The Epic Story of Perseus Explained | Best Greek Mythology Documentary

A century before the fall of Troy, a new age of heroes had begun. Across the seas in Greece and between the great cities of Athens and Sparta, sat one of the oldest kingdoms of them all, Argos, ruled by King Acrisius. Acrisius had a thirst for power, having expelled his own brother Proetus to secure the throne. With his brother now gone, Acrisius would marry Eurydice, with the two having a beautiful daughter together called Danae. But as the years went on, his wife Eurydice could not bear him the one thing he truly wished for, a son who could inherit the throne and carry on his legacy. After years of despair, Acrisius would turn to the gods for answers, visiting the Oracle of Delphi for advice, but the Oracle would not give him the advice he had come for, instead warning him of a terrible prophecy. Not only would he never have a son of his own, but his grandson soon to be born was destined to murder him. Terrified and not wanting to die, Acrisius would lock up his only child Danae in a bronze prison, a tower so high that no mortal could ever reach her, with the threat of grandchildren now gone. But fate could not be denied, as Zeus, the king of the gods, having seen the princess from his throne on Mount Olympus would be struck by her beauty, sneaking into her room as a shower of gold. With the gold falling upon her, Danae would fall pregnant, soon giving birth to a son, a son she would raise in secret. She would name the boy Perseus, and after four long years, the pair would finally be discovered. But Acrisius, terrified that the prophecy was coming true and not able to kill his daughter and grandchild, would banish them from his kingdom, locking them in a chest and letting it drift out to sea. Travelling for many days and nights at sea, they would soon arrive upon the shores of Seraphos, where they would be discovered by the fisherman Dictys. Dictys would raise the boy as his own, with Perseus soon reaching manhood on the island. But not all would be well, for the fisherman's brother, King Polydectes, had noticed the beauty of Danae and desired her as his wife, but she was always protected by her son Perseus, who never left her side. Wanting to have Danae to himself, King Polydectes would look to find a way to get rid of Perseus, with an opportunity soon presenting itself. Hosting a great feast, Polydectes would invite guests from across the island, with each man expected to bring a horse in tribute. But Perseus, having no money to his name and possessing great speed and strength, instead boasted he could easily deliver the king a greater gift, the head of Medusa. It was the opportunity Polydectes had been waiting for, with him ordering Perseus to collect the head. Not expecting the king to take up his offer, Perseus would set out in despair, having only heard the terrifying tales of the creature that awaited him. But Medusa had not always been a terrifying creature. The daughter of the sea gods Phorces and Ceto, Medusa was one of three sisters, renowned for their unrivaled beauty. The only mortal sister, Medusa would also be the most beautiful, with any man that set eyes on her immediately falling in love. But despite this, Medusa would dedicate her life to Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, taking a vow of celibacy so she could serve as her priestess. However, one day while she was walking by the sea, the god Poseidon would be struck by her beauty, following her back to Athena's temple where he would force himself upon her. Furious at the act performed in her sacred temple, and not able to turn her rage upon her powerful uncle Poseidon, Athena would instead place the blame upon Medusa for allowing herself to be defiled and breaking her vow of celibacy. Wielding the power of the gods she would curse Medusa, distorting her once beautiful features into a hideous visage. Where her long and flowing hair had once been was now a tangled web of snakes, and where her eyes had seduced any man, would now turn those who looked upon them to stone. But Medusa's sisters who came to her defence would not escape Athena's wrath, with each of them transforming into hideous creatures, with the three sisters becoming known as the Gorgons. Exiled from their homeland, the three sisters would find a new home in North Africa, but their troubles would soon continue, as warriors from across the world would come to hunt them for sport. As the years went on and their loneliness continued, the hate they felt for the outside world would begin to grow, with Medusa and her sisters killing any who came near. Having set out to slay Medusa, a task that so many before him had failed, Perseus would pray to the gods for help, but much to his surprise his prayers would be answered, as many gods were willing to come to the aid of the son of Zeus. Both Athena and the messenger god Hermes would soon approach him, offering gifts from Olympus. From Hermes he received an indestructible sword, and from Athena an exquisite shield, so polished that he could see his own reflection. They would also tell him to seek the advice of the Greii, three wise old women who could help him find the other items he needed. Ancient beings, the Greii took the form of old women, with the three sisters sharing a single eye and tooth, but the Greii were sisters of Medusa, and so when Perseus approached them, they refused to reveal the location of the items needed to kill her. However, as all three shared a single eye between them, Perseus quickly saw their vulnerability, snatching the eye in his hands. Holding it at arm's length above them, he would force the sisters to reveal what they knew, with them explaining that the items he needed lay with the