#diktys

While Perseus on Seriphos with his mother was spending his time at the house of Dictys and already growing into a young man, Polydectes, Dictys’ half- on his mother’s side, who was king of Seriphos, saw Danaë and lusted after her, but was at a loss as to how to sleep with her. And having prepared a meal, he called together many people, including Perseus, When Perseus asked what was the price of the feast, and he replied, for a horse, Perseus said, ‘For the Gorgon’s