Ancient Greek myth "brave Perseus". "Brave Perseus" reader's diary The main idea of the myth of Perseus
"Brave Perseus" is a fascinating story about a brave young man who accomplished a great feat and defeated a terrible monster - a flying woman Medusa Gorgon, one look at which turned people into stones.
Summary of "Brave Perseus" for the reader's diary
Name: Brave Perseus
Number of pages: 9. Chukovsky Roots. "Wonder Tree" Publishing House "Children's Literature". 1975
Year of writing: 1936
Time and place of the plot
The action of the myth takes place in Ancient Greece, on the island of Serif, which was ruled by King Polydectes.
Main characters
Perseus is a brave, courageous young man who was ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of saving his compatriots.
Medusa Gorgon is an evil sorceress, a winged woman who can turn anyone who looks at her into stone.
Polydectes is a cowardly, stupid and greedy king who fell victim to the Gorgon Medusa.
Andromeda is a beautiful girl, the wife of Perseus, his faithful companion.
Athena Pallas - the goddess who gave Perseus flying sandals.
Plot
In ancient times, a terrible misfortune overtook one city - a terrible monster settled nearby, carrying death everywhere with it. It was a winged woman Medusa Gorgon, on whose head poisonous snakes wriggled instead of hair. She slowly wandered around the city, and everyone who looked at her immediately turned to stone. Many inhabitants have known a bitter fate, having turned into stone statues. However, King Polydekt, who ruled in the city, did not worry about this - together with his nobles, he safely took refuge in the palace, and feasted there from morning to night.
The only person who decided to save the city from the monster was a brave young man named Perseus. He went to Polydect and said that he would definitely bring him an unprecedented gift - the head of Medusa Gorgon, but the arrogant king only laughed at him.
Perseus began to ask the inhabitants where the lair of the terrible Gorgon was, but no one could answer this question. Finally, he met an old fisherman who showed the way to Medusa Gorgon - she lived at the foot of a high mountain. Having reached this place, Perseus saw the sleeping Medusa and her sisters, who looked more like pigs.
The young man thought. To kill a dangerous sorceress, one had to look at her, but one look could cost him his life. Then Perseus guessed to use his shiny copper shield, which reflected everything around. Looking at him, he ran up to Medusa, cut off his head with a powerful blow and hid it in a bag.
Perseus ran away, and the angry sisters of Medusa set off in pursuit of him. They demanded that the head of their murdered sister be returned to them, but Perseus ran so fast that the fat winged sorceresses soon fell behind him.
On the way, the brave young man met a kind sorceress - the goddess Pallas Athena, who praised him for his courage and presented him with flying sandals. Perseus put them on and flew through the desert. Soon he saw a beautiful girl chained to a rock. Andromeda said that she had been sacrificed to a huge dragon. The young man freed her, and with the help of the head of the Gorgon Medusa he defeated the monster. He married Andromeda and together they traveled to Perseus' hometown.
When the young man brought his prey to Polydectes, he only laughed, saying that there was a pumpkin in the bag. Then Perseus pulled out a terrible head, and the king and the nobles turned into stones. The inhabitants of the city asked the brave Perseus to become their king, but he refused. Throwing the head of Medusa into the sea, he went with his wife to distant lands.
Conclusion and opinion
Being a glorious son of his people, Perseus decides to sacrifice himself to save people from a terrible monster. Unlike the cowardly king, he does not hide from the evil sorceress, but goes in search of her. Thanks to his courage and ingenuity, he finds Medusa and saves the people from a terrible fate. As a reward for his feat, he receives the love of his life, as well as flying sandals, while the greedy and cowardly Polydectes turns to stone.
the main idea
For a kind and brave heart, there are no barriers.
Author's aphorisms
“... But no one answered him. Everyone cried over some stone ... "
"... my gift is more precious than gold, more precious than the best pearls ..."
“... he rushed like the wind, not afraid of anything, and he had joy in his heart ...”
Interpretation of obscure words
nobleman- noble, noble, important person.
Throne- a richly decorated chair on a special platform, on which only the king, king, emperor has the right to sit.
Shield- hand, military, defensive equipment designed to protect the wearer from cold and throwing weapons.
New words
pile- a large number of any objects, folded, heaped in disorder one on top of the other.
Cellar- a permanent storage room for supplies, a deep pit or the lower part of the house.
Cliff- a stone mountain or rock with steep and steep slopes.
Rating of the reader's diary
Average rating: 4.9. Total ratings received: 7.
