Transcript Slide 1

TANTALUS:
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king of SIPYLUS (region in Lydia). Son of
ZEUS and an OCEANID named PLUTO (NOT
the same as the Roman underworld god!).
Married a PLEIADE – DIONE. 3 children.
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NIOBE – yes, that one.
BROTEAS – refused to honor ARTEMIS, driven
mad by her so thata he burned himself to death
under the illusion that he was impervious to fire.
PELOPS.
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T. was intimate and favorite of Zeus.
BUT
When guest on Olympus, stole nectar and
ambrosia and gave them to mortal friends. Also
divulged divine secrets.
Stole Zeus’s pet – a golden dog (or hid it for the
thief PANDAREUS)
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Then did something even worse.
Invited gods to a feast.
Killed his own son PELOPS, dismembered the body
and served the flesh in a stew.
Omniscient guests saw through this and did not eat,
except for distraught DEMETER who ate a piece of
P.’s left shoulder. Zeus restored P. to life and Demeter
gave him a shoulder of ivory.
To punish him for his blasphemy against the gods and
goddesses Zeus crushed T. under a cliff of Mt. Sipylus
and then condemned him to eternal torment in
Tartarus. Hung from fruit tree over pool of water. Fruit
always moved away from his grasp and water always
receded from him when he tried to drink – eternal
hunger and thirst. Also immense rock always over his
head threatening to fall on him.
Tantalus. Willi Glasauer, Pencil drawing, 1864
Ixion
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The most complete account of Ixion's tale comes from Pindar in his Pythian Odes.
Ixion was the son of the Phlegyas, descendent of Ares, and king of the Lapiths in
Thessaly.
known as the first human to shed kindred blood. This occurred when Ixion invited his
father-in-law, Deioneus, to come and collect the price that Ixion owed him for his bride.
Upon his arrival, Deioneus fell into a pit filled with burning coals Ixion had camouflaged.
Crime new to the human race, nobody could purify Ixion and he wandered an exile. Zeus
took pity on him and decided not only to purify Ixion, but to invite him to Olympus as a
guest.
Once in Olympus though, Ixion got interested in Hera, and wanted to sleep with her. Zeus
did not believe that Ixion would be so disrespectful as to try for the wife of his host.
Made an image of Hera out of a cloud, and Ixion impregnated it. The cloud bore the
monster Centaurus, unloved by the Graces and had no honor among men or the gods.
Centaurus mated with the mares of Mt. Pelion in Magnesia, and so from Ixion the race of
centaurs was born.
To punish him, Zeus bound Ixion to a winged (sometimes flaming) wheel, which revolved
in the air in all directions. Also, by order of the gods, Ixion was forced to call out
continuously call out: "You should show gratitude to your benefactor." Ixion became one
of the more famous sinners on display on Tartarus, and most writers mention him when
describing the place. For example, Ovid wrote of him, and Vergil, with his moralistic
interpretation of how sin should be punished, awards Ixion a special mention in the
Aenead.
The Danaids
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the fifty daughters of King Danaus
forty-nine of them are sentenced to eternally fill bottomless/broken
vesels with water.
• Their father leaves Egypt and settles in Argos while he fears that he
will be assassinated by his brother King Aegyptus and his fifty sons.
The fifty sons come to Danaus and ask for the girls’ hands in
marriage. Danaus consents but under false pretense.
• On the wedding night, Danaus ordered his daughters to kill their
husbands with daggers. All the Danaids kill their husbands but one;
Hypermnestra loves her Lynceus and refuses.
• The remaining Danaids marry the Argives who have won their favor.
However, Lynceus avenges the deaths of his brothers and kills all 49
of the Danaids and in Tartarus they receive the punishment of filling
bottomless barrels with water.
Adventures in the Underworld
Continued.
Orpheus in the Underworld.
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Poet & lyrist
Poss. Greatest of all musicians in Greek myth.
Son of Apollo and Calliope, muse muse of epic
poetry
Became master of the lyre, playing enchanted every
living thing. Soothed savage beasts and moved all
of nature.
As young man joined journey of Jason and the
Argonauts – playing saved the ship from fighting
AND from the SIRENS.
– In homeland of TRHACE fell in love with EURYDICE and married her –
happieness like none before.
– Beekeeper ARISTAEUS, also son of Apollo also wanted Eurydice..
When she fled from him she stepped on a venomous serpent which bit
her and died from the poison.
– Orpheus could not live without her, together with his lyre wnet down to
the underworld.
