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Information About ErebusĮrebus was the first god of the Underworld, a place which legend says that no light or healthy living thing could live. Few books and stories, with the possible exception of Hesiod’s Theogony, discuss Erebus at length and there, he is referred to as one of the first five beings in existence. Perseus would therefore kill Acrisius’ brother Proetus, and restore his grandfather to the throne.In Greek tradition, his true role, other than being the father of the second generation of gods and goddesses, is mired in mystery and lost to history. As Perseus threw a quoit, Acrisius was said to have walked in front of Perseus, and was struck by the quoit, and the king of Argos was thus killed.Ī similar story tells of Perseus and Acrisius both being present in Larissa to attend the funeral of King Amyntor, and then in the funeral games, Acrisius was struck by a discus thrown by his grandson.Ī third, less common version tells of Perseus not actually killing Acrisius, for when Perseus returned to the Argolis, he found that his grandfather’s kingdom had been seized by Proetus. One version tells of the Perseus competing in athletic games at Larissa in Thessaly, where the hero was exhibiting the new game of quoits that he had invented. The distance that Acrisius had sought to put between him and his grandson was now greatly diminished.Īs to whether the prophecy of Perseus killing Acrisius came true, depends upon the version of the Perseus myth being read. Perseus would subsequently install Dictys as the new king of Seriphos, with Perseus, Andromeda and Danae then departing from the island, returning to the Argolis. Athena would make special use of the head of Medusa though, for she would incorporate it into her aegis, her shield, making it a powerful weapon, as well as a means of defence. With his quest at an end, Perseus returned the gifts given to him by the gods back to his benefactors. It was subsequently said by the inhabitants of Seriphos that the stone boulders found on the island were the eroded figures of Polydectes and his men. When Perseus learns of his mother’s abuse, he enters Polydectes’ palace, and making use of the head of the Gorgon Medusa, turns Polydectes and all of his retinue into stone. Perseus eventually arrives back in Seriphos, but his return is unexpected, for in his absence, Polydectes has taken the opportunity to arrange his marriage to Danae. Perseus, or the head of Medusa, can also be credited with creating the coral of the Red Sea, as well as the poisonous snakes of the Sahara, for both were said to have been created by the blood of Medusa, as it seeped from the magical satchel. Perseus and Andromeda then leave Aethiopia and head for Seriphos. Polydectes though, came up with a plan, which he felt could remove Perseus as an obstacle, and thus Polydectes told Perseus that he planned to marry a woman named Hippodameia, but could not do so until he possessed a suitable wedding gift, and the only suitable wedding gift was the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Danae though was not in love with Polydectes, and the king found that he could not force himself upon Danae, for Perseus was now strong enough to protect his mother. Some tell of Danae and Perseus living with Dictys, whilst others tell of them being guests of Polydectes, but in either case, as the years went by so Perseus grew into an athletic young man.Īs the years passed, the beauty of Danae did not diminish, and Polydectes sought to make Danae his new queen. The chest, and its occupants, was found by a fisherman by the name of Dictys, and thereafter Danae and Perseus were introduced to King Polydectes of Seriphos, for Polydectes and Dictys were brothers. The chest of course did not flounder, for Zeus looked down upon his lover and his son from Mount Olympus, and enlisting the help of Poseidon, ensured that the chest safely came to rest upon one of the beaches of the island of Seriphos.