Title: "The Brave Perseus"
Number of pages: 9
Genre: myth
Main characters: Perseus, Gorgon Medusa, Polydectes, Athena, Andromeda, Dragon.
Characteristics of the main characters:
Perseus- a brave, strong and courageous man.
Cunning and smart.
Saved his people from a terrible monster.
polydect- Greedy, cowardly and naive king.
Did not believe the words of Perseus.
Got a lesson.
Andromeda- a beautiful and kind girl.
Saved by Perseus.
Faithful and merciful.
Summary of the myth "Brave Perseus" for the reader's diary.
A terrible monster in the guise of a beautiful woman settled near one city.
It was Medusa Gorgon. Anyone who looked at her immediately turned into a dead stone.
The king of this city, Polydectes, locked himself in the basement, so much he was afraid of the Gorgon Medusa.
Only a brave young man named Perseus was not afraid.
He went to the king and said that he would get him the monster's head.
For a long time Perseus searched for the lair of the Gorgon, but the old man showed him the way.
Then Perseus decided to look into his shield so as not to turn into stone.
So he approached Medusa and cut off her head.
The fat sisters of the Gorgon chased him, but Perseus ran away.
He met the goddess Athena on the way back.
She gave him flying sandals as a reward for his feat.
With their help, Perseus flew through the desert and noticed Andromeda chained to the coastal rock.
Perseus freed her by turning a huge sea dragon to stone with the head of Medusa.
Then he and Andromeda flew to the hometown of Perseus.
Polydectes was still sitting in the basement and mockingly met the return of Perseus.
But Perseus showed him the head of Medusa, and the king turned into the same lifeless stone as the others.
The inhabitants of the city offered to become king to Perseus, but he flew away from them with his Andromeda.
Now we see these heroes in the starry sky, they have become constellations.
Plan for retelling the work:
1. Acts of Medusa Gorgon
2. King's hideout
3. The search for Medusa by Perseus
4. Perseus' cunning plan
5. Defeat Medusa
6. Sisters of the deceased
7. Athena's gift
8. Save the girl
9. The king turned to stone
10. Homeland Andromeda
Drawing - illustration to the myth "Brave Perseus".
Sincwine:
Brave, smart.
Conquer, save, liberate.
Constant deeds and good deeds.
The main idea:
Courage and a good heart will help overcome any difficulties, and resourcefulness will help to cope even with the Gorgon Medusa.
What does the work teach
The Greek myth teaches us not to be afraid of enemies, no matter how terrible they are, and teaches us to always stand up for the humiliated and defenseless.
Brief review of the myth "Brave Perseus" for the reader's diary.
"The Brave Perseus" is an instructive and fascinating work.
The protagonist of the myth, Perseus, is the only one who was not afraid to fight the Gorgon, and even cleverly came up with a way not to look at her.
This is a heroic myth that tells of a feat that even the gods applauded.
This myth teaches us to be brave, courageous, to love our land and protect it from ill-wishers.
I especially liked the episode with the sea monster.
Perseus, with the help of the Gorgon, quickly dealt with him and saved another people.
An excerpt from the myth "Brave Perseus" that struck me the most:
Come here, you braggart! Well, where is your Medusa Gorgon? Apparently, it is easier to promise than to fulfill!
No, king, I fulfilled my promise: I brought you a wonderful gift - the head of the Gorgon Medusa!
But you'd better not look at her!
No no! - shouted the king. - Show me! I do not believe you. You are a braggart and a liar!
Her head is here in this gray bag!
You are lying. I don't believe you, said the king.
There you have the most ordinary pumpkin.
Well! If you don't believe me, look!
Proverbs to the myth "Brave Perseus"
The brave do not need a long sword.
The brave is not the one who does not know fear, but who knows and goes towards him.
Previously unknown words and their meaning
Pallas Athena is a Greek goddess.
They are very entertaining and interesting. The most powerful civilization at one time described the interaction of the gods of Olympus and ordinary people. Legends about various heroes played an important role in the myths of the ancient Greeks. One of these famous characters is Perseus (Greece). He is credited with defeating the deadly monster Medusa Gorgon. The ancient Greek legend about Perseus will be briefly told in the article.
