 - Yes, date unknown
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| Name |
Perseus of Mycenae |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
Yes, date unknown |
| Notes |
- «b»http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_(mythology)«/b»
«b»Perseus«/b» ( the «u»legendary «/u» founder of «u»Mycenae «/u» and of the «u»Perseid dynasty «/u» there, was the first of the mythic heroes of «u»Greek mythology «/u» whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the «u»founding myths «/u» in the cult of the «u»Twelve Olympians «/u». Perseus was the hero who killed «u»Medusa «/u» and claimed «u»Andromeda «/u», having rescued her from a sea monster.
«b»Origin at Argos
«/b»Perseus was the son of «u»Danaë «/u» who, by her very name, was the «u»archetype «/u» and eponymous ancestor of all the «u»Danaans «/u» She was the only child of «u»Acrisius «/u», King of «u»Argos «/u». Disappointed by his lack of luck in not having a son, Acrisius consulted the «u»oracle at Delphi «/u», who warned him that he would one day be killed by his daughter's son. Danaë was childless and to keep her so, he imprisoned her in a bronze chamber open to the sky in the courtyard of his palace: This «u»mytheme «/u» is also connected to «u»Ares «/u», «u»Oenopion «/u», «u»Eurystheus «/u», etc. Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and impregnated her. Soon after was born their child Perseus\emdash «i»"Perseus Eurymedon, for his mother gave him this name as well"«/i» (Apollonius of Rhodes, \ul«i»Argonautica \ulnone«/i» IV).
Fearful for his future but unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods by killing Zeus's offspring and his own daughter, Acrisius cast the two into the sea in a wooden chest. Danaë's fearful prayer made while afloat in the darkness has been expressed by the poet «u»Simonides of Ceos «/u». Mother and child washed ashore on the island of «u»Seriphos «/u», where they were taken in by the fisherman «u»Dictys «/u», who raised the boy to manhood. The brother of Dictys was «u»Polydectes «/u», the king of the island.
«b»Overcoming the Gorgon
«/b»After some time, Polydectes fell in love with Danaë and desired to remove Perseus from the island. He therefore hatched a plot to send him away in disgrace.
Polydectes announced a large and prosperous banquet«u»[6]«/u» wherein each guest would be expected to bring him a horse, that he might woo «u»Hippodamia «/u», "tamer of horses". The fisherman's protegé had no horse but promised instead to bring him some other gift. Polydectes held Perseus to his rash promise. He immediately demanded the head of «u»Medusa «/u», one of the «u»Gorgons «/u», whose very expression turns people to stone. The Medusa was horse-like in archaic representations,«u»[7]«/u» the terrible filly of a mare-«u»Demeter «/u», the Mother herself\emdash who was in her mare nature when Poseidon assumed stallion form and covered her. According to Hesiod«u»[8]«/u» Medusa was the only mortal among the Gorgons, as her encounter with Perseus would prove. «u»Ovid «/u»'s anecdotal embroidery of her mortality«u»[9]«/u» tells that Medusa was in fact a mortal woman, vain of her beautiful hair: "Fame declares the Sovereign of the Sea attained her love in chaste Minerva's temple. One day Athena caught the two of them in her temple and unable to punish Poseidon, punished Medusa, turning the woman into a hideous monster.
For such a heroic quest, a divine helper would be necessary, and for a long time Perseus wandered aimlessly, without hope of ever finding the Gorgons or of being able to accomplish his mission. According to the iconography of the «u»vase-painters «/u», the gods «u»Hermes «/u», «u»Athena «/u» and «u»Hades «/u» came to his rescue. Hermes gave him his «u»adamantine «/u» curved sword,«u»[10]«/u» while Athena gave him her highly-polished bronze shield, and Hades gave his «u»helmet of invisibility «/u». For his further journey, the version of «u»Aeschylus «/u», in his lost «u»tragedy «/u», «i»The Daughters of «u»Phorcys \ulnone«/i» must have "simplified the journey of Perseus through the realms of thrice-three goddesses and probably left out the first three, the «u»spring-nymphs «/u».... On an ancient vase-painting we see the nymphs receiving the hero, one bringing him the winged sandals («u»talaria «/u»), another the helmet of invisibility,«u»[11]«/u» the third the wallet, «i»kibisis«/i», for the Gorgon's head" (Kerenyi 1959:49-50).
