by Tim Harry

Created on: June 16, 2008   Last Updated: November 18, 2011

The tales of Ancient Greece are based around the Olympian Gods, and the exploits of human heroes that fought battles against man and beast. Perseus was one of the central heroes of Greek mythology and ranks alongside Heracles as one of the most famous characters. The stories of Perseus tell a tale of a life of trial and tribulation, and although the stories are difficult to tie to one time line they still make for a fascinating read.

The stories of Perseus start in Argos, where King Acrisius ruled the land. Acrisius with his queen, Eurydice, had only one daughter, Danae, and no son to take over the throne. With no direct male heir, Acrisius wanted to know whether Danae would ever bear him a grandson to rule Argos. To find out what the future held, Acrisius went to the oracle at Delphi. Instead of good news, though, the oracle foretold the kings own death at the hands of his grandson.

Acrisius was more fearful about meeting his own demise than not having an heir to his throne. His daughter was without a suitor, and so Acrisius decided to ensure that this situation would continue. Danae was shut in a tall inaccessible bronze tower, which could not be scaled and the only door was guarded day and night.

News of the confinement of Danae reached the Olympian gods, and Zeus heard about her beauty. Zeus was always on the look out for beautiful female mortals, and decided that a visit was in order. When Zeus arrived in Argos, he found that the bronze tower had been made inaccessible to gods. Zeus though was not deterred and so transformed himself into a shower of gold, enabling him to cascade through the tower's roof.

The result of the meeting of Zeus and Danae resulted in the birth of a son, who was named Perseus. The fact that Danae had given birth to a son could not go unnoticed by Acrisius, and he recognised that only a god could have got his daughter pregnant. Still fearful for his life, Acrisius was also fearful of the wrath of the Olympians if he killed one of their offspring.

Acrisius came up with a plan that would hopefully save him. Danae and Perseus were placed in a wooden chest, which was then set adrift on the open sea. Acrisius believed that there were two possible outcomes, either the chest would sink, and his daughter and grandson would drown, or else the chest would drift far away where Perseus could do him no harm.

Zeus though did not easily abandon his offspring, and with the assistance of Poseidon, he ensured that the wooden chest is safely transported

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