Birth of a hero
In the old days, the sayings of the oracles were of great importance to the ancient Greeks. The ruler of Argos, Acrisius, tried to avoid the predicted fate by imprisoning his own daughter Danae, who was famous for her unearthly beauty. According to the prediction, the king was to die at the hands of his grandson. However, the measures taken by Acrisius did not become a difficult obstacle for the great Zeus, who penetrated into the hard-to-reach place where Danae was kept, under the guise of golden rain. The son born of the god of thunder was named Perseus. The news of the birth of Perseus greatly frightened the king of Argos. He ordered to put Danae and the baby in a box, after which they were beaten up and thrown into the sea.
Serif
The myths of Ancient Greece about Perseus tell that the little future hero had a hard time with his mother. After long wanderings across the boundless expanses of the sea, thanks to the noisy waves, the boarded-up box finally landed on the shore of the island of Serif. At that time, the fisherman Diktis threw his fishing nets into the water. It was he who became the savior of Danae and Perseus. After opening the box, the angler's surprise knew no bounds, because he obviously did not expect to see a beautiful woman and a pretty baby. Subsequently, Dictis decided to show them to his brother Polydectes, who ruled Serif.
Danae and Polydect
The king of the island, Polydect, welcomed Danae and her son cordially. He left them to live in his luxurious palace. Thus, the childhood and youth of Perseus passed under the guardianship of King Polydectes on Serif.
Over time, the young man became strong and slender. Perseus was noticeably different from his peers in divine beauty, strength, dexterity and courage. Not a single guy on the island could compare with him in anything.
Polydekt could not resist the unearthly beauty of Danae. That is why the king wanted to take her as his wife. However, Perseus was categorically against such a marriage, making every effort to prevent it from taking place. Because of this, Polydect disliked him and decided to get rid of the only obstacle on the way to his cherished goal. Perseus was instructed to go to a distant land to behead the Gorgon Medusa. None of the mortals have yet managed to survive when meeting with a terrible monster. Therefore, Perseus was prepared by King Polydectes a one-way mission.
Medusa Gorgon and her sisters
According to the myths of Ancient Greece, the sea deity Forky and his sister Keto had three daughters who looked like snake-haired monsters. Euryale and Stheno were immortal from birth, and only their younger sister Medusa remained vulnerable.
According to legend, Medusa Gorgon was a pretty girl with beautiful hair. Trying to find protection from the harassment of Poseidon, she hid in the temple of Athena. However, the god still managed to get into the shelter of the girl in the form of a bird and take possession of her. The angry goddess poured out her anger on Medusa, turning her into a terrible monster with snake-like hair.
Medusa Gorgon, unlike her sisters, although she was not immortal, could fascinate people with her gaze. Her amazing gift served as a deadly weapon. It was enough for some person to see the direct gaze of Medusa Gorgon, as he instantly turned into a stone statue.
Fees Perseus
According to the myths about Perseus, the various gods of Olympus provided the hero with great help. Among his patrons, it is worth noting Athena, who was known for her hatred of Medusa Gorgon. The god Hermes, his half-brother, also played an important role in the equipment of the hero. Thus, before the journey, Perseus became the owner of very valuable artifacts.
From Athena, the hero received a metal shield. It was so smooth that it almost looked like a mirror. Hermes handed him a sharp weapon. Perseus's sword, like soft wax, cut even the hardest steel.
Journey of Perseus
The young hero needed to get to the western edge of the earth, because it was there that the Gorgons lived. Perseus had to go through many countries and see various peoples on the way to a gloomy place.
To find out the exact location of Medusa, the hero had to outwit the three Gray sisters, who shared one tooth and one eye among themselves. Perseus waited in ambush for a convenient moment, while one gray-haired old woman passed the only eye to another, and with a quick movement intercepted it. The sisters had no choice but to tell Persia the location of the Gorgons.
Before the battle with Medusa the Gorgon, Perseus visited the inhabitants of the legendary northern country of Hyperborea. They made a solemn sacrifice for the god Apollo, and also presented Perseus with a hat of Hades made from a dog skin. It allowed to make its owner completely invisible. In ancient Greek mythology, the hat was of great importance, because it was often used by the gods themselves. Also, Perseus was presented with magical sandals, with which you could quickly soar above the ground. The presented bag possessed magical abilities to change in size depending on the volume of things put inside. Putting sandals and a hat of Hades into it, Perseus went to the decisive battle.
Battle with Medusa Gorgon
Thanks to the magic sandals, Perseus managed to cross the sea and get to the island where the snake-haired monsters lived. When the hero managed to find the Gorgon, they were all asleep, fortunately for him. The mirror-polished shield served Perseus as eyes. With it, he could clearly see the sleeping sisters with steel scales and golden wings. Only the snakes on the heads of the Gorgons moved a little.
