanted Medusa's head to these Sisters, though gray-haired decorate her own shield, to from infancy and sadly lacking in magnify its power by the the eyeball department, were as Gorgon's terrible gaze. Athena lovely as young swans. But he told Perseus where he could find was disappointed to find himself the special equipment needed for taking part in the version that had his task. them as ugly as ogres. Nor was their disposition any cause for "Seek ye the nymphs who guard delight. the helmet of invisibility," she counseled the young hero. Sure, they knew where the nymphs did dwell, but that was, And where, Perseus inquired, in a manner of speaking, theirs to might he find these nymphs? know and his to find out. With cranky cackles and venomous "Ask the Gray Sisters, the vim, they told him just what he Graeae, born hags with but a could do with his quest. But the single eye in common. They hero had a trick or two up his know - if they'll tell you." sleeve, and by seizing that which by virtue of its scarcity and And where were the Graeae? indispensability they valued above all else, he made them tell "Ask him who holds the heavens him what he wanted to know on his back - Atlas, renegade about the location of the water nymphs. pool, he broke the heart of the nymph who dwelled therein, who At this point Perseus might have was condemned only to repeat paused to consider the extent to Narcissus's sighs and murmurs which his quest was akin to like an echo. In fact, Echo was computer adventure gaming. For her name. And thus when the starters, there was the essential handsome youth Hylas strayed business of bringing back - as in while fetching water for his Jason "bringing back" the Golden shipmates on the Argo, some Fleece to Colchis where, in the nymphs at the water hole were so form of a flying ram, it had carted smitten that they yanked him off a young maiden and her beneath the surface to dwell with brother on the point of sacrifice. them forever - much to the How remarkably similar to a despair of Heracles, whose squire gamer acquiring a particularly he was. hard-sought icon for his or her inventory. Or so Perseus might One version of the Perseus myth have reflected had he been born holds that the naiads he sought in the era of compact discs and were special indeed, having as read-only memory. And then, in their domain the dark and lifeless furtherance of his Medusa quest, waters of the river Styx, in the there was the laundry list of other deepest Underworld. They were "inventory" that had to be also reputed to have such bad acquired first, beginning with the personal habits that they could be shield with the mirrored surface smelled from a great distance. and the helmet of invisibility. Such is perhaps understandable given the dubious cleansing Some versions of the myth have powers of a river in Hell. it that the water nymphs in question were pretty much garden At length Perseus found the variety. Properly referred to as nymphs and got the gear. This naiads, they were minor deities of consisted of the helmet of a far-less-than Olympian order, invisibility, winged sandals and a mildly powerful in their own special pouch for carrying limited way, but not even Medusa's head once he'd chopped immortal, and confined in their it off. Medusa would retain the scope of operation to a given power of her gaze even in death, body of water. For just as dryads and it was vital to hide the head are fairy creatures attached to unless occasion called for trees, and Nereids are ocean- whipping it out and using it on going, naiads are nymphs that some enemy. live in ponds and pools. The god Hermes also helped out Thus when the handsome youth at this point, providing Perseus Narcissus fell in love with his with a special cutting implement, own reflection in the surface of a a sword or sickle of adamant. Some add that it was Hermes, not Medusa, though most versions of the nymphs, who provided the the myth have it that it was the winged sandals. Thus Perseus power of her gaze that counted.) was equipped - one might even say overequipped - for his task. Entering, then, somewhat In fact, a careful examination of unglamorously into the fray - if the hero's inventory leads to the "fray" is the right word to suspicion that we are presented describe a battle against a here with a case of mythological sleeping opponent - Perseus overkill. whacked Medusa's head off. At just that instant, the winged horse A quick escape would be Pegasus, offspring of Medusa and essential after slaying Medusa, the god Poseidon, was born from since she had two equally the bleeding neck. Then Perseus monstrous sisters who would be donned his special getaway gear sure to avenge her murder, and and departed victoriously before they had wings of gold or brass Medusa's sisters could take their which would bear them in swift revenge. Though these sisters pursuit of the killer. So at least were immortal, Medusa clearly the winged sandals were a good was not. She died when her head idea. But if this supernatural was severed, which required the appliance guaranteed the swiftest special cutting implement given of escapes, why bother with a to Perseus by Hermes. helmet of invisibility, which made it just about impossible for Even in death Medusa's gaze the Gorgons to find you even if could turn things to stone, so you didn't deign to hurry away? Perseus quickly stored his trophy Because it makes for a better in the special sack provided by myth, that's why.