THE GORGONS

HEAD
ANNE TERRY WHITE

PERSEUS JOURNEY

LEA

ISLAND OF
ARGOS
LAND OF THE
GORGONS

LYBIAN
DESERT

ISLAND OF
SERAPHOS

LAND OF
THE HAPPY
BEINGS
(NYMPHS)

ETHIOPIA

AN ENCOUNTER
WITH HERMES
AND ATHENA

End of the Earth

(Land of the Gray
women)

serapho
s

ARGO
S

 Acrisius, the king of Argos, was told by the oracle of Delphi

that his own grandson would kill him one day.
This grandson would be the child of his daughterDanae.
Scared of the upcoming future and his destiny,
King Acrisius decided to deprive his daughter of
any possible intercourse, mating and child
bearing, so he built a room beneath the earth and
imprisoned Danae there.
However, as the legend says, Zeus came to her
in the form of golden rain, pierced through the
walls of chamber, and Danaes body. Hence,
Perseus was born.
Hearing the news but not believing that Zeus was the
father of the newborn, Acrisius let his daughter and
grandchild out to the open sea on an ark.

They eventually came to the shores of

Seraphos island, where they were saved by
Dictys, the brother of King Polydectes.
Perseus grew up to a handsome and strong
young man, one more time he found himself
in the way of one king, this time King
Polydectes, who wanted Danae to become
his wife.
Knowing that he wouldnt have the woman for himself as long as Perseus
was there to protect her, the king made a plan to send Perseus not only far
away but also to a dangerous mission. Polydectes told Perseus to bring him
the head of the gorgon Medusa.

Hermes advised him that he should have

a winged sandals, the magic wallet and
the helmet of invisibility. The Gray women
can tell him where to find these things.

Hermes also
gave him a
magnificent
curvred
sword.

Athena gave him a

bright shield to look
into it instead of at
the monster so that
he will not turn into
stone

Perseus snatched the

eye from the Gray
Women as they passed
it from one to another
and being helpless they
told him where he can
get the three priceless
things he needed to get
Medusas head.

The
NYMPHS
gave him
the three
things he
needed to
conquer
Medusa

The Gorgons were asleep

when he saw them and
through the help of Athena he
easily cut off Medusas head.

The Gorgon sisters roared

with fury but they could
not outstrip the winged
sandals.

 He didnt notice
that the blood
falling from
Medusas head
turned into snakes.

Perseus saved Andromeda and killed the serpent.

A wedding feast was celebrated but

Phineas came and want to take
avenge for Andromeda was
promised to he him to be her bride.

The feast turned into battle and at the

end Phineas became a stone together
with two hundred men who did not
hide their faces when Perseus asked
them to do so.

Polydectes didnt believe that he

slain Medusa. Perseus showed him
the head
and he turned into stone.
That was the last time he used
the head of Medusa and
he gave it to Athene.
Danae wanted to go home and reconciled
with her father so Perseus made Dictys
the King of Seraphos.

Perseus unknowingly
killed his grandfather
when he threw the
discuss and swerved
and landed to King
Acrisius.