They told him to go to the island of the golden apples to the west. He went there like a swift walker on the air (Nonnus, \ul«i»Dionysiaca \ulnone«/i» xxv.32) and asked the «u»Hesperides «/u» where the «u»Graeae «/u» were. They told him and made him promise to come back and dance with them. He went to the «u»Graeae «/u», sisters of the gorgons, three perpetually old women with one eye and tooth among them. Perseus snatched the eye at the moment they were blindly passing it from one to another so they could not see him and he would not return it until they had given him directions. With all this, "Like a wild boar he entered the cave" (This is the one line of «u»Aeschylus «/u»' lost play, «i»The Phorkides«/i» ["The Daughters of Phorcys"] that survives). After he was done with the Graeae sisters he threw the tooth and the eye into a lake. In the cave he came upon the sleeping Gorgons. By viewing Medusa's reflection in his polished shield, he could safely approach and cut off her head; from her neck sprang «u»Pegasus «/u» and «u»Chrysaor«/u». The other two Gorgons pursued Perseus, but under his helmet of invisibility he escaped.
«b»Marriage with Andromeda
«/b»
On the way back to Seriphos, Perseus stopped in the Phoenician kingdom «u»Ethiopia «/u», ruled by King «u»Cepheus «/u» and Queen «u»Cassiopeia «/u». Cassiopeia, having boasted herself equal in beauty to the «u»Nereids «/u», drew down the vengeance of «u»Poseidon «/u», who sent an inundation on the land and a whale, «u»Cetus «/u», which destroyed man and beast. The «u»oracle of Ammon «/u» announced that no relief would be found until the king exposed his daughter «u»Andromeda «/u» to the monster, and so she was fastened to a rock on the shore. Perseus slew the monster and, setting her free, claimed her in marriage.
In the classical myth, he flew using the flying sandals. «u»Renaissance «/u» Europe and modern imagery has generated the idea that Perseus flew mounted on «u»Pegasus «/u» (though not in the great paintings by Piero di Cosimo and Titian).«u»[12]«/u»
Perseus married Andromeda in spite of «u»Phineus «/u», to whom she had before been promised. At the wedding a quarrel took place between the rivals, and Phineus was turned to stone by the sight of the Gorgon's head.«u»[13]«/u» Andromeda ("queen of men") followed her husband to «u»Tiryns «/u» in «u»Argos «/u», and became the ancestress of the family of the «u»Perseidae «/u» through her son with Perseus, «u»Perses «/u». After her death she was placed by Athena amongst the constellations in the northern sky, near Perseus and Cassiopeia.«u»[14]«/u» «u»Sophocles «/u» and «u»Euripides «/u» (and in more modern times «u»Pierre Corneille «/u») made the episode of Perseus and Andromeda the subject of tragedies, and its incidents were represented in many ancient works of art.
As Perseus was flying in his return above the sands of «u»Libya «/u», according to «u»Apollonius of Rhodes «/u»,«u»[15]«/u» the falling drops of Medusa's blood created a race of toxic serpents, one of whom was to kill the Argonaut «u»Mopsus «/u». On returning to Seriphos and discovering that his mother had to take refuge from the violent advances of Polydectes, Perseus killed him with Medusa's head, and made his brother Dictys, consort of Danaë, king.
«b»The oracle fulfilled
«/b»Perseus then returned his magical loans and gave Medusa's head as a «u»votive gift «/u» to «u»Athena «/u», who set it on «u»Zeus «/u»' shield (which she carried), as the \ul«i»Gorgoneion \ulnone«/i» (see also: «u»Aegis «/u»).
The fulfillment of the oracle«u»[16]«/u» was told several ways, each incorporating the mythic theme of exile. In «u»Pausanias [17]«/u» he did not return to Argos, but went instead to «u»Larissa «/u», where athletic games were being held.
He had just invented the «u»quoit «/u» and was making a public display of them when Acrisius, who happened to be visiting, stepped into the trajectory of the quoit and was killed: thus the oracle was fulfilled. This is an unusual variant on the story of such a prophecy, as Acrisius's actions did not, in this variant, cause his death.
In «u»Apollodorus «/u»' version,«u»[18]«/u» the inevitable occurred by another route: Perseus did return to Argos, but when he learned of the oracle, went into voluntary exile in «u»Pelasgiotis «/u» («u»Thessaly «/u»). There Teutamides, king of «u»Larissa «/u», was holding funeral games for his father. Competing in the discus throw Perseus' throw veered and struck Acrisius, killing him instantly.