The myth of Perseus and Medusa Gorgon says that the hero's task was complicated by the fact that the deadly sisters were like two drops of water similar to each other. The slightest mistake could cost a life, because only one of them did not possess immortality. However, even here the gods of Olympus came to his aid. Fast Hermes prompted Perseus the exact location of Medusa. Using a mirror shield presented by Athena, the hero cut off the head of the Gorgon with his sharp sword with one blow.
Perseus' way home
The myths of Ancient Greece about Perseus contain information that, having thrown the head of Medusa into a magic bag, the hero hastened to get away from the sinister island as soon as possible. However, the body of his victim fell off a cliff into the sea, thus awakening the two Gorgons. Thanks to the hat of Hades, the hero managed to avoid death from winged monsters and freely leave the island.
The path home of Perseus lay through Libya. From the severed head of Medusa, drops of blood flowed to the ground, which turned into poisonous snakes. Subsequently, Libya turned into a desert country.
The next place on the way home was the shelter of Atlas, who, like the apple of his eye, guarded a tree with golden branches, leaves and apples. The goddess Themis predicted to the giant that his fruits would be stolen by the son of Zeus. Tired Perseus asked Atlas to rest. However, the giant, because of the prophecy, ordered him to get out. After that, the angry hero pulled out the head of Medusa from the bag and turned Atlas into a huge stone statue, which began to constantly support the entire heavenly vault.
Saving Andromeda
In Ethiopia, the hero decided to take a break after a hard flight. Just then, the pretty girl Andromeda had to atone for the guilt of her stupid and arrogant mother. Queen Cassiopeia was proud of her beauty, declaring to everyone that she was the most beautiful. The nymphs begged Poseidon to punish the ruler of Ethiopia and her entire country. The sea god, as his punishment, sent a gigantic monster that rose from the depths and devastated everything on the way.
According to the oracle of Zeus, only the sacrifice of Andromeda could put an end to Poseidon's punishment. However, before the death of a beautiful and pale girl with horror, Perseus arrived in time. At the sight of Andromeda, a strong feeling of love burned in the hero's heart. Perseus invited her parents to marry their daughter, while promising to save her. Having received an approving answer, the hero entered into a stubborn confrontation with the sea monster, inflicting one blow with his sword after another. After the end of the terrible battle, all the inhabitants of Ethiopia glorified Perseus.
Perseus' wedding
On the eve of the wedding ceremony, the hero made rich sacrifices to his patrons from Olympus. A chic feast took place in the royal palace, which was entwined with greenery and flowers, in honor of the newlyweds. Together with the rulers of Ethiopia, the whole people also feasted. During the feast, Perseus told the guests about his exploits. However, the wedding feast was spoiled after the appearance of the first suitor of Andromeda with a large army. Phineus in the palace began to accuse the hero of stealing his bride, after which a desperate battle began. Perseus bravely fought with superior enemy forces, but he was able to win only with the help of the head of Medusa. Thus, the statue of Phineus with an expression of fear and a slavish prayer in his eyes remained forever in the palace.
Return to Serif and revenge on Polydectes
After a bloody battle, Perseus did not linger for a long time in Ethiopia. Together with his beautiful wife, he hastened to return to his native island. Perseus's mother at that time was in despair, because she had to constantly hide in the temple of Zeus from Polydectes. The enraged Perseus decided to get even with the king of Serif in full. Entering the palace, Perseus found him at a sumptuous feast. Polydekt's surprise knew no bounds, because the king could not even doubt the Gorgon's victory. The hero announced to those present that he had brought the head of Medusa. The ruler of Serif did not believe Perseus and began to accuse him of lying. When the cup of patience of the hero was overflowing due to the bullying of Polydectes and his friends, he took his head out of the bag and showed everyone irrefutable proof. After that, the king and all those who were feasting instantly turned into stone statues.
A fulfilled prediction
Danae, along with Perseus, wanted to meet with Acrisius, who continued to rule Argos. However, he, fearing the prediction of the oracle, did not let his daughter and grandson into his house. Many years later, at the Olympic Games, Perseus launched the disc by chance towards the audience. A heavy projectile instantly killed Acrisius, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle.
