Although Acrisius took drastic action to change destiny, short of killing his own daughter he can do nothing to prevent his fate. This famous tale underscores the inescapable nature of fate and prophecies in the course of telling a hero's story. This is Acrisius, in fulfillment of Apollo's prophecy. His disc veers far to the side and lands on a spectator in the crowd, killing him instantly. One day, Perseus competes in a discus-throwing contest. They hope that his heart has warmed since he put them in a box out to sea, but when they reach Argos they realize that he fled the land. Optimistic, Perseus and Danae return to Argos to find her father, King Acrisius. Perseus finds his mother, makes Dictys king, and marries Andromeda. Unable to look away in time, all the men turn to stone. Perseus barges in and holds up the head of Medusa. The evil king, meanwhile, is hosting a banquet with all his supporters. When he returns to the island, he discovers that Danae and Dictys have gone into hiding because Danae will not marry Polydectes. Perseus kills the serpent and takes Andromeda home. She was chained there because her foolish mother had thought herself more beautiful than any goddess, so as punishment the gods told her to chain her daughter to a rock, where she would be eaten by a serpent.

On the way, he passes a beautiful woman chained to a rock, Andromeda, and falls in love with her instantly. He puts the head in his wallet and flies, invisible, back toward his mother. With Hermes and Athena at his side, Perseus finds and kills Medusa. They give him his three gifts: winged sandals, a magic wallet that changes to the size of whatever its contents, and, most important of all, a magic cap that will turn whoever wears it invisible. Hermes helps Perseus travel there, where he finds a land of happy people, always banqueting and celebrating. Perseus finds the Gray Women and steals the eyeball, holding it hostage in exchange for the location of the Nymphs of the North. Before Perseus sets out to find them, Athena gives him her shield and tells him that he must look at the Medusa through the shield, like a mirror, in order to avoid turning to stone. They share only one eye among the three, and they alternate using it. Their location is a mystery, and Perseus must ask the Gray Women, three sisters who live in a gray land and are gray themselves.

He tells Perseus that to fight the Medusa Perseus will need special equipment from the Nymphs of the North. Hermes gives Perseus guidance and a sword stronger than the Medusa's scales. But this feat seems impossible because whoever looks at the snakes will turn instantly to stone. Polydectes convinces Perseus to kill the Medusa, a horrifying beast with snakes for hair. They live happily until Dictys's brother, King Polydectes, falls in love with Danae and decides to get rid of her son. Luckily (or thanks to Zeus), the box washes up on a small island, where a kind fisherman named Dictys takes Danae and Perseus in. Perseus is born, and after Acrisius discovers the baby, he puts Perseus and Danae in a box and sets it out in the ocean. Instead, he imprisons Danae in a bronze house without a roof and guards her carefully.Īrcisius does not expect, however, that Zeus will come to her and impregnate her. The only way to fully prevent this prophecy would be to kill his daughter, Danae, but Acrisius fears what the gods would do to him.

Apollo tells him not only that Acrisius will never have a son, but also that the son of his daughter will kill him.

King Acrisius of Argos has a stunningly beautiful daughter but wants a son, so he prays to the gods.

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