Perseus

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Acrisius, Danae's father, feared an oracle that warned him of his death by a grandson. So he put his daughter and grandson into a chest, and cast them out to sea. The chest was found by a fisherman named Dictys. Dictys brought the two to his brother King Polydectes. It soon became obvious that the king was attracted to Danae, and Perseus had to continually help his mother keep her distance.

Polydectes was getting tired of Perseus' interference, and pretended that he was going to marry Hippodameia. As a wedding present, the king asked Perseus to retrieve the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Everyone knew that if any mortal looked upon Medusa's face, her visage alone would turn him/her to stone. So Polydectes believed he was sending Perseus to his death.

With the aid of Athene and Hermes, Perseus undertook the task. The first step was to obtain items that were needed. These items were kept by the Stygian Nymphs, who could only be found by the Graeae.

So Perseus set off to Mount Atlas to meet the Graeae. Waiting for an opportunity, Perseus stole the only eye and tooth shared by all three sisters. The sisters had no choice but to tell Perseus were the Nymphs were.

The nymphs gave Perseus a wallet to carry Medusa's head, Hades' helmet of invisibility, and a pair of winged sandals. Perseus then traveled to Hyperborean, the area in where Medusa lived.

Perseus patiently waited until Medusa fell asleep, and using the reflection off Athene's shield, he sliced the head from the Gorgon's body.

On Perseus way home, he used the head to turn the Titan Atlas to stone. Then when he passed through Joppa, he met Andromeda chained to a cliff face. He turned the sea monster to stone with Medusa's head, and married Andromeda.

When Perseus finally arrived home, he found his mom and Dictys hiding from Polydectes. The king and his court did not believe that Perseus had accomplished his task, so they mocked and beat him. Out came the head, and they all were turned to stone.

He then thanked and returned the shield to Athene, and asked her to keep Medusa's head for safekeeping. Next he returned the items back to the Nymphs. Perseus made Dictys king, and then left with his wife,mother and a group of Cyclopes to Argos. A chance encounter in Larissa ended with a discus throw that killed Acrisius; fulfilling the oracle.