The myth of Perseus in cinema
The famous feat of the famous hero was successfully transferred to the cinema. In 1981, the feature adventure film Clash of the Titans was filmed in the USA. The film was directed by Desmond Davis. And although the American film was somewhat different from the ancient Greek myths, the adaptation of the feat of Perseus was a huge success. The sea monster in Clash of the Titans was called the Kraken, which was borrowed from Norse mythology. If in the myth snakes appeared from the blood of Medusa, then in the film - scorpions. In any case, the audience really liked the film, and the special effects, as for 1981, were just on top.
In 2010, the American film industry decided to update the film adaptation of the myth of the exploit of Perseus. The 1981 remake of the film was also titled Clash of the Titans. Louis Leterrier was directed and starred Sam Worthington. In addition to the traditional version, the film was also shown in 3D. While the 1981 film adaptation cost $15 million, the remake's budget was $125 million. The 2010 film was an overall success, grossing $493 million at the box office.
The creators of the remake also made changes to the ancient Greek myths. The god Hades was presented in the film as a negative character who hated people and opposed himself to Zeus. However, Perseus managed, thanks to the head of Medusa, to cope with the Kraken and send Hades back to the underworld. Instead of ruling Argos or moving to Olympus, the brave hero wanted to enjoy an ordinary human life.
Thus, thanks to the myth of Perseus, one can learn about the legendary feat of the greatest hero of Ancient Greece. American film adaptations will allow everyone to plunge into the exciting atmosphere of adventure and battles with various monsters.
Once, the king of Argos, Acrisius, was predicted that his daughter Danae would have a son, from whose hand he was destined to die. To avoid
fulfillment of the prediction, then King Acrisius locked his daughter in a copper-stone dungeon, but Zeus fell in love with Danae, entered there in the form of a golden rain, and after that Danae's son Perseus was born.
Hearing the cry of the child, the king ordered that Danae and her baby be taken out of there, put them both in a barrel and thrown into the sea. For a long time, Danae and her child were carried by raging waves, but Zeus protected her. Finally, she was thrown ashore on the island of Serif. At this time, a fisherman named Diktis was fishing on the seashore. He noticed the barrel and pulled it ashore. Having freed Danae and her little son from the barrel, he brought them to his brother, the king of the island, Polydectes. He received them cordially, left them to live in his royal house and began to educate Perseus.
Perseus grew up and became a handsome young man. When Polydectes decided to marry Danae, Perseus prevented this marriage in every possible way. For this, the king Polydectes disliked him and decided to get rid of him. He instructed Perseus to perform a dangerous feat - to go to a distant country and cut off the head of the terrible Medusa, one of the three terrible monsters called Gorgons. There were three of them, and one of them was called Stheno, the other was Euryale, and the third was Medusa, and only this of the three was mortal. These winged serpent-haired maidens lived in the extreme West, in the region of Night and Death.
They had such a terrible look and such a terrible look that anyone who saw them turned to stone at their mere glance.
King Polydectes hoped that if the young Perseus met Medusa in that distant country, he would never return.
So the brave Perseus set off on a journey in search of these monsters and, after long wanderings, finally came to the region of Night and Death, where the father of the terrible Gorgons, named Forkis, reigned. On the way to the Gorgons, Perseus met three old women, who were called grays. They were born with gray hair, all three had a single eye and only one tooth, which they shared in turn.
These grays guarded the Gorgon sisters. And on the way to them lived good nymphs. Perseus came to the nymphs, and they gave him winged sandals that could easily support him in the air. They gave him, in addition, a bag and a helmet of Hades, sewn from a dog's skin, making a person invisible. The cunning Hermes handed him his sword, and Athena handed him a metal, smooth, like a mirror, shield. Armed with them, Perseus took off on his winged sandals, flew across the ocean and appeared to the Gorgon sisters. When he approached them, the terrible sisters were asleep at that time; and Perseus cut off the head of Medusa with his sharp sword and threw it into a bag given to him by the nymphs. Perseus did all this without looking at Medusa - he knew that her gaze could turn him to stone, and held a mirror-smooth shield in front of him. But as soon as Perseus cut off the head of Medusa, the winged horse Pegasus immediately arose from her body and the giant Chrysaor grew up.
The sisters of Medusa woke up at this time. But Perseus put on his invisibility helmet and in winged sandals flew back, and the terrible Gorgon sisters could not overtake him.
The wind lifted him high into the air, and when he flew over the sandy Libyan desert, drops of Medusa's blood fell to the ground and poisonous snakes grew from her blood, of which there are so many in Libya.
Mighty winds rose and began to carry Perseus through the air in different directions; but by evening he managed to reach the extreme West, and young Perseus ended up in the kingdom of the giant Atlanta. Fearing to fly at night, Perseus sank to the ground.
