Long before Batman and comic books the Greeks had a hero of their own ; the Greeks had Perseus. The gods helped Perseus for his bravery and willingness to slay Medusa. Perseus is not afraid to slay the Gorgon Medusa as most would be. He accepts the challenge to try to slay Medusa and immediately sets out to find her. He is courageous and not afraid of the possibility of turning to stone. Athena and Hermes reward him for this and his other traits. That is why the Greeks Title him Hero
Acrisius had went to the oracle and the oracle told him his grandson would kill him. Acrisius, terrified, locked his only daughter, Danae away in a cage. Danae was trapped in a cage with a wind only for breathing, fortunately for her Zeus fell in love with
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her and changed form so he could get to her. They had a baby, which Danae would name Perseus. Acrisius found out about the baby, shortly after he went to her and thought the god protect her, I cannot kill her or I will be cursed. I will lock them both in a wooden chest and push them out to sea, if they live the gods truly do protect them if they die, then I will not be cursed because the gods do not protect them. A fisherman found the chest and opened it and he saw Danae and the baby he let them out and cared for them. After many years Perseus became a man, and protected his mother. Polydectes the king knew he could not marry Danae so he formulated a plan. His plan was to invite all young men to give him a gift, all had a gift except Perseus. Embarrassed, Perseus promised to bring the head of Medusa. All the young men around him laughed and jeered at him. After which Perseus left Hermes and Athena approached. Hermes gave him his winged sandals and the sickle Zeus used and Athena gave him her shield to look at Medusa without turning to stone. But before he could slay Medusa he would have to find her and to find her he would have to find the nymphs of the west. Perseus knew that the three old hags knew where, however they would not tell willingly. Perseus saw them passing the tooth and the eye and immediately formulated a plan he would snatch the tooth and the eye and then force them to tell him he took this plan into action and immediately stole the tooth and the eye. The hags screamed “Where is my eye where is my tooth.” Perseus told them he would give it back if they told where the Nymphs of the west where they told him and he handed it back. He used his wing sandals to get to the Nymphs of The West. The Nymphs told him where Medusa was and he was off to get there. He used the shield to look into the reflection of Medusa and the sickle to sever her head. After that while he was on his way he met Andromeda who was chained to a large stone and along with her two people crying. He walked up to the people and asked why she was chained they told him her mother complained that she looked better than the gods (“With Andromeda by his side, Perseus returned to Seriphos.
But when he arrived, he found he found his childhood home empty. Polydectes, furious that Danae still refused to marry him, had promised to seek revenge. Afraid for her life Danae left her home and hid in a temple. Perseus knew he had been right in mistrusting Polydectes. He stormed into the royal palace to tell Polydectes that he had conquered Medusa. When Perseus opened the grand doors, he saw Polydectes surrounded by of advisors and nobles. Perseus shouted from the doorway and all the men, including Polydectes, turned to see what Perseus wanted. With all eyes gazing at him, Perseus drew Medusas head from the magic bag. Everyone in the hall was turned to stone.”)Page 23-24 Greek and Roman Mythology Parcae to Zeus)
In conclusion the Greek gods and gods honored the heroes and had them in this format receives help, slays a beast, rescues a maiden. The Greek gods and people honored mortals that had all of those things happen and considered them heroes. The Greek gods help Perseus for his hero-like traits such as bravery, courage, and wits. Perseus was brave and courageous because he slew the gorgon Medusa, and rescued the maiden from Poseidon's serpents. He is witty because he uses his wits to find out where Medusa and the Hags where. This is why Perseus receives the title
Hero
The Task, In Perseus the main task that happens is when Perseus a demigod, son of Zeus goes out to capture something special. Perseus sets out on an adventure to kill Medusa and capture her head to bring back as a gift. The hard part is that in one glance eye to eye at Medusa you will automatically turn into stone. Therefore, this was a hard feat to accomplish and it was one that he wanted to fulfill after he told they guy who was going to marry his mom he would bring them Medusa’s head. He laughed at him and that was a sign of determination for Perseus to accomplish his goal
In ancient Greece, Gods and Goddesses had forceful authority over humans. Therefore, the Greeks sought to serve their Gods and Goddesses to the maximum of their ability. It was mainly because, ancient Greeks saw the Gods as a source of power, both mentally and physically. Religion had an important influence in their daily lives. Religion served as a guideline by which the early Greeks strictly followed. Furthermore, religious principles influenced humans in their actions toward Gods. Ancient Greeks would give up anything, including their lives, if they required to. That is the mundane world that the hero lives in, but as a reason of an extraordinary event, his life taking a turning point leading him to go to a quest to discover who he is. In the Ordinary world phase, Perseus who is a simple fisher...
