Perseus
Perseus | |
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King of Gorgophone, Autochthe |
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Etymology
Because of the obscurity of the name "Perseus" and the legendary character of its bearer, most etymologists presume that it might be pre-Greek; however, the name of Perseus's native city was Greek and so were the names of his wife and relatives. There is some idea that it descended into Greek from the Proto-Indo-European language. In that regard Graves proposed the only Greek derivation available: Perseus might be from the Greek verb πέρθειν (pérthein, "to waste, ravage, sack, destroy") some form of which is familiar in Homeric epithets.[2] According to Buck, the -eus suffix is typically used to form an agent noun, in this case from the aorist stem, pers-. Pers-eus therefore is a "sacker [of cities]";[3] that is, a soldier by occupation, a fitting name for the first Mycenaean warrior.
The further origin of perth- is more obscure. Hofmann lists the possible root as *bher-, from which Latin ferio, "strike".[4] This corresponds to Pokorny's *bher-(3), "scrape, cut". Ordinarily *bh- descends to Greek as ph-. This difficulty can be overcome by presuming a dissimilation from the -th- in pérthein, which the Greeks would have preferred from a putative *phérthein.[5] Graves carries the meaning still further, to the Perse- in Persephone, goddess of death.[2] Ventris & Chadwick speculate about a Mycenaean goddess pe-re-*82 (Linear B: 𐀟𐀩𐁚), attested on tablet PY Tn 316, and tentatively reconstructed as *Preswa.[6]
A Greek folk etymology connected Perseus to the name of the
Mythology
The Birth of Perseus
King
Fearful for his future, but unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods and the
A Horrifying Wedding Gift
When Perseus was grown, Polydectes came to lust for the beautiful Danaë. Perseus believed Polydectes was less than honorable, and protected his mother from him; then Polydectes plotted to send Perseus away in disgrace. He held a large banquet where each guest was expected to bring a gift.
Overcoming Medusa
Medusa and her two immortal older sisters,
Before setting out on his quest, Perseus prayed to the gods and Zeus answered by sending two of his other children – Hermes and Athena – to bless their half-brother with the weapons needed to defeat Medusa. Hermes gave Perseus his own pair of winged sandals to fly with and loaned him his harpe sword to slay Medusa with, and Hades' helm of darkness to become invisible with. Athena loaned Perseus her polished shield for him to view Medusa's reflection without becoming petrified, and gave him a kibisis, a knapsack to safely contain the Gorgon's head which the goddess warned could still petrify even in death. Lastly, Athena instructed Perseus to seek out the Graeae, the Gorgons' sisters, for the snake-haired women's whereabouts (in other versions, it was the Hesperides nymphs who gave Perseus the weapons after he sought out the Graeae).
Following Athena's guidance, Perseus found the Graeae, who were three old swan-shaped witches sharing a single eye and a single tooth. As the witches passed their eye from one to another, Perseus snatched it from them, holding it for ransom in return for the Gorgons' location. The Graeae informed Perseus that the Gorgons lived on the Island of Sarpedon. Perseus then gave the Graeae their eye back and proceeded to the island.
On the Island of Sarpedon, Perseus came across a cave where Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa lay sleeping. Using Athena's reflective shield, Perseus overcame the looking taboo, walked into the cave backwards, safely observing and approaching the sleeping Gorgons. With Athena guiding the sword, Perseus beheaded Medusa. From Medusa's neck sprang her two children with Poseidon: the winged horse Pegasus ("he who sprang") and the giant Chrysaor ("sword of gold"). To avenge their sister's death, Stheno and Euryale flew after Perseus, but he escaped them by wearing Hades' invisibility helm.[13] From here he proceeded to visit King Atlas who had refused him hospitality; in revenge Perseus petrified him with Medusa's head and King Atlas became the Atlas mountains.[14]
Marriage to Andromeda
On the way back to Seriphos, Perseus stopped in the kingdom of
Perseus married Andromeda in spite of
As Perseus was flying in his return above the sands of
Prophecy fulfilled
Perseus then returned his magical loans and gave Medusa's head as a votive gift to Athena, who set it on her aegis (which Zeus gave her) as the Gorgoneion. The fulfillment of the oracle was told several ways, each incorporating the mythic theme of exile. In Pausanias[17] he did not return to Argos, but went instead to Larissa, where athletic games were being held. He had just invented the quoit and was making a public display of them when Acrisius, who happened to be visiting, stepped into the trajectory of the quoit and was killed: thus the oracle was fulfilled. This is an unusual variant on the story of such a prophecy, as Acrisius' actions did not, in this variant, cause his death.