And the giant Atlas was a rich king of that country, and he owned many herds and huge gardens; in one of them grew a tree with golden branches, and the leaves and fruits were also all golden.
It was predicted to Atlanta that one day the son of Zeus would appear and pick golden fruits from the tree. Then Atlas surrounded his garden with a high wall and instructed the young Hesperides and the terrible dragon to guard the golden apples and not let anyone near them.
Perseus appeared to Atlanta and, calling himself the son of Zeus, began to ask him to accept him. But Atlas remembered the ancient prediction and refused Perseus shelter and wanted to drive him away. Then Perseus took out the head of Medusa from the bag and showed it to Atlanta. The giant could not resist the terrible power of Medusa and turned to stone in horror. His head became the peak of the mountain, and his shoulders and arms became its spurs, his beard and hair turned into dense forests. A pointed mountain rose, grew to enormous proportions. She reached the very sky, and it lay down with all its stars on the shoulders of Atlanta, and since then the giant has been holding this heavy burden.
So having avenged Atlanta, the next morning Perseus rose again on his winged sandals into the air, and he flew for a long time, until he finally arrived at the shores of Ethiopia, where Cepheus reigned.
Perseus saw on a deserted shore a beautiful young Andromeda, chained to a rock. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother Cassiopeia, who once, boasting of her beauty in front of the nymphs, said that she was the most beautiful of all. Angry, the nymphs complained to Poseidon and asked her to punish her. And Poseidon sent a flood to Ethiopia and a terrible sea monster that swallowed people and cattle.
The oracle predicted that Cepheus should give his daughter Andromeda to this terrible monster to be eaten; and behold, they chained her to a sea rock.
Perseus saw the beautiful Andromeda chained to a rock. She stood motionless, and the wind did not move her hair, and if there were no tears in her eyes, one could take her for a marble statue.
The astonished Perseus looked at her, went down to her, began to ask the weeping girl, what her name was, where she came from and why she was chained to a desert rock. Not immediately, but the girl finally told Perseus who she was and why she was chained to this rock.
Suddenly, the waves of the sea rustled and a monster emerged from the depths of the sea. Opening its terrible mouth, it rushed to Andromeda. The girl screamed in horror, King Cepheus and Cassiopeia ran to her cry, but they could not save their daughter and began to mourn her bitterly. Then Perseus called out to them from on high:
- I am Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus, who cut off the head of the terrible Medusa. Promise me to give your daughter in marriage if I save her.
Cepheus and Cassiopeia agreed to this and promised to give him not only their daughter, but their entire kingdom in addition.
At this time, a monster swam up, cutting through the waves, like a ship, closer and closer, and now it is almost already at the very rock. Then the young Perseus rose high into the air, holding his brilliant shield in his hand. The monster saw the reflection of Perseus in the water and rushed at him in a rage. Like an eagle that pounces on a snake, so Perseus flew at the monster and plunged his sharp sword deep into it. The wounded monster flew high into the air, then rushed down to Perseus, like a wild boar pursued by dogs. But the young man in his winged sandals dodged the monster and began to strike him blow after blow with his sword, and then black blood gushed out of the monster's mouth. During the battle, the wings of Perseus got wet, with difficulty he flew to the shore and, noticing a rock rising from the sea, escaped on it. Holding on to a stone with his left hand, he inflicted several more wounds on the monster with his right, and the monster, bleeding, sank to the bottom of the sea. 
The young man rushed to Andromeda and freed her from the chains.
Overjoyed, Cepheus and Cassiopeia joyfully greeted the young hero and took the bride and groom to their home. Soon a wedding feast was arranged, and Eros and Hymen were at their wedding with torches in their hands, they played flutes and lyres, sang merry songs; wedding guests listened to the story of the exploits of the hero Perseus.
But suddenly a crowd appeared in the house of Cepheus, led by the brother of the king Phineus, who had previously wooed Andromeda, but left her during the trouble.
And Phineus demanded that Andromeda be given to him. He raised his spear at Perseus, but Cepheus shielded him. Then the enraged Phineas threw the spear at the young man with all his might, but did not hit. Perseus grabbed the same spear, and if Phineus had not hidden behind the altar, it would have pierced his chest, but the spear hit one of Phineus' soldiers, who fell dead to the ground. And then a bloody battle began at a merry feast. Like a lion, Perseus fought against numerous enemies; the young hero was surrounded by a large crowd of enemies led by Phineus. Leaning against a high column, he fought back with difficulty from the warriors attacking him, but at last he saw that he could not defeat his superior enemies. Then he took out the head of Medusa from the bag, and one by one, at the sight of her, the enemies turned to stone. Now the last warrior is standing, like a stone statue with a spear raised in his hand.
