PERSEUS BECOMES KING OF TIRYNS
When Perseus reached home he did not find the glad welcome to which he
had looked forward with all the ardor of a youth who has been for the
first time on an important errand. His mother had taken refuge in a
temple at the altar of Zeus to escape the persecutions of King
Polydektes, who had begun to ill-treat her as soon as Perseus had
departed in search of Medusa. His brother, the fisherman, had tried to
protect her and had used hot words in warning the king to desist from
his unmanly purpose. But Polydektes turned his wrath upon his brother
also, and he, too, could find no refuge save the sacred altars.
Perseus went at once to the king and announced his arrival. The king
was uneasy, and yet he did not believe that Perseus had been able to
keep his word. He called all the nobles of his court together to
listen to what Perseus had to say. Perseus came before them, and
taking the fearful head from its covering, held it up for them to look
at. At once they became stone images, a ghastly court of petrified
men. Even the frogs and beetles and other animals in the castle and
its grounds were turned to stone.
Then Perseus flew to his mother, who was still a beautiful woman in
spite of all her sorrows. She had long prayed for her son's return,
almost without hope, and now that he had really come her joy was
boundless. Perseus established the fisherman as king of the island in
his brother's place, and the people rejoiced that they had been freed
from the tyrant, Polydektes.
Perseus now gave up his winged sandals to Hermes, and asked him to
carry the helmet and mantle to the nymphs, but the head of Medusa he
gave to Athena, who wore it on her shield ever after.
Perseus could not remain idle at Seriphos. He set out for Argos to
visit his grandfather, taking his mother and Andromeda. Akrisios,
suspecting that he would come, for the words of the Oracle often came
to his mind, had gone to Thessaly. There at Larissa he had built a
home and established himself, hoping that his grandson would be
contented to remain in Argos.
But Perseus went on until he came to Thessaly, and finding some games
going on he took part in them. He threw a discus which accidentally
struck his grandfather's foot, giving him a painful wound which could
not be cured. Thus the Oracle was fulfilled. Learning whom he had
killed and that Akrisios had died according to an old prophecy, he
mourned for him and buried him with honors outside of the city.
Perseus then returned to Argos, where he had left his wife and mother,
and he became king of the country in the place of his grandfather,
Akrisios. But the thought of sitting on a throne whose rightful king
he had accidentally killed was distasteful to him, so he exchanged
kingdoms with Megapenthes of Tiryns.
It is said that the Persian kings claimed to be descendants from
Perses, a son of Perseus and Andromeda. However this may be, Perseus
has certainly inspired many a poet and artist and hero to express
great actions and courage in word and deed.