The Character Odysseus in Odyssey "Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with an inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery" (123helpme.com/assets/3603.html). "We also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to this seemingly insuperable character.
First, he is called to an adventure in which he is assigned to complete an impossible task. Then he is mentored by Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and assisted by the magical gifts given by the nymphs to overcome a monster. Using the advice and tools he has received on his journey, Perseus kills the monster with his wits by using the reflection of his shield instead of relying on brute force. On his road back home, Perseus commits a good deed by saving a damsel in distress by slaying another monster. Finally, Perseus arrives home and is arguably the only Greek hero with a happy ending.
This is until the brother of Dictys, Polydectes, who is king of the island desires Perseus’ mother as a bride, but does not want the baggage of her son. Therefore, he mentions to Perseus that he wants a Gorgon head more than anything, so when Perseus has nothing to give to the king he declares that he will bring back the head of Medusa. His first stop on his journey is at Delphi where he learns where the Gorgons are located. Then, he meets Athena , who gives him a shield to use as a mirror, so he does not turn to stone by looking directly at the Gorgons. Also, Hermes gives him a magic sword that can cut through anything, including Gorgon scales. He also helps Perseus by telling him how to trick the Gray women into telling him where the Hyperborean nymphs are by stealing their only eye when they are passing it to the the next person. The Hyperborean nymphs are the only creatures that know how to kill a Gorgon, and they help Perseus by giving him winged sandals, the cap of invisibility, and an expandable wallet that can hold anything of any size. Finally, Perseus reaches the Gorgons, and chops off medusa’s head while wearing the cap of invisibility and the winged sandals and looking into the shield as to not be turned to stone. Athena guides his sword and decapitates the sleeping Gorgon. He then puts the head into the wallet and starts his journey
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified the key traits needed to be an epic hero. The poem depicts Odysseus as an extremely strong man; at one point, he even defeats the towering cyclops Polyphemus. His ingenuity in creating the trojan horse unearths his slightly latent intelligence. Along with strength and cunning, Odysseus a strong sense of selflessness. He bared a trepid ten year journey and longed for his child and wife. Unfortunately, all of Odysseus’s traits are tarnished by his infidelity, ruthless behavior, and the massacre of men. Though he was, without a doubt, heroic, his lovely wife is the true, unsung heroine of the Odyssey.
Aegus, Theseus’s father, commands him to go to Athens. Theseus becomes determined to choose the perilous land passage from the peloponnesus across the Isthmus of corinth to Athens and had to face different types of enemies. “Theseus made land travel safe between Troezen and Athens and earned fame and honour”(Roseberg & Baker 246). Theseus confidence not only allows him to accomplish finishing the dangerous passage, he also made two easy ways to get there. Perseus meets a beautiful girl name Andromeda. Andromeda explains how the lord of the sea sends a ravenous sea monster upon their land. “I will rescue your daughter, in return Andromeda will be my wife” (206). Perseus was confident that he would defeat the monster. Knowing that her life would have had to be sacrificed, Perseus was confident in his abilities and is aware of his own strength which leads him to be positive in the defeat of the monster. Although Perseus is
Perseus was born to Danae and the Greek god Zeus. Acrisius, the father of Danae, was told by the oracle of Apollo that Danae’s son would kill him. After finding out that Danae had her son, Perseus, Acrisius shut Perseus and Dane up in a large chest cast the chest out to sea. After a while out in the sea, they landed on the island of Seriphos, where they were saved by the king Polydectes’s brother, Dictys. Polydectes, after hearing about Danae, wanted her to marry him. In order to get rid of Perseus, so that no one would be able to stop him from marrying Danae, Polydectes came up with a plan. He pretended to be marrying the daughter of one of his friends and required everyone to bring him a wedding gift. Polydectes knew that Perseus, being very poor, would arrive empty-handed. Perseus vowed that he could bring Polydectes anything that he wanted and so Polydectes demanded Perseus to bring him the head of the gorgon Medusa, hoping that he would be killed. Perseus set off on his adventure to kill Medusa and while stopping to rest one night in an unknown land, Perseus realized how hopeless the adventure seemed to be. “Gorgons were horrible, instead of hair they had black serpents that writhed on their head, they had brazen hands that could...