nymphs, forest deities that tended to the garden of the Hesperides. Soon finding the nymphs, Perseus would ask for their assistance, with them gifting him a pair of winged sandals, Hades' hat of invisibility, and an enchanted bag, which could safely contain Medusa's head. Following the nymph's directions, he would use the winged sandals to fly to North Africa, where Medusa's cave was located. Sneaking into the cave, Perseus would soon come across Medusa, sleeping amongst the stone corpses of her victims. Using the reflection in his shield, Perseus was careful not to look at her directly, with her gaze able to turn any man to stone. Seeing only her reflection, he would draw his sword and swiftly cut off her head, being careful not to look at her eyes as he placed it inside the enchanted bag. But to Perseus' surprise, from Medusa's body would spring Pegasus, a beautiful winged horse, Poseidon's child who had been growing inside her all this time. Mounting Pegasus, Perseus would fly out of the cave and begin the journey home to Greece. Soaring across the ocean, Perseus would look down at the waves below, shocked to see a woman chained to a rock. The woman was the princess Andromeda, who had been placed there as an offering to the gods. Her mother, Queen Cassiopeia of the Kingdom of Ethiopia, had claimed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, even more beautiful than the Nereids, close companions of the god Poseidon. Enraged at her arrogance, Poseidon would send a great flood to her kingdom, alongside the terrifying sea Cetus, who would ravage the shore, killing all those it found. With her kingdom under attack, the queen would consult an oracle, who to her despair said that her daughter Andromeda would have to be sacrificed in order to bring an end to the chaos. Seeing no other option and with tears flooding from her eyes, the queen would offer her daughter as a sacrifice, but it was at this moment that Perseus flew overhead. Captivated by Andromeda's beauty, Perseus would approach the king and queen, offering to slay the creature in return for Andromeda's hand in marriage. Relieved, they would quickly accept, with Perseus flying over the monster with his winged sandals, slashing it with his sword until the beast was dead. Returning Andromeda to the shore, the queen would honour her word, giving Perseus her blessing with the two soon marrying. With his new bride in hand, the pair would mount Pegasus, flying back to the island of Xerophos where Perseus' mother awaited. But things were not as Perseus had left them. His mother Danae had continued to reject the advances of the king, but without Perseus there to protect her, she was forced into hiding. Having seen that King Polydectes had turned to violence to gain his mother as a bride, Perseus would fly down to the palace in anger, with the king's guards drawing their swords. Taking Medusa's head from his bag, Perseus would hold it out before him, turning the soldiers to stone. Panicking, the king ran for his spear, but it was too late, with Perseus holding Medusa's head before him, forever immortalising his terrified expression in stone. Finally reunited, Danae would embrace her son, thankful that she would no longer have to live in fear. Perseus would return his gifts to the gods, with Athena taking Medusa's severed head and placing it on her shield, a final punishment for her former priestess, with it remaining a symbol of Athena's dominance and power. Leaving the island behind them, Perseus, Andromeda and Danae would decide to return to Argos, the place of Perseus' birth, where his grandfather Acrisius still ruled as king. But before he left, Perseus would seek to thank the fisherman Dictys, who had saved him and his mother all those years ago, granting him the throne of Seraphos, where he would now rule as king. Returning to Argos, Perseus was hailed as a hero for slaying Medusa, with all the townspeople encouraging him to join a local athletics tournament, where he could compete against some of the strongest men in Greece. Acrisius would soon hear of his grandson's return, deeply proud of what he had accomplished, but still worried about the prophecy. Acrisius would sneak out of his palace in disguise, wanting to catch a glimpse of his grandson at the tournament. With the event underway and Perseus dominating the competition, it would soon be his turn to throw the discus. Spinning with all his might, Perseus would forget his own strength, with the discus flying off into the crowd, killing a member of the audience. Running over to the body, he discovered that it was none other than his grandfather King Acrisius lying dead on the floor, the discus having struck him on the head. And so, just as the prophecy had predicted so many years ago, King Acrisius had died at the hands of his grandson, a lesson that no mortal can run from their fate. But having shed the blood of a family member, something that was deeply frowned upon and considered one of the worst crimes in ancient Greek society, Perseus was no longer able to stay in Argos. Instead he would found his own kingdom, Mycenae, north of Argos and west of Athens, which would soon become the most powerful city in Greece. Its great walls were constructed with massive boulders, too large for any man to lift alone, with Perseus enlisting the help of the mighty Cyclopses, whose craftsmanship was unrivalled. Ruling over the city, Perseus and Andromeda would have many children together, with their family's reign lasting for generations to come. But unknown to them, one of their descendants would become the most famous hero of them all. For the son of Zeus and Alcmene would be the great hero Heracles, whose famous twelve labours would echo throughout every corner of the world.