In horror, Phineus saw that his soldiers had turned to stone. He recognized them in stone statues, began to call them and, not believing his eyes, touched each of them - but at hand he had only a cold stone.
In horror, Phineus stretched out his hands to Perseus and asked him to have mercy. Laughing, Perseus answered him: “My spear will not touch you, but I will set you up as a stone monument in my father-in-law’s house.” And he raised the head of the terrible Medusa over Phineus. Phineus looked at her and immediately turned into a stone statue, expressing cowardice and humiliation.
Perseus married the beautiful Andromeda and went with his young wife to the island of Serif, where he saved his mother by turning King Polydectes to stone, who forced her to marry, and gave Perseus power over the island to his friend Dictis.
Perseus returned the winged sandals to Hermes, and the invisibility helmet to Hades; Pallas Athena received the head of Medusa as a gift and attached it to her shield.
Then Perseus went with his young wife Andromeda and mother to Argos, and then to the city of Larissa, where he took part in games and competitions. The grandfather of Perseus, who moved to the country of the Pelasgians, was also present at these games. Here the oracle's prophecy was finally fulfilled.
Throwing the disk, Perseus accidentally hit his grandfather with it and inflicted a mortal wound on him.
In deep sorrow, Perseus found out who this old man was, and buried him with great honors. Then he gave power over Argos to his relative Megapent, and he himself began to rule Tiryns.
For many years Perseus lived happily with Andromeda, and she bore him beautiful sons.
Myths and legends of ancient Greece. Illustrations.
Danae and Zeus in the form of golden rain. - The childhood of the hero Perseus. - The Gorgon Sisters. - Head of Medusa Gorgon. - The myth of corals. - Petrified Titan Atlas. - Perseus and Andromeda. - The myth of Pegasus: the source of Hippocrene. - The myth of Chimera and Bellerophon.
Danae and Zeus in the form of golden rain
Acrisius, the king of Argos, the grandson of one of the Danaids, had a daughter - the beautiful Danae. King Acrisius was predicted that his grandson would deprive him of the throne. Therefore, Acrisius imprisoned his daughter Danae in a copper tower, where no mortal could penetrate.
The appearance of Pegasus and Chrysaor is depicted in archaic style on a very ancient vase.
In general, the myth of Perseus and his victory over the Gorgon Medusa was very often interpreted by both ancient and modern artists. Especially in antiquity this myth was very popular; several sculptural images of the earliest period, when ancient art was in its infancy, have survived to this day.
In art, there is no exact and definite type of Perseus. The hero Perseus, by his nature and qualities, is most suited to the god Hermes (Mercury), with whom he has much in common in clothing.
During the Renaissance, Benvenuto Cellini sculpted the statue of Perseus the Conqueror. The hero Perseus tramples on the headless body of the Gorgon Medusa and holds her head in his hand. The statue of Perseus was considered Cellini's masterpiece.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the sculptor Canova sculpted the hero Perseus by order of the Italian government, but his work is considered inferior to Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini.
The myth of corals
Several Orphic poems tell a very poetic myth about how the grass, stained with the blood of Medusa Gorgon, turned into hard stone-like coral: “Perseus, a brave hero with a golden sword, defeated the terrible Gorgon Medusa, but Perseus did not even dare to look at the dead one, because one a glance at the severed head of the Gorgon Medusa was enough to set off into the gloomy dwelling of death. The hero Perseus, spattered with blood, approached the seashore, wishing to purify himself in its waters. Perseus laid the still warm and trembling head of Medusa Gorgon on the grass, and all the grass around was immediately saturated with blood to the roots; the grass has not lost its shape, but has turned to stone and turned from green to blood red. Amazed, Perseus called on the goddess Athena to admire this miracle, and thus the coral appeared.
Putting the head of the Gorgon Medusa in a bag, Perseus rose into the air with the help of winged sandals. The blood of Medusa Gorgon, dripping from the bag, fell on African soil, giving rise to reptiles and terrible snakes, which Africa is so rich in.
Fossilized Titan Atlas
The hero Perseus flew the whole universe from the place where the sun rises to the kingdom of the Titan Atlanta.