– Even in the underworld his playing proved to be enchanting, the
ferryman CHARON, the three-headed guard dog and the three Judges
of the Dead all let him pass. Even the damned received release from
their tortures while he played.
– Even Hades and Persephone gave into it. Agreed to return Eurydice to
life – catch – As he returned to the uperworld, he could not turn back
and look at her until they were boith in the light of the sun. BUT he did
look back and she faded away, becoming a shadow.
– O. could not get back to the underworld.
– Did not live long.
– Multiple versions
– Established rite to sacrifice to his father Apollo calling him
greatest of all gods – pissed of Dionysus for O.’s refusal to honor
him, sent maenads to tear him apart and they ripped him up
– Maenads each wanted O. for herself and refused to give up her
claim and they ripped him up
– O’s continuing fidelity to Eurydice and renunciation of love
forever enraged women of Thrace and they ripped him up
– Mother and other muses gathered scattered pieces. Buried all
but the head in PIERIA – O’s birthplace and one of the favorite
places of the muses. The still singing head of Orpheus and his
lyre floated across the sea to the island of LESBOS. People of
Lesbos buried his head and were rewarded with the gift of
music. His lyre became the constellation LYRA.
Orpheus charms animals
Orpheus and Eurydice
Death of Orpheus
ODYSSEUS
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Lost on high seas after fall of Troy
Instructed by witch Circe to seek advice from ghost of
TIRESIAS – she tells them that they will have to visit
the death realm to talk to the seer Tiresias to get
instructions on how to get home.
Cimmerian city - CIMMERIANS – real people. In
Homer’s time lived north of black sea – was to ancient
Greeks really the end of the world. Mythologized by
Homer – extreme west by river Ocean which
separated the land of the living from the dd. Place
where sun never shines and ghosts could be
approached.
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Necromancy: “divination by means of the dead”. Necromantic rite. Idea that
the dead know more – can get to the secrets.
Psyche (pl. psychai)
Dig pit & pour in Honey, milk, wine, barely-water, blood of slaughtered
sheep. Summon ghosts
Many - Minimal sensual capacity or intelligence. Only enough to sense
blood and enough will to want it.
Elpenor (?) – comrade
Teiresias/Tiresias – seer
Antiklea (mother)
Heroines, esp. Epikaste (Iokasta)
Comrades: Agamemnon, Achilles, Aias (Ajax)
Heroes: Active: Minos, Orion, Herakles
Punished: Tityos, Tantalos, Sisyphus. Cf. Ixion, Danaids, Oknos (Ocnus)
ACHILLES – reply – summarizes Greek pessimistic view.
MONSTERS
Monsters
– Size: change from Natural size of things
– Multpiplication of body parts or fewer of
htem
– Blend parts of different naturally ooccurring
animals
– Manufacturing – add some feature that
doesn’t occur in nature (skin made out of
metal).
HEROES
DEMIGODS & HEROES
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Heroes:
Hero type:
Men and women of the prehistoric period – ‘Heroic Age’
Protectors
Hera – protectress
Great person of old
Usually with one mortal and one divine parent
Normally associated with a Greek deed.
Eventually died and had a ‘hero-cult’ after he died. Remains
considered especially powerful.
Modern idea of hero.
In story – protagonist – most important.
Physical strength
Skill
Cleverness
– Hesiod: timeline:
– Chaos  Establishment of cosmic order
(cosmos)  creation of humans  loss of
paradise/degredation  Great Deluge 
second creation of heroes  Age of Heroes
 Historical Period.
– Hero story
– Biography, birth + Growth  dth.
– Local reference
– One mortal, one immortal parent
– Often fits into pattern “2 father figures”
– Hero finally dies since he is part mortal.
– Hero Pattern
– Birth
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– quest
– success
– princess
– revenge
– rule
– death
Hero Pattern
– 2 father figures: ‘mentor’ and role analogous to good or bad father: One
will be beneficent or passive and one will be hostile.
– Birth:
– Usually born under unusual circumstances. Often includes danger for
baby. Birth attended by unusual circumstances.
– Blank:
– Stories don’t generally say anything from after the birth to middle/late
teens
– Assignment of Quest:
– At this point significant meeting with hostile father figure, usually in
foreign land, who assigns quest in veiled attempt to destroy him.
– Success:
– Hero then is successful.
– Then gets foreign bride – normally a princess.
– Revenge:
– Returns, confronts hostile father figure and destroys him.
– Rule: Returns and rules:
– Either founds city or rules city.