In a third tradition,«u»[19]«/u» Acrisius had been driven into exile by his brother, «u»Proetus «/u». Perseus turned the brother into stone with the Gorgon's head and restored Acrisius to the throne. Having killed Acrisius, Perseus, who was next in line for the throne, gave the kingdom to «u»Megapenthes «/u» son of «u»Proetus «/u» and took over Megapenthes' kingdom of «u»Tiryns «/u». The story is related in Pausanias,«u»[20]«/u» which gives as motivation for the swap that Perseus was ashamed to become king of Argos by inflicting death.
In any case, early Greek literature reiterates that manslaughter, even involuntary, requires the exile of the slaughterer, expiation and ritual purification. The exchange might well have been a creative solution to a difficult problem; however, Megapenthes would have been required to avenge his father, which, in legend, he did, but only at the end of Perseus' long and successful reign.
«b»King of Mycenae
«/b»The two main sources regarding the legendary life of Perseus\emdash for he was an authentic historical figure to the Greeks\emdash are Pausanias and «u»Apollodorus «/u», but from them we obtain mainly folk-etymology concerning the founding of Mycenae. Pausanias«u»[21]«/u» asserts that the Greeks believed Perseus founded Mycenae. He mentions the shrine to Perseus that stood on the left-hand side of the road from Mycenae to Argos, and also a sacred fountain at Mycenae called «i»Persea«/i». Located outside the walls, this was perhaps the spring that filled the citadel's underground cistern. He states also that «u»Atreus «/u» stored his treasures in an underground chamber there, which is why «u»Heinrich Schliemann «/u»named the largest «u»tholos «/u» tomb the «u»Treasury of Atreus «/u».
Apart from these more historical references, we have only folk-etymology: Perseus dropped his cap or found a mushroom (both named «i»myces«/i») at Mycenae, or perhaps the place was named from the lady Mycene, daughter of «u»Inachus «/u», mentioned in a now-missing poem, the great \ul«i»Eoeae\ulnone«/i». For whatever reasons, perhaps as outposts, Perseus «i»fortified«/i» Mycenae according to Apollodorus«u»[22]«/u» along with «u»Midea «/u», an action that implies that they both previously existed. It is unlikely, however, that Apollodorus knew who walled in Mycenae; he was only conjecturing. In any case, Perseus took up official residence in Mycenae with Andromeda.
«b»Descendants of Perseus
«/b»Perseus and Andromeda had seven sons: «u»Perses «/u», «u»Alcaeus «/u», Heleus, «u»Mestor «/u», «u»Sthenelus «/u», «u»Electryon «/u», and «u»Cynurus «/u», and two daughters, «u»Gorgophone «/u» ("Gorgon Killer") and «u»Autochthoe «/u» ("Born in the Land"). \ul«b»Perses \ulnone«/b» was left in «u»Aethiopia «/u» and became an ancestor of the emperors of «u»Persia «/u». The other descendants ruled Mycenae from «u»Electryon «/u» down to «u»Eurystheus «/u», after whom «u»Atreus «/u» got the kingdom. However, the Perseids included the great hero, «u»Heracles «/u», stepson of «u»Amphitryon «/u», son of «u»Alcaeus «/u». The Heraclides, or descendants of Heracles, successfully contested the rule of the Atreids.
A statement by the Athenian orator, «u»Isocrates [23]«/u» helps to date Perseus roughly. He said that Heracles was four generations later than Perseus, which corresponds to the legendary succession: Perseus, «u»Electryon «/u», «u»Alcmena «/u», and «u»Heracles «/u», who was a contemporary of «u»Eurystheus «/u». «u»Atreus «/u» was one generation later, a total of five generations.
«b»References«/b»
\ul«b»1. ^\ulnone«/b» «b»Perseos«/b» and «b»Perseas«/b» («u»Greek «/u»: , are not used in English.
\ul«b»2. ^\ulnone«/b» Kerenyi 1959:45; see also «u»Danaus «/u».
\ul«b»3. ^\ulnone«/b» "Even thus endured Danaë in her beauty to change the light of day for brass-bound walls; and in that chamber, secret as the grave, she was held close" («u»Sophocles «/u», \ul«i»Antigone \ulnone«/i»). In post-Renaissance paintings the setting is often a locked tower.
