What did Polydectes do to Danae?

What did Polydectes do to Danae?

But, according to the common story, Polydectes, king of Seriphos, made Danae his slave, and courted her favour, but in vain; and in order to obtain the undisturbed possession of her, he sent off Perseus, who had in the meantime grown up to manhood, to the Gorgons, to fetch the head of Medusa, which he said he would …

Why does Danae refuse to marry?

The answer he got was that his grandson would kill him. At that point, Danae was childless, and to keep the prophecy from coming true, Acrisius locked her in a tower. The king of Seriphos, Polydectes, fell in love with Danae and tried to forcefully marry her. However, Perseus did not let him.

What is the relationship between Danae and Perseus?

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danaë, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson.

Why was King Polydectes angry?

Annoyed by Perseus, Polydectes comes up with a plan to get rid of Perseus and free the way for the king of Seriphos to marry Danae. Perseus was unfazed by the dangers of the quest, whilst of course, Polydectes presumed that Perseus would be killed in the attempt.

How was Polydectes killed?

Perseus eventually swore to never kill his grandfather, but Polydectes soon died and at his funeral games Perseus accidentally hit Acrisius with a discus, which resulted in Acrisius’ death.

How did King Polydectes get rid of Perseus?

He thought of a plan that would get rid of Perseus: He announce that he will marry Danaë and invited all his friends to a celebration. Polydectes asked Perseus to slay and behead the Gorgon Medusa and bring back her head as his gift. Perseus agreed to do so. He received a mirror-like shield to take on his journey.

How did Polydectes trick Perseus?

How does King Polydectes trick Perseus into pursuing the head of Medusa? Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae, but he didn’t want Perseus so he devised a plan to kill him. So he went and got Medusa’s head (as she was one of the Gorgons) and gave it to her.

What did Perseus promise to give Polydectes?

When asked for a contribution, Perseus said (a bit dramatically) that he would begrudge Polydectes nothing, and that he would even give him the Gorgon’s head. But Polydectes held the youth to his promise. So Perseus set out to retrieve the head of the Gorgon, Medusa.

Why did acrisius send Danae and baby Perseus out to sea?

Unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods or the Furies by killing his offspring and grandchild, King Acrisius cast Danaë and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. The sea was calmed by Poseidon and, at the request of Zeus, the pair survived.

What happened to Polydectes and others when they saw the face of Medusa?

Perseus professed that he did slay the Gorgon Medusa, and as proof, he revealed her severed head. When Polydectes and his nobles gazed upon the prize, they were then turned to solid stone.

What is Danae the goddess of?

ɛː], Modern: [ðaˈna. i]) was an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age.

Is Polydectes a God?

Polydectes was the king of the island of Seriphos in Greek mythology, son of Magnes and a Naiad; or Peristhenes and Androthoe; or Poseidon and Cerebia. He was the ruler of the island when Danae and her son Perseus were washed ashore and his brother Dictys saved them.

How did Polydectes fall in love with Danae?

Polydectes fell in love with Danaë when she and her son Perseus were saved by his brother Dictys (see: Acrisius ). Perseus, old enough by the time, was very protective of his mother and would not allow Polydectes near her. Therefore, Polydectes hatched a plot to get him out of the way.

Why did Polydectes want to kill Perseus?

The king of Seriphos, Polydectes, fell in love with Danae and tried to forcefully marry her. However, Perseus did not let him. Furious, but also not wanting to outright kill Perseus, Polydectes said that he would stop pursuing his mother if Perseus would slay Medusa and bring back her head.

How is Polydectes different from Dictys in the Odyssey?

Polydectes, in contrast to Dictys, was cruel and ruthless, and one day he fell in love with Danae. He wanted to marry her, but first he decided that he must eliminate Perseus. He devised a plan where he proclaimed that he not like anything more than to have Medusa ‘s head.

Who is Polydectes in the Iliad?

He was the ruler of the island when Danae and her son Perseus were washed ashore and his brother Dictys saved them. Polydectes fell in love with Danae, but Perseus kept him at a distance, trying to protect his mother.