– Dies
ODYSSEUS
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Lost on high seas after fall of Troy
Instructed by witch Circe to seek advice from ghost of TIRESIAS –
she tells them that they will have to visit the death realm to talk to the
seer Tiresias to get instructions on how to get home.
Cimmerian city
CIMMERIANS – real people. In Homer’s time lived north of black sea
– was to ancient Greeks really the end of the world. Mythologized by
Homer – extreme west by river Ocean which separated the land of
the living from the dd. Place where sun never shines and ghosts
could be approached.
Necromancy: “divination by means of the dead”. Necromantic rite.
Idea that the dead know more – can get to the secrets.
Psyche (pl. psychai)
Dig pit & pour in Honey, milk, wine, barely-water, blood of slaughtered
sheep. Summon ghosts
Many - Minimal sensual capacity or intelligence
Only enough to sense the blood and enough will to want it.
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Elpenor (?) – comrade
Teiresias/Tiresias – seer
Antiklea (mother)
Heroines, esp. Epikaste (Iokasta)
Comrades: Agamemnon, Achilles, Aias (Ajax)
Heroes
Active: Minos, Orion, Herakles
Punished: Tityos, Tantalos, Sisyphus.
Cf. Ixion, Danaids, Oknos (Ocnus)
ACHILLES – reply – summarizes Greek pessimistic
view.
Monsters:
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Size: change from Natural size of things
Multiplication of body parts or fewer of
them
Blend parts of different naturally
occurring animals
Manufacturing – add some feature that
doesn’t occur in nature (skin made out
of metal).
HEROES
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Hero type:
Men and women of the prehistoric period – ‘Heroic Age’
Protectors
Hera – protectress
Great person of old
Usually with one mortal and one divine parent
Normally associated with a Greek deed.
Eventually died and had a ‘hero-cult’ after he died. Remains
considered especially powerful.
Similar to modern idea of hero.
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In story – protagonist – most important.
Physical strength
Skill
Cleverness
• Hesiod: timeline:
– Chaos  Establishment of cosmic order
(cosmos)  creation of humans  loss of
paradise/degradation  Great Deluge 
second creation of heroes  Age of Heroes
 Historical Period.
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Hero story
Biography, birth + Growth  dth.
Local reference
One mortal, one immortal parent
Often fits int o pattern “2 father figures”
Hero Pattern
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Birth
(blank)
quest
success
princess
revenge
rule
death
2 father figures: ‘mentor’ or Ooften role analogous to
good or bad father: One will be beneficent or passive
and one will be hostile.
Hero Pattern Continued.
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Birth
– Usually born under unusual circumstances
– Often includes danger for baby. Birth attended by unusual circumstances.
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Blank:
– Stories don’t generally say anything from after the birth to middle/late teens
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Assignment of Quest
– At this point significant meeting with hostile father figure, usually in foreign land,
who assigns quest in veiled attempt to destroy him.
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Success
– Hero then is successful.
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Then gets foreign bride – normally a princess.
Revenge:
– Returns, confronts hostile father figure and destroys him.
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Rule:
– Returns and rules:
– Either founds city or rules city.
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Hero finally dies since he is part mortal.
Perseus
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Perseus
Hero Story
Birth
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Grandfather = ACRISIUS king of ARGOS (a city in southern Greece.).
Twin brother of Acrisius = PROETUS. Enemies since birth. Supposed
to grow up to rule Argos together, instead when grew up they fought
over throne. Victorious A. forced P. into exile.
P. became king of TIRYNS (a city in ARGOLIS, the region surrounding
ARGOS. The huge blocks of stone which composed its fortifications
were said to have been the result of the labor of CYCLOPS, because of
their prodigious size. This belief is the origin for the modern term
CYCLOPEAN architecture.
Acrisius married to AGANIPPE. 1 child, daughter DANAË.
A. consulted an oracle, found that not only would he have no sons, but
his sole male heir – the son of Danaë would kill him.
Locked her in underground chamber. Danaë became pregnant anyway
Official version of the myth: ZEUS visited Danaë in the form of a
shower of gold.
A. found out- more than one version: some claim was immediate –
alerted by cry of baby, others say Danaë and son PERSEUS spent
more than a year imprisoned before they were discovered.
A. Put Danaë and son Perseus into a wooden chest and set them adrift
on the Aegean sea.
Zeus guided chest to island of SERIPHUS.