\ul«b»4. ^\ulnone«/b» «i»Eurymedon«/i»: "far-ruling"
\ul«b»5. ^\ulnone«/b» For the familiar motif of the «u»Exposed Child «/u» in the account of «u»Moses «/u» especially, see Brevard S. Childs, "The Birth of Moses" «i»Journal of Biblical Literature«/i» «b»84«/b».2 (June 1965), pp 109-122, and Donald B. Redford, "The Literary Motif of the Exposed Child (Cf. Ex. ii 1-10)" «i»Numen«/i» «b»14«/b».3 (November 1967), pp 209-228. Another example of this mytheme is the Indian figure of «u»Karna «/u».
\ul«b»6. ^\ulnone«/b» Such a banquet, to which each guest brings a gift, was an \ul«i»eranos \ulnone«/i». The name of «i»Polydectes«/i», "receiver of many", characterizes his role as intended host but is also a «u»euphemism «/u» for the Lord of the Underworld, as in the «u»Homeric Hymn «/u» to Demeter 9, 17.
\ul«b»7. ^\ulnone«/b» Kerenyi 1959:48; «u»Pausanias «/u» (viii.25.5): "When Demeter was wandering in search of her daughter, she was followed, it is said, by Poseidon, who lusted after her. So she turned, the story runs, into a mare, and grazed with the mares of Oncius; realizing that he was outwitted, Poseidon too changed into a stallion and enjoyed Demeter."
\ul«b»8. ^\ulnone«/b» Hesiod, «i»Theogony«/i» 277
\ul«b»9. ^\ulnone«/b» Ovid, «i»Metamorphoses«/i» iv, 792-802
\ul«b»10 ^\ulnone«/b» The sword of Perseus is an antique weapon, a \ul«i»harpe \ulnone«/i» with a sickle-like extension to one side of the blade, for thrust and cut.Hermes also gave him winged sandels to fly. See Canova's «i»Perseus«/i» («i»illustration«/i»).
\ul«b»11 ^\ulnone«/b» Ordinarily the helm of invisibility belonged to «u»Hades «/u».
\ul«b»12 ^\ulnone«/b» For the Greeks, the tamer and first rider of Pegasus was «u»Bellerophon «/u».
\ul«b»13 ^\ulnone«/b» «u»Ovid «/u», \ul«i»Metamorphoses \ulnone«/i» 5.1-235.
\ul«b»14 ^\ulnone«/b» \ul«i»Catasterismi \ulnone«/i».
\ul«b»15 ^\ulnone«/b» \ul«i»Argonautica \ulnone«/i», IV.
\ul«b»16 ^\ulnone«/b» The ironic fulfillment of an oracle through an accident or a concatenation of coincidental circumstances is not a "«u»self-fulfilling prophecy «/u»".
\ul«b»17 ^\ulnone«/b» 12.16.1
\ul«b»18 ^\ulnone«/b» 2.4.4
\ul«b»19^\ulnone«/b» «u»Metamorphoses «/u», 5.177
\ul«b»20 ^\ulnone«/b» loc. cit.
\ul«b»21 ^\ulnone«/b» 2.15.4, 2.16.3-6, 2.18.1
\ul«b»22 ^\ulnone«/b» 2.4.4, «i»pros-teichisas«/i», "walling in"
\ul«b»23 ^\ulnone«/b» 4.07
\ul«b»24 ^\ulnone«/b» Hofmann, «i»Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen«/i» (Munich) !950.
\ul«b»25 ^\ulnone«/b» Herodotus, vii.61
\ul«b»26 ^\ulnone«/b» Herodotus vii.150
\ul«b»27 ^\ulnone«/b» «i»Forgotten Scripts«/i», Basic Books, 1982, «u»ISBN 0-465-02484-X «/u», Chapter 7
\ul«b»28 ^\ulnone«/b» George Burke Johnston "«u»Jonson's «/u»'Perseus upon Pegasus'" «i»The Review of English Studies«/i» New Series, «b»6«/b».21 (Jan., 1955), pp. 65-67.
\ul«b»29 ^\ulnone«/b» «u»Melville, Hermann «/u» (1851), \ul«i»Moby-Dick «/u». «u»Chapter 82: The Honor and Glory of Whaling <http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moby-Dick/Chapter_82>\ulnone«/i»
«/u»
- (Research):http://fabpedigree.com/s076/f083054.htm(identified with a constellation)
http://fabpedigree.com/s038/f041527.htm
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| Person ID |
I61418 |
Glenn Cook Family |
| Last Modified |
1 May 2015 |
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| Photos |
 | Perseus
Perseus with the head of the gorgon Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) |
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