In the Bibliotheca,[18] the inevitable occurred by another route: Perseus did return to Argos, but when Acrisius learned of his grandson's approach, mindful of the oracle he went into voluntary exile in Pelasgiotis (Thessaly). There Teutamides, king of Larissa, was holding funeral games for his father. Competing in the discus throw, Perseus' throw veered-and struck Acrisius, killing him instantly. In a third tradition,[19] Acrisius had been driven into exile by his brother Proetus. Perseus petrified the brother with Medusa's head and restored Acrisius to the throne. Then, accused by Acrisius of lying about having slain Medusa, Perseus proves himself by showing Acrisius the Gorgon's head, thus fulfilling the prophecy.
Having killed Acrisius, Perseus, who was next in line for the throne, gave the kingdom to Megapenthes ("great mourning"), son of Proetus, and took over Megapenthes' kingdom of Tiryns. The story is related in Pausanias,[20] who gives as motivation for the swap that Perseus was ashamed to have become king of Argos by inflicting death. In any case, early Greek literature reiterates that manslaughter, even involuntary, requires the exile of the slaughterer, expiation and ritual purification. The exchange might well have proved a creative solution to a difficult problem.
King of Mycenae
The two main sources regarding the legendary life of Perseus—for the Greeks considered him an authentic historical figure—are Pausanias and the Bibliotheca. Pausanias[21] asserts that the Greeks believed Perseus founded Mycenae. He mentions the shrine to Perseus that stood on the left-hand side of the road from Mycenae to Argos, and also a sacred fountain at Mycenae called Persea. Located outside the walls, this was perhaps the spring that filled the citadel's underground cistern. He states also that Atreus stored his treasures in an underground chamber there, which is why Heinrich Schliemann named the largest tholos tomb the Treasury of Atreus.
Apart from these more historical references, the only accounts of him are from folk-etymology: Perseus dropped his cap or found a mushroom (both named myces) at Mycenae, or perhaps the place was named after the lady Mycene, daughter of Inachus, mentioned in a now-fragmentary poem, the Megalai Ehoiai.[22] For whatever reasons, perhaps as outposts, Perseus fortified Mycenae according to Apollodorus[23] along with Midea, an action that implies that they both previously existed. It is unlikely, however, that Apollodorus knew who walled in Mycenae; he was only conjecturing. Perseus took up official residence in Mycenae with Andromeda where he had a long, successful reign as king.
Suda
According to the
Descendants
This article is missing information about which specific person of each linked name such as Alexander is a descendant. (October 2020) |
Perseus and Andromeda had seven sons:
A statement by the Athenian orator Isocrates[25] helps to date Perseus approximately. He said that Heracles was four generations later than Perseus, which corresponds to the legendary succession: Perseus, Electryon, Alcmena, and Heracles, who was a contemporary of Eurystheus. Atreus was one generation later, a total of five generations.
Descendants of Perseus and Andromeda Before the Time of Heracles to the Aftermath of the Trojan War | |||||||||
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Children | Perses | Alcaeus | Sthenelus
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Heleus | Mestor | Electryon | Cynurus | Gorgophone
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Autochthe |
Grandchildren | Achaemenid Persians
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Amphitryon, Anaxo, Perimede | Alcyone, Medusa
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– | Hippothoe | – | – | ||
Third Generation Descendant | – | Melas, Argius, Oeonus | Mentor
|
– | Taphius | Heracles, Iphicles, Oeonus, Melas, Argius, | – | – | |
Fourth Generation Descendant | – | Iolaus | – | – | Pterelaus | Heraclides, Iolaus | – | ||
Fifth Generation Descendant | – | Leipephilene | – | – | Chromius, Tyrannus, Antiochus, Mestor, Chersidamas, Eueres, Comaetho | Leipephilene | Medon, Strophius; Tisamenus, Penthilus; Persepolis, Latinus, Poliporthes | – |
Gallery
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Perseus freeing Andromeda after killing Cetus, 1st century AD fresco from the Casa Dei Dioscuri, Pompeii
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Perseus and Andromeda, 50 AD, fresco from the Casa del Principe di Napoli, Pompeii
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Julius Troschel: Perseus und Andromeda, c. 1845, Neue Pinakothek, Munich
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The Doom Fulfilled, 1888,Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones
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Edward Burne-Jones: The Baleful Head, 1885, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. This part of the series plays with the theme of the reflected gaze, as Perseus has Andromeda look at the Gorgon's head, but only as reflected in the well.
