ius, king of Argos, that a grandson would take from
him both his throne and life, and he therefore caused Danae and her
child to be shut up in a wooden box and thrown into the sea. The box was
caught in the net of a fisherman of the isle of Seriphos, by whom its
inmates were put safely on shore. The king of the island, whose name was
Polydectus, afterward took Danae under his special care, and brought up
her son as if he had been his own.

When Perseus had grown to be a young man, the king urged him to go in
search of adventures, and set him the task of bringing him the head of
the terrible Gorgon named Medusa. Perseus asked the aid of the gods for
this expedition, which he felt obliged to make, and in answer to his
prayers, Mercury and Minerva, the patrons of adventurers, led him to the
abode of the Graeae, the woman-monsters, so called because they had been
born with gray hair. Perseus, compelled them to show him where lived the
nymphs who had in charge the Helmet of Hades, which rendered its wearer
invisible. They introduced Perseus to the nymphs, who at once furnished
him with the helmet, and gave him, besides, the winged shoes and the
pouch, which he also needed for his task. Then came Mercury, and gave
him the Harpe, or curved knife, while Minerva bestowed upon him her
polished shield, and showed him how to use it in approaching the
Gorgons, that he should not be turned into stone at the sight of them.

Perseus donned his shoes and helmet, and flew until he reached the abode
of the Gorgons. These were three hideous daughters of Phorcus, and
sisters of the Graeae. One only of them, Medusa, was mortal. Perseus found
the monsters asleep. They were covered with dragon scales, and had
writhing serpents instead of hair, and, besides these charms, they had
huge tusks like those of a boar, brazen hands and golden wings. Whoever
looked on them was immediately turned to stone, but Perseus knew this
and gazed only on their reflection in his shield. Having thus discovered
Medusa, without harm to himself, he cut off her head with his curved
knife. Perseus dropped the head of Medusa into the pouch slung over his
shoulder, and went quickly on his way. When Medusa's sisters awoke, they
tried to pursue the young demigod, but the helmet hid him from their
sight and they sought him in vain.

At length he alighted in the realm of King Atlas, who was of enormous
stature and owned a grove of trees that bore golden fruit, and were
gua