Medusa

In ancient Greece, on the enchanting island of Serifos, there lived a beautiful priestess called Medusa. Medusa had golden hair and bright eyes that shone like the sun. She served the goddess Athena in her temple and was known for her kindness and beauty.

Poseidon (Neptune) - Medusa

One day, Poseidon, the god of the sea, saw Medusa and was enchanted by her beauty. He wanted to get close to her, so one night he entered the temple of Athena. There, Medusa was frightened and tried to escape from him, but Poseidon caught her. Athena, seeing what happened in her temple, was very angry, not with Poseidon, but with Medusa.

The punishment

To punish her, Athena transformed Medusa into a terrible monster. Her beautiful hair became snakes that hissed and crawled. Her skin became hard and rough, and her gaze so terrifying that anyone who looked into her eyes was instantly turned to stone.

Isolation

Medusa, sad and frightened, isolated herself in a cave, away from everyone. People began to fear the monster and avoided the area. But Medusa's adventures didn't end there.

Zeus - Danae

At the same time, the brave hero Perseus lived in the calm and beautiful Serifos. Perseus was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Danae, a mortal princess.

The oracle

Danae was the daughter of King Akrisius of Argos. One day, Akrisius visited the Oracle of Delphi and received a terrifying prophecy: his grandson was going to kill him.

Golden rain

Fearing the prophecy, Akrisius locked Danae in a bronze tower, away from the outside world. But Zeus saw her from the sky and was enchanted by her beauty. She transformed into golden rain and passed through the roof of the tower, reaching Danae. From this union, Danae became pregnant and gave birth to Perseus.

Fear

When Akrisius discovered the child, he was again afraid of the prophecy. He put Danae and Perseus in a wooden box and threw them into the sea, hoping to rid himself of the threat.

Salvation

However, the box travelled safely to Serifos, where they were found and rescued by the fisherman Dictys.

The upbringing of Perseus

The Dictys, with the kindness that distinguished him, took them into his house and looked after them as if they were his own. Perseus grew up on the island, with Dictys as his father and Danae as his mother. Dictys taught him all the virtues he had: bravery, justice and wisdom.

Perseus grows up

As the years passed, Perseus became a strong and gentle young man, beloved by everyone on the island. He learned to fight with courage, to ride horses with skill and to navigate safely at sea, always with the help of Ditty. The people of Serifos admired and loved him for his kindness and courage.

Perseus - Polydektis

King Polydektis of Seriphos, however, wanted to marry Danae, but Perseus protected his mother. To get rid of Perseus, Polydektis set him a difficult task: to bring back the head of Medusa.

The gifts of the gods

Perseus, though young, was determined and courageous. With the help of the gods, he received magical gifts: a pair of winged sandals from Hermes, an invisible helmet from Athena, and a shining shield and sword that could not be broken by Hephaestus. With these gifts, he set out for the cave of Medusa.

Perseus - Medusa

When he reached the cave, Perseus used his shining shield as a mirror to avoid looking directly at Medusa. In this way, he approached her without risking turning to stone. With a swift and decisive movement, he managed to decapitate Medusa, and from her neck sprang Pegasus, the winged horse, and Chryssaor, a giant with a golden sword.

Andromeda

On his way back, Perseus passed through Ethiopia, where he saw a beautiful princess, Andromeda, tied to a rock. Andromeda was an offering to a terrible sea monster as punishment for the arrogance of her mother, Cassiopeia, who had said her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids.

Perseus - Medusa

Perseus was fascinated by the beauty and courage of Andromeda. Using Medusa's head, he managed to turn the monster into stone and save the princess. They married and returned together to Serifos.

Death of Polydactus

Perseus returned to Serifos with Medusa's head and showed it to King Polydextus, who turned to stone when he saw it.

Aegis

With Medusa's head, Perseus continued to live many adventures, and eventually gave it to the goddess Athena, who placed it on her shield, the aegis, to protect the warriors in battle.