Every hero in Greek mythology produces some type of lesson for all of us to take heed to. Each hero fell in and out of favor with the gods and was forced to do unthinkable tasks. But, without these heroes, Greek mythology would not be what it is today. The heroes of their time are what made the history of the Greeks come together. As shown by Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus, a great deal of courage was required of them along with sacrifices.
After returning from killing Medusa, he killed King Polydectes by turning him to stone with Medusa’s head. According to http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/perseus/p/Perseus.htm though, he was just defending his mom when he did this. In relationship to saving her, he married Andromeda and they were happy together. He never cheated or killed her. Unlike Hercules. As a hero, Perseus was celebrated in many places, from Argos to Mycenae. He had an altar in Athens and a temple and statue in Egypt. Where it was considered a blessing when he visited them there as http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Perseus.html states. In the end, it is really just a life for a
Perseus grew up to be a strong fearless lad. One day he claimed to King Polydectes, “Oh, Host and Benefactor, I owe you too much gratitude to repay you with the common gift of a horse. I shall bring you the head of Medusa!”(Evslin.110) Perseus set off for his mission, he encountered the gray sisters and the apple nymphs forcing them to give him information about Medusa’s location. Then he went to Medusa with three gifts from the apple nymphs: a sword, a shield, and the Cap of Darkness. Successfully Perseus killed Medusa and while bringing Medusa’s head towards the island of Sephiros. He encountered a sea serpent who was creating trouble by the nearby town of Cepheus. Perseus drew out Medusa’s head and turned the sea serpent into stone. Throughout Perseus’s mission he encountered many obstacles and he handled each challenge in a smart and clever way, unlike King
In Edith Hamilton’ book King Acrisius is desperate for a son. He goes to Delphi to ask if he will someday have a son but the priestess tells him no and also tell him that this daughter will have a son who will some day kill him. He did not want to kill his daughter because he loved her but also because he feared the anger of the gods. So he built an underground bronze house and imprisoned her there. It was there that Zeus visited her and made her pregnant. When the King found out about this he had his daughter placed in a chest and put out to sea. They were discovered by a fisherman who took care of the them as though they were members of his family.
When Zeus impregnated her she gave birth to Perseus, the son that will overthrow her dad in the prophecy . After giving birth to Perseus, Danae’s father trapped her in a box that was washed away by sea . Contained, Danae recited: “O Father Zeus, send a blessed relief” . This quote illustrates that even thought Zeus impregnated her and caused conflicts between her and her father, he was able to help her. By listening to her distress, the fisherman Dictys was able to find them and bring them to safety .
Hades shows himself to Perseus and with the rage of what Hades has done to Perseus, Perseus grabs a lighnting bolt from his sword and throws it at Hades sending him back to the underworld. Saving Andromeda and she offered to make him king and he had refused. Zeus asked if he wanted to join him in Olympus but refused and requested to stay a demi-god but Zeus granted him Io as a companion. In the story according to the Greeks Danae is the daughter of King Acrisius. When he had them put in a box and thrown into the ocean and saved by the fisherman named Dictys they both were still alive and Danae ended up falling in love with Dictys and they were married. Dictys’ brother King Polydectes wanted to take Danae as his wife, Perseus hearing the news he offered to pay any price for his mother not to marry King Polydectes. Sense Polydectes was afraid of Perseus he quickly made an offer that he will allow his mother to stay married to Dictys, only if he brings back the head of Medusa. Bravely, Perseus accepted his