PERSEUS, a hero of Grecian fable, son of Danae {q.v.] and Zeus. When Perseus was grown to manhood Polydectes, the wicked king of Seriphus, cast his eye on Danae; and, that he might rid himself of the son, he exacted of him a promise that he would bring him the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Now the dreadful Gorgons {q.vf dwelt with their sisters the Graeae (the Gray Women) by the great ocean, far aAvay in the Avest. Guided by Hermes and Athene, Perseus came to the Graeae. They Avere three hags, with but one eye and one tooth between them, which they handed one to the other. Perseus stole the eye and tooth, and would not restore them till the Graeae had guided him to the Nymphs, from whom he received the winged sandals, the Avallet (κ∕∕3ισιs), and the cap of invisibility. These he put on, and, being armed by Hermes with a scimitar (αpτn∕), came upon the Gorgons as they slept and cut off Medusa’s head, while with averted eyes he looked at her image on his brazen shield lest he should be turned to stone. Perseus put the Gorgon’s head in his wallet and fled. Coming to Aethiopia he delivered and married Andromeda {q.vf). With her he returned to Seriphus in time to rescue his mother and Dictys from Polydectes, whom he turned to stone along with all his court by showing them the Gorgon’s head. The island itself Avas turned to stone, and was still and lonely ever after; the very frogs of Seriphus (so ran the proverb) were dumb. Perseus then gave the head of Medusa to Athene, Avho put it on her shield, and, with Danae and Andromeda, he hastened to Argos to see his grandfather, Acrisius,once more. But he, fearing the oracle, had gone to Larissa in Thessaly. Thither his grandson followed him, but at some games given by Teutamias, king of Larissa, he threw a quoit ...