Cyclopean
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Name often applied to a primitive method of prehistoric
masonry construction, found throughout Greece, Italy,
and the Middle East. The term is derived from Cyclopes,
the mythological beings who were supposed to have
built walls in this manner. The Cyclopean technique
involves the use of huge, irregular boulders, carefully
fitted together without the use of mortar, thereby creating
a massive wall with an uneven face. These walls were
characteristic of Mycenaean civilization. Remaining
examples are found at Knossos, Mycenae, Tiryns, and
Athens. There are many Cyclopean walls in Etruscan
and Anatolian architecture. Somewhat similar examples
are seen in China, Japan, and Peru.
Titian (ca. 1553)
J. Gossaert (early 16th
century)
Rembrandt (ca. 1646)
Danaë.
Waterhouse, 1892.
Stolen 1947.
Gustav Klimt (1907-08)
SERIPHUS
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Brothers
POLYDECTES – king
DICTYS – poor fisherman
Dictys caught chest in his net and
rescued Danaë and Perseus. Took them
into his home claiming that they were
distant kin (actually true – (D. and P.
were descendants of DANAUS, a
former king of Argos).
Polydectes as 2nd Hostile Father Figure?
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P. fell in love with Danaë, asked her to marry him but she
refused. Perseus full grown and strong, so he was afraid to do
anything rash and pretended to accept her rejection, but in
actuality did not stop scheming.
Soon after P. announced his intention to ask for the hand of
HIPPODAMEIA, a daughter of king OENOMAUS of PISA (city in
southwestern Greece).
P. arranged banquet in which each guest traditionally woulfd
have brought a gift for the bride to be – P. Demanded that each
of his subjects bring a horse as a gift. Bad for Perseus – poor,
had no horses. P. might have have hoped that Perseus would
have been shamed into fleeing the kingdom. Perseus said that
instead of a horse he would bring anything P. wanted, even if it
was the head of Medusa. P. accepted – Task impossible to
survive.
The QUEST
• P. arranged banquet in which each guest
traditionally would have brought a gift for the
bride to be – P. Demanded that each of his
subjects bring a horse as a gift. Bad for Perseus
– poor, had no horses. P. might have have
hoped that Perseus would have been shamed
into fleeing the kingdom. Perseus said that
instead of a horse he would bring anything P.
wanted, even if it was the head of Medusa. P.
accepted – Task impossible to survive.
MEDUSA
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Version 1
One of three monstrous sisters called the Gorgons.
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Of the three only Medusa could be killed – other two were immortal.
Features of Gorgons
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1.
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EURYALE
STHENO
MEDUSA
Serpents for hair
Eyes that turned anyone who looked upon them into stone.
Huge snake-like tongues
Teeth as long and sharp as the tusks of a wild boars.
Bodies covered in scales so hard that no weapsns could pierce them.
Golden wings.
Claws forged of brass.
Version 2
Once a beautiful maiden. Turned away all suitors, but finally consented
to Poseidon – either in a field of flowers or in the shrine of Athena.
Angered the goddess – either jealous of M’s beauty, or angered that
she had defiled the temple of the goddess. Athena transformed the
once beautiful Medusa into the monster we all know and love.
Modern Portrayals
A few major problems:
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To kill Medusa the slayer must
approach her lair without being seen by
her or her two sisters.
In order not be ‘petrified’ would have to
slay her without looking at her face.
After the deed would need to escape
with tremendous speed to escape the
two remaining winged monsters.
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Perseus had help from ATHENA.
Brought Perseus to a cave on SERIPHUS
where some of the NAIADS lived. Lent to
Perseus
Winged sandals
The helmet of darkness (or cap of Hades) to
make him invisible.
A purse or pouch to carry the head.
HERMES then gave Perseus a sword (or
sickle) of ADAMANT – an unbreakable
material (metallic stone?).
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Perseus then traveled to a cave on the
mountain where ATLAS stood. In this cave
lived the GRAEAE “gray women” the sisters
of the Gorgons. These were ancient
(witches?) who had one eyes among them
had gray hair from birth. Passed the eye
around. Perseus hid and waited until one of
the sisters took out the eye and handed it
over to another – the only moment when they
were all blind. Grabbed they eye and held it,
refused to give it back until they told him the
location of the Gorgon’s lair. After getting the
information he needed, he tossed the eye into
lake TRITONIS and took off towards the
Gorgons.
SUCESS
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Lair of Medusa.
At the end of the earth in a land where neither sun or moon
ever shone.
Dozens of stone figures – remains of those who had ventured
there and glimpsed on e of the Gorgons.