The giant Atlas, who was predicted that some son (of Jupiter) would steal the golden apples of his Hesperides garden, wanted to drive Perseus away. The offended hero Perseus, feeling that the fight against this giant would be beyond his strength, showed the Titan Atlanta the head of the Gorgon Medusa. As soon as Atlas looked at her, he immediately turned to stone and turned into a huge mountain, and the beard and hair of the Titan Atlas turned into trees (Ovid).
Andromeda's mother, the beautiful Cassiopeia, proud of her beauty, decided to challenge the primacy of the goddess (Juno). The vengeful and jealous wife of Zes (Jupiter) asked God (Neptune) to send a sea monster to this country, devouring and destroying everything and everyone arriving on the shores of Ethiopia.
The oracle of Ammon predicted that this punishment would continue until Princess Andromeda was given to the monster to be devoured. Then the unfortunate Andromeda was tied to a rock by the Nereids.
The hero Perseus untied Andromeda and entered into battle with the sea monster. Rising, again thanks to his winged sandals, above the surface of the sea, Perseus quickly descended onto the back of the monster and thrust his sharp sword into his shoulder.
The release of Andromeda by Perseus has been the subject of numerous works of art. On ancient monuments, Andromeda was depicted tied to a rock and covered with long clothes. The latest artists interpreted the same mythological story in a slightly different way. Their Andromeda is stripped of all clothing. In Paolo Veronese and Rubens, the hero Perseus descends from heaven, about to strike the monster.
A fine sculptural group in the Louvre, by Puget, represents the moment when the hero Perseus unties the bonds of Andromeda.
Delighted by the salvation of his daughter, the king of Ethiopia arranges a wedding feast, but since he had already promised Andromeda to his brother Phineus, he, at the head of numerous soldiers, breaks into the banqueting hall and attacks Perseus.
Seeing himself surrounded by numerous enemies, the hero Perseus pulls out the head of the Gorgon Medusa, saying that those who are for him should turn away and not look at what he has in his hands. Yet the enemies of Perseus, led by Phineus, looking at Medusa Gorgon, turned to stone.
After these exploits, Perseus went to his homeland, wanting to free his mother Danaë from the power of King Polydectes. Arriving on the island of Serif, Perseus showed Polydectes the head of the Gorgon Medusa, and Polydectes immediately turned into stone.
An ancient vessel has been preserved, which depicts Perseus showing the king the terrible Gorgon Medusa.
The myth of Pegasus: the source of Hippocrene
When the winged horse Pegasus came out of the headless torso of Medusa Gorgon, he directly climbed Olympus, where Zeus (Jupiter) ordered Pegasus to carry the chariot of the dawn goddess Eos (Aurora).
Many antique bas-reliefs depict those who wash and decorate Pegasus. Pegasus was also considered a horse, because the hippocrene spring, dedicated to the Muses, caused a blow of a hoof on the ground. Translated from ancient Greek, the word Hippocrene Means horse spring.
Only later writers and artists see in Pegasus the horse that poets mounted when they set out to seek inspiration. In antiquity, Pegasus is the horse of heroes par excellence. Only with the help of Pegasus does the hero Bellerophon succeed in defeating the terrible Chimera.
The myth of Chimera and Bellerophon
Athena Pallas, who helped Perseus defeat Medusa Gorgon, also helped Bellerophon to master Pegasus. Athena gave Bellerophon a golden bridle, adorned with precious stones and possessing miraculous powers. As soon as the brave hero Bellerophon managed to throw it on Pegasus, he resigned himself and, allowing Bellerophon to sit on him, carried him to the country devastated by the Chimera.
The hero Bellerophon, atoning for his crime (he killed one of his fellow citizens), had to win Chimera daughter of Typhon and Echidna, monster with a lion's head, a snake's tail and a goat's body.
The monster Chimera could only be defeated by one who could master the winged horse Pegasus. Having killed the Chimera with the help of Pegasus, the hero Bellerophon went to fight the Amazons and won a brilliant victory over them.
Imagining that he should succeed in everything, Bellerophon set off on Pegasus to the home of the immortal gods. Zeus (Jupiter) punished the daring Bellerophon. Zeus created a gadfly that stung Pegasus; in pain, the winged horse made a great leap, and the careless Bellerophon fell dead to the ground.
The exploits of Bellerophon were often depicted on antique coins and engraved stones, as well as on vases and on one of the woven carpets in the Delphic temple.
ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from Latin and ancient Greek; all rights reserved.