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Perseus and the head of Medusa in a Roman fresco at Stabiae
On Pegasus
The replacement of
Argive genealogy in Greek mythology
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Perseus constellation
Perseus has a constellation named after him. The legend says that because he was so brave fighting Cetus for someone else he was given a place in the stars forever. It is located in the east in the winter at about the Latitude 10-N. It is not far from the stars Betelgeuse and Sirius; his wife's constellation Andromeda is also nearby. It is southward from Cassiopeia, and to the left of Taurus. His constellation contains the most famous variable star Algol and some deep sky objects such as Messier 34, the Double Cluster, the California Nebula, and the Little Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 76). There are eight named stars in the constellation Algol, Atik, Berehinya, Menkib, Miram, Mirfak, Misam, and Muspelheim. It was cataloged in the 2nd century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy and is known for the famous Perseid Meteor Shower. There is in fact a whole family of constellations based on the myth of Perseus, which includes Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cetus. There is also a molecular cloud in the constellation that is 600 light years from our solar system. There is also a cluster of galaxies called the Perseus cluster. There is one galaxy in the cluster named Caldwell 24 which is a powerful source for radio and X-ray waves. It has a visual magnitude of 12.6 and is 237 million light years away from the Milky Way galaxy.[27][28]
See also
- Lugh
- Lully
- Ibert (1921)
- Chimera
- Aethiopia
- The Story of Perseus and the Gorgon's Head, a short novel published in 1898
Notes
- ^ "Even thus endured Danaë in her beauty to change the light of day for brass-bound walls; and in that chamber, secret as the grave, she was held close".[9] In post-Renaissance paintings the setting is often a locked tower.
- ^ Eurymedon: "far-ruling"
- Homeric Hymns. 9, 17.
- Persians.
- ^ See article Catasterismi.
- ^ Laodice may be the daughter of Agamemnon mentioned by Homer, who is generally equated with Electra.
References
- Kerenyi, Karl, 1959. The Heroes of the Greeks (London: Thames and Hudson) p. 75.
- ^ ISBN 978-110158050-9.
- ^ Buck, C.D. (1933). Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
- ^ Hofmann, J.B. (1950). Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen (in German). Munich, DE: R. Oldenbourg.
- ISBN 3772009476.
- ISBN 0-521-08558-6– via Internet Archive.
- ^ Herodotus. Histories. 7.61.3.
- ^ Herodotus. Histories. 7.150.2.
- Antigone(stage play).
- ISBN 978-0-87220-721-9.
- ^ Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1514
- .
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.3
- ^ Godwin, William (1876). Lives of the Necromancers. p. 39 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.1–235
- ^ Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1505 ff.
- ^ Pausanias, 2.16.2
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.4
- ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.177
- ^ Pausanias, 2.16.3
- ^ Pausanias, 2.15.4, 2.16.2–3 & 2.18.1
- ^ Hesiod, Megalai Ehoiai fr. 246
- ^ "pros-teichisas, "walling in"". Perseus.org. 2.4.4.
- ^ Suida, s.v. mu, 406
- ^ Isocrates. [no title cited]. 4.07.[full citation needed]
- JSTOR 510816.
- ^ "Perseus Constellation," 2022, n.p.
- ^ "Perseus Mythology," 2022, n.p.
Bibliography
- Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853–1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- .
- Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859–1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Suida, Suda Encyclopedia translated by Ross Scaife, David Whitehead, William Hutton, Catharine Roth, Jennifer Benedict, Gregory Hays, Malcolm Heath Sean M. Redmond, Nicholas Fincher, Patrick Rourke, Elizabeth Vandiver, Raphael Finkel, Frederick Williams, Carl Widstrand, Robert Dyer, Joseph L. Rife, Oliver Phillips and many others. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Cartwright, Mark. “Perseus.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 8 Mar. 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/Perseus/.
- NSF, NOIRLab. “Perseus Mythology.” Globe at Night, 2019, https://www.globeatnight.org/mythology/perseus Archived 2022-06-17 at the Wayback Machine.
- Ogden, Daniel. “Perseus.” Routledge & CRC Press, 2008, https://www.routledge.com/Perseus/Ogden/p/book/9780415427258.
- Parada, Carlos, and Maicar Förlag. “Perseus.” Perseus 1 – Greek Mythology Link, 1997, http://www.maicar.com/GML/Perseus1.html.
- “Perseus Constellation.” Constellation Guide, 2021, https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/perseus-constellation/.
- “Perseus Mythology.” Globe at Night, https://www.globeatnight.org/mythology/perseus Archived 2022-06-17 at the Wayback Machine