Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 1 (Greek and Roman).djvu/151

Rh Akrisios, Danaë, and Perseus.—Akrisios, who continued to hold sway over Argos, was told by an oracle that his daughter's son would kill him. To circumvent the prophecy he enclosed his daughter Danaë in a brazen chamber, thinking thereby to cut her off from all human intercourse; but he failed in his purpose; for, as some say, the maiden was corrupted by her uncle Proitos, or, as others claim, by Zeus, who won his way to her in the form of a shower of gold falling through an aperture in the roof of her prison. When she had given birth to a son whom she called Perseus, Akrisios put them both in a chest and sent them adrift on the waters of the Aegean. By wind and wave the chest was carried to Seriphos, where it was dragged ashore by Diktys, the brother of Polydektes, the king of the island, who released Danaë and her child and gave them a home. After a number of years Polydektes made love to Danaë but was rejected. Fearing to take her by force, since Perseus was by this time quite capable of defending his mother, he devised a plan to get her son out of the way. To all his friends he sent invitations to a wedding-feast, and Perseus, with the extravagant asseveration of youth, replied that he would not fail to be present even if he had to bring the Gorgon's head. When the guests had assembled and it was discovered that all of them except Perseus had brought horses as presents, Polydektes dismissed him until he should have fulfilled his promise to the letter, warning him, moreover, that in event of failure his mother would be wedded by force. Sadly Perseus withdrew to a lonely spot; but in the midst of his perplexity Hermes and Athene appeared and led him to the Graiai, the ancient daughters of Phorkys and Keto. These had been grey from birth and had amongst them only one eye and one tooth, which they used in turns. By getting possession of these indispensable members and by threatening to keep them, Perseus compelled the Graiai to tell him the way to the dwelling-place of the nymphs who guarded the dog-skin cap of Hades, the winged sandals, and the magic pouch. Following the directions given