Pontificia Universidad Catlica

Del Ecuador
Sede Ambato
PUCESA

Escuela de Lenguas y Lingstica

Languages and Linguistic School

Oral Exam

Peritaje 2014

Name:
Mauro Urrutia
Subject:
The Story of Perseus and Andromeda
Date:
16/12/2014

1. Introduction
Greek Mythology is a compendium of stories, legends and myths created by

ancient Greeks, describing the bases of their spiritual and religious cults and

practices.

The Greek Mythology give us clues for understanding the way how it used to work

Ancient Greek Institutions, it makes easier the comprehension of their habits,

customs and rituals.

Greek Mythology is embodied in a vast array of narratives, stories and Arts,

ranging from pottery and vase painting to Dramas, such as tragedies and

comedies.

Greeks were polytheistic people that mean that they believed in the existence of

Gods, the famous 12 Gods of Mount Olympus and numerous deities and semi

gods that played supporting roles to the original Gods.

Ancient Greeks believed that their Gods had enormous powers, and that they were

able to control nature in all its forms. The interesting part is that it was Greeks

themselves who appointed all this power to their Gods, yet, they were full of

respect and fear for them.

The oldest myths of Greek Mythology are the two epic poems written by Homer:

the Odyssey and the Iliad, although the origins of the world and the vast effort to

explain the nature, the surroundings and the very essence of Greek mythology

itself, lies at the texts of Hesiod, especially Theogony

2. Body
Perseus and Andromeda

Once in the time when Perseus was in his way back to Argos, came upon a

beautiful woman, it was Andromeda, chained to rocks, about to be sacrificed to the

sea monster Cetus.

Andromeda was King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeias daughter; they were King

and Queen of Ethiopia. It seems Queen Cassiopeia had affronted the Nereids

(sea-nymphs) by her great beauty and vanity. The Nereids told to their father,

Poseidon (god of the sea). As revenge he sent the sea monster Cetus to destroy

the land. Cepheus consulted the oracle, who told him that he must sacrifice his

daughter Andromeda to the sea monster if he wants it to stop.

Perseus story is quite different; the King Acrisius of Argos was told by the oracle

that he will be killed by his grandson. He had one daughter, Danae, who he locked

away in a tower once she was older enough to have children. Zeus found Danae.

Then, despite all of Acrisius precautions, Zeus impregnated Danae as golden rain.
When Acrisius realized about what Zeus did Danae and her son Perseus were left

to fend to the sea in a box. When they arrived to the short of Seriphos, they were

found by the fisherman Dictys. He reared Perseus as his own son.

By the time Perseus was full grown, Dictys brother, King Polydectes, met Danae,

and immediately wanted to marry her. But Perseus was protective of his mother.

So, in order to get rid of Perseus, King Polydectes made a plot. King Polydectes

asked Perseus to fetch him a wedding present. And what Polydectes was looking

for was Medusas head, the mortal one of the three Gorgons (women with hair of
snakes) if anyone dares to see them at their visage they would turn instantly into

stone.
Perseus having Zeus as a father has dividends. Before setting out on his risky

journey he was given a helmet of darkness by Hades (to make himself invisible).

Hermes gave him a pair of winged sandals, and Athena gave him a polished

bronze shield.
Hermes and Athena took Perseus to the Graeae, three old women with just one

eye and one tooth whose they shared. Perseus stole their eye, returning it only

after they told him where he could find the Hespedides (nymphs from Atlas

Garden) to look for one last object until fighting Medusa the Kibisis an special bag

to hold a Gorgons head, and where he will find Medusa obviously.

Sneaking up on the sleeping Gorgons, Perseus looked at their reflection in the

shield and slew Medusas neck.

The flying horse Pegasus sprang from her neck and the giant Chysaor as well.
On his way back to Argos, Perseus found Andromeda chained to rocks, about to be

sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus, he fought against Cetus and won showing him

Medusas head that way he became a rock.

Then immediately he asked for Andromedas hand and they got marriage the next

day.
Perseus took revenge from Polydectes when he came back to Argos eventually,

but not everyone lived happily ever after. Perseus visited an Olympic competition,

and he didnt know that Acrisius was in attendance. Perseus killed accidently his

grandfather with an errant javelin throw as the Oracles prophecy said.

3. Conclusions
Men will do whatever to protect women.
Vanity is a sin and it will affect even to our relatives.
The Greeks used to trust so much and be a kind of superstitious about

the Oracles, I consider thats the main reason why the myth born.
4. Bibliography
 E-books
http://tikaboo.com/library/Ovid-Metamorphosis.pdf (Pages 215 -

229) Metamorphosis
https://books.google.com.ec/books?

id=phf5EcQQ0PkC&pg=PA298&lpg=PA298&dq=perseus+and+an

dromeda+cambridge&source=bl&ots=9uHsqgTdFi&sig=XhqhYzg

1MSu9G3wBHnsIRGNkU1k&hl=es-

419&sa=X&ei=7ZOPVMasDoSeNt2GgWA&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA

#v=onepage&q=perseus%20and%20andromeda

%20cambridge&f=false
The Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World
Books
Ovid Methamorfosis, 1480.
Internet
http://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/perseus-andromeda.htm

(Licensed by the GNTO (Greek National Tourism Organization

Source)
http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/fwalter/AST101/pdf/perseus.pdf