Had polished shield before coming.
Used it to spy on the Gorgons without looking directly at hem.
Waited until they fell asleep.
Then still using reflection in shield, cut off the head of Medusa,
put the head in the pouch and flew away. Medusa’s sisters could
not see Perseus and their pursuit soon stopped.
((One version – Medusa still pregnant at time of death –
offspring sprang from her neck CHRYSAOR – renowned as a
warrior, and PEGASUS, the famous winged horse.)
Temple of Artemis at Corcyra (ca.
590 B.C.)
Canova (1801)
Cellini
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Flew back towards SERIPHUS. Journey was a long one –
needed to make several stops on way – very eventful.
Hesperides – (Only OVID)
Stopped there first – asked as a son of Zeus if he could rest
there
BUT
Titan Atlas who ruled Hesperides, knew prophecy of Titaness
Themis that a son of Zeus would steal the golden aplples.
Fiercly guarded them. Insulted Persues, denied his parentage
and rudely tried to force him out. P. asked Atlas if he would like
to see what was in the bag – turned his own head away and
lifted out the head, which turned Atlas to stone – into the
mountain MOUNT ATLAS  head still had petrifaction power
after death of Medusa. Most storytellers discount this, as one of
the labors of Heracles was to bring back the golden apples and
he had to trick Atlas to do this.
ANDROMEDA
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As Perseus flew over the coast of ETHIOPIA on his way home he saw
figure of a woman chained to a rock below – thought that she was a
carved marble statue at first, then saw that she was crying. Got her
story:
Name was ANDROMEDA the daughter of CEPHEUS (depending on
source the king of either ETHIOPIA or JOPPA, city of the Levantine
sea-coast) and CASSIOPEIA. C. had boasted that she was more
beautiful than the Nereids, the sea nymphs that served as the god’s
attendants. To punish Casseopia’s vanity, Poseidon had flooded the
kingdom and sent a sea monster to ravage Ethiopia.
Advice of oracle – Adromeda chained to rock as sacrifice.
Begged for help from Perseus.
Got promise from C. to reward him with A.’s hand in marriage and a
kingdom if he succeeded. C. agreed.
When sea monster surfaced P. dived onto its back and following a
raging battle that stained the sea red with blood, killed it.
Freed Andromeda from her chains and brought her to her parents –
then damanded that C. live up to his end of the bargain.
Paul Veronese
Fresco in the House of the Priest
Amandus.Pompeii (ca. A.D. 40)
Rubens
FERDINAND- VICTOR-EUGENE
DELACROIX
MIGNARD, Pierre
Gustave Doré
Sir Edward John Poynter
Problem
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A. already promised to C.’s brother PHINEUS
– a detail C. had mitted to mention. Phineus
had not lifted a hand to save Andromeda, but
still refused to step aside for her savior.
Cepheus properly grateful, kept his promise
to Perseus by arranging a quick wedding.
Phineus interrupted the wedding with an army
behind him to assert his prior claim on
Andromeda. However, even outnumbered
Persues emerged victorious, by using the
head of Medusa to turn Phineus’ his rival and
allies to stone.
Marriage
• Perseus then married Andromeda. Unlike most
of gods and heroes of Classical mythology
remained faithfull to her.
• Couple remained with her parents for a year
after their marriage, Andromeda gave birth to
their first son PERSES.
• When Perseus resumed his journey back to
Seriphus, he and Andromeda left infant Perses
with Cepheus – since Cepheus had no heirs
Perses would inherit his kingdom – Perses
descendants would travel east and rule Persia,
the land that was named after Perses.
Returned to Seriphus.
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Persues found his mother taking refuge at the altar of the gods.
As soon as Perseus had left on his quest King Polydectes had
tried to attack her, and his brother Dictys had taken her to the
altar a sacred ground where Polydectes dared not assault her.
Perseus headed for the palace and found the king at a banquet,
Perseus burst in and announced that he had brought the
promised gift. Polydectes challenged his word and his honor –
Persues then averted his eyes and held up the head turning
Polydectes and all his guests into stone. Persues then gave
Dictys the throne vacated by the petrifaction of Polydectes. He
then returned the borrowed weapons to Hermes. In gratitude to
Athena Persues mounted his trophy, the head of Medusa on the
shield of the goddess – the head, surrounded by snake’s heads
on the center of her AEGIS, became Athena’s most distinctive
emblem.
Caravaggio
Heracles
• Son of Zeus
• ALCMENE