Andromeda

Andromeda in Greek mythology

 With the bag draped on his shoulder, Perseus took the way home, flying over the sea to the southern regions. At some point, looking down he saw a beautiful girl chained to rocks.
Being curious immediately dove as a bird and landed near her. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked.
      "My name is Andromeda," answered the girl and immediately burst into tears. "My mother, the queen, boasted that she is even more beautiful by the Nereids, the Nymphs of the sea. But when the Nereids learned about that, were not happy at all.
So they, complained, to the god of the sea, Poseidon, and he angered so much that he sent a flood and destroyed the country of my father. The only way to stop the evil, is my father to sacrifice me to a sea monster, which can be revealed at any moment".
      Perseus, looked Andromeda dazzled by her beauty and then he glanced the sea beneath his feet. There in the waves he picked out a monster which looked like a serpent, with enormous eyes and mouth wide open.
      Perseus was raised in the air, approached  flying the monster and hit it with his sword. The monster swooped to grab Perseus with its claws, but he avoid it and prepared for a new attack. This time, the blow was fatal. The monster fell in the sea with horrible pains. Perseus gave it a final strike and killed it, and it was lost  forever in the waves.
      Then Perseus flew again near Andromeda, broke the chains that had tied down and freed her. Then he escorted her to the palace of her father, king Cepheus. The king rejoiced so much that his daughter escaped from the monster and turned back safe, that he gave a great feast in honor of Perseus. He also promised to give Andromeda as his wife .
      Then the two young returned to Serifos and Perseus took Andromeda to meet his mother. She was so happy that her son came back hale and strong, but looked to be sad. "What is wrong?" Perseus asked her. "When you were away, Polydectes forced me to agree to marry him. Tomorrow is the wedding," she replied.
      Perseus outraged,ran into the palace to meet the king. Polydekctes was surprised because he did not expect that Perseus would return. "Here!I brought you the head of Medusa," said Perseus and carefully took the head out of the bag, and held it before the king. Immediately Polydectes and his friends were transformed into stone statues.
      Then, Perseus gave the throne to the king's brother, who ruled the island wisely. Finally, he returned the helmet, the winged sandals, the sword and the bag, back to the gods, after having thanked them for their useful gifts. Once everything had finished, he married Andromeda and they lived happily for many, many years.

Medusa's head

Medusa's head

Polydektes knew that many people had tried but none managed to kill Medusa , that awful monster instead of hair had snakes and anyone who dared to look at her ,  became stone. So the king was sure that neither Perseus could do it .

      Perseus did not hear the words of Polydektes without fear. But he could not refuse the challenge. " I'll go and bring you the head of Medusa " he said.

      The gods were watching Perseus and decided to help him. While he was getting started to find Medusa,  appeared before him, the goddess Athena .She gave him a shield and showed him how to use it . Hermes gave him a couple winged sandals to travel quickly , a helmet that made him invisible a sickle and a bag .

Perseus accepted all these gifts and flew over the sea to the mountains of the north, where lived the Gorgon Medusa. Finally he landed in a valley full of rocks and followed the path which was leading to the cave where the monster was . Statues of brave men, were raised around,they had looked Medusa and became turned into stone. Silence prevailed around. Neither animals or birds were approaching these places.

      Once arrived in the cave, Perseus did what he was advised by Athena. He looked through the sparkling shield trying to use it as a mirror. Then he distinguished Medusa.

The monster had such a horrible look that he started shivering from fright. She heard the footsteps, but did not see him because he was wearing the helmet that made him invisible. She came crawling out of the cave, while the snakes on her head whistled tremendously through their forked tongues.

      With eyes fixed on the shield, Perseus made ​​a leap forward. Then he raised his scythe and cut off the head of Medusa. A terrible scream was heard and the monster fell dead.

Perseus lifted her head without looking at it, because even now it could transform him into stone. Then he dropped her head into the bag and for greater security, tightly tied the bag with a rope.

Perseus the beginning

 The begin of the adventures of Perseus

 On the island Seriphos, a day that the wind blew strongly, washed ashore a wooden chest.It was found by a fisherman, when he open the lid he was surprised to see inside a woman with a baby in her arms. She was the royal Danae with her ​​son, Perseus.
      Danae was locked up by her father to prevent her by getting pregnant.However,Zeus transformed into goldern shower managed to get her pregnant.
       King Acrisius,the king of Argos, closed them in a chest, because he was told by an oracle that he would be killed someday by his grandson. Because he could not bear to kill his daughter and his grandson, Perseus, so he put them in a chest and threw them into the sea.
      The fisherman took Danae and Perseus to the king of the island, Polydektes, who treated them very kindly and generous. When Perseus grew up he became a clever and strong young man. But he was not happy, because Polydektes wanted to marry his mother.

      But she did not want him at all for her husband, although she felt very grateful to him.
Polydektes believed that if he could get rid of Perseus, Danae would change her mind. Well he called Perseus and told him friendly: "Perseus, you live  many years in my palace and you have grown up. It is time to prove how brave and strong man you have become. I want you to bring me the head of the Gorgon  Medusa."