What is Perseus?
[[Image:Persus-with-the-head-of-med.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Perseus with the head of Medusa, by [[Antonio Canova]], completed 1801 ([[Vatican Museums]])]] '''Perseus''' ({{lang-el|Περσεύς}}) is a [[hero]] in [[Greek mythology]]. He is the legendary founder of [[Mycenae]] and is most famous for killing the [[Gorgon]] [[Medusa]]. He is a [[demigod]], the son of [[Zeus]] and the mortal princess [[Danaë]]. With his wife, the [[Ethiopia|Ethiopian]] princess [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]], his children are the sons [[Perses]], [[Alkaios]], [[Sthenelos]], [[Elektryon]], and the daughter [[Gorgophone]]. Perseus is also the great-grandfather of [[Herakles]], as well as his half-brother. ==Birth== King [[Akrisios]] of [[Argos]] was told by an [[oracle]] that he would be killed by his grandchild. Because of that he put his daughter Danaë in a tower where no one was allowed to enter, so she could not have a child. But the god Zeus could enter in the form of a [[gold]]en rain, and with him her child was Perseus. Akrisios then put Danaë and her baby Perseus in a box and threw it into the sea. But Zeus tells the sea-god [[Poseidon]] to help them, and so Danaë and her son come to the island [[Seriphos]]. There they are found by [[Diktys]], who lets them live with him. A long time after that, the grown up Perseus takes part in some funeral games. During the games Perseus throws a [[discus]], which accidentally hits Akrisios. Akrisios is killed by it: he was killed by his grandchild, like the oracle's [[prophecy]] said. == Perseus and Medusa == {{commonscat|Perseus}} Perseus was sent to retreive Medusa's head by King Polydectes, who wanted him dead so he could marry his mother. To do this, he was advised by [[Athena]] to seek the Gray sisters, who told him how to fight Medusa when he stole their eye. [[Hermes]] lent Perseus winged sandals, Hades lent him his helm of darkness (which makes the wearer invisible), and Athena lent him a shield which he could see Medusa's reflection in, since whoever looked her in the eye would