The Hero
Human beings have always been fascinated by the hero’s journey and what it ultimately means to be a hero. It started with the ancient stories told around fires. These stories of heroes battling fierce beasts, stopping daunting enemies, and overcoming adversity. Even now with modern stories of men and women fighting evil in their daily lives. It extends to our obsession with superheroes in the movies or brave warriors battling to save the princess in video games. (we’re looking at you, Mario!) The hero has always had a special place in our hearts.
Who is Perseus?
The ancient Greek story of Perseus, a demigod who always fought for the underdog. Using his wits and his strength, it is a story that still fascinates us today. From the beginning of his life, Perseus had to struggle because he was never supposed to have been born. Before Perseus was born, King Acrisius of Argos learned that there was a prophecy that one day, Acrisius’ death would be at the hands of his grandson.
Fearing this prophecy, Acrisius chose to lock away his daughter, Danae, in a bronze tower to prevent her from ever having children. However, the Fates had other plans for Danae. One day, Zeus, the most powerful of the gods, descended from Olympus, transformed into a golden rain, entered the tower, and impregnated Danae. The child that Danae gave birth to was Perseus, destined to be remembered in the stars. With Perseus’ birth, the prophecy was set into motion. Acrisius, unable to hurt young Perseus or Danae himself, locked the two in a chest and sent them afloat to sea. Poseidon, pitying the two, washed them up on the shores of the island Seriphus.
Perseus grew up on the island. King Polydectes, the ruler of Seriphus, sent Perseus on a quest, hoping to get Perseus out of the way because he desired Perseus’ mother. Perseus set out on his journey, fulfilling his destiny to one day kill a creature so horrible that even the gods avoided her, the Gorgon Medusa. Medusa is one of the best-known monsters of Greek Mythology, with her hair made of snakes and a gaze that could turn anyone who looked into her eyes to stone. Perseus was challenged to find a way to defeat her, and he accepted the challenge.
Along the way, Perseus was aided by Hermes, Hades, and Athena, who gifted him with winged sandals, a helm of invisibility, and a polished shield. As a wise hero, Perseus accepted assistance and used the gifts he was given to defeat Medusa. He beheaded her after spotting her in the shield’s reflection. Perseus was rewarded further when Pegasus, the magnificent winged horse, sprung from Medusa’s blood.
Perseus was already quite the hero at this point, but he was an overachiever by today’s standards. As he continued his journey, he came upon a beautiful maiden, Andromeda, chained to a rock by the sea’s edge, awaiting a terrible fate. Unfortunately, Andromeda’s mother bragged about her daughter’s beauty being greater than the sea nymphs, angering Poseidon.
Poseidon unleashed the sea monster Cetus, who terrorized the coastline. As retribution, Andromeda had been offered as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus. Perseus, being the hero he was, used Medusa’s severed head to turn the sea monster to stone, thus freeing Andromeda and winning her heart. Perseus was smitten as well, and they married. Perseus then continued to Seriphus, where he rescued his mother from King Polydectes, turning Polydectes to stone again using Medusa’s head. Perseus then returned Medusa’s head to Athena, who incorporated the head into Zeus’ shield that Athena carried.
Heroes & hardship
As all heroes who journey must know, there are hardships along the way. One of Perseus’ hardships was that although he longed to return to Argos, his homeland, his grandfather, King Acrisius, still lived. Perseus tried to avoid the unfortunate destiny that had been predicted. Unfortunately for Perseus, there was no avoiding his fate. In a tragic accident at athletic games in Larisa, Perseus accidentally struck an old man with a discus, killing him. As the fates had predestined, the old man was none other than King Acrisius, his grandfather. Perseus chose not to claim the throne as an act of goodwill, offering the kingdom to the King’s son, Megapenthes.
Perseus, his mother, Danae, and his wife, Andromeda, journeyed on to establish a new kingdom that would later be known as Persia, with the capital Mycenae.
Because Perseus had lived such a courageous and heroic life, Zeus and the other gods gave him a position of honor in the night sky. Perseus became a constellation, immortalized for eternity. His wife, Andromeda, also earned her place in the cosmos near her husband.
The constellation Perseus is located in the northern sky, often seen during the autumn months. The constellation contains a large curved pattern of stars known as the Segment of Perseus, which begins with the orange supergiant Miram and runs through Gamma Persei and Mirfak, which represents the hero’s body. The star Algol in the constellation is often said to represent Medusa’s head that Perseus is forever holding aloft to protect innocents from monsters, preserving Perseus in his act of heroism.
The constellations Andromeda and Pegasus also hold their places in the night skies nearby, forever commemorating the rescue of Andromeda and the birth of the winged horse from the blood of Medusa.
An Enduring Narrative
Perseus’ story endures as an extraordinary tale of valor and triumph over evil. He demonstrated the power to stay the course in the face of adversity, the wisdom of accepting help when necessary, and the courage to face dangerous and deadly challenges without faltering. His journey, embracing his destiny with grace and honor, earns Perseus a place of honor in our memories of what a hero should strive to be.
Perseus’ legacy also extends beyond his journey and his place in the sky. His descendants played pivotal roles in Greek Mythology and history. His son Perses was the forefather of the Persians, while his grandson Electryon was the father of Alcmena, the mother Heracles, otherwise known as Hercules. Perseus lived on through his legacy and was immortalized in the sky for his contributions.
Perseus, one of many heroes in the story of humanity, reminds us of lessons that still matter greatly today. As heroes of our own life stories, we must face our fears and confront life’s challenges with courage and determination. We must embrace our destiny to stand for what matters, to protect those who need protecting, and not to shrink back from our duties when life becomes uncertain.
The constellation of Perseus, with his beloved companions Andromeda and Pegasus nearby, is a memorial to the power of our very human desire to connect with the universe surrounding us. The night sky and the constellations in that sky are reminders of our place in the larger universe and how interconnected our fates and destinies are. It is a larger-than-life reminder of how what we do in our lives connects to the lives of those around us and to history itself.
Perseus is a tremendous and lasting symbol of heroism, determination, the pursuit of a noble cause, and a worthy example of what it means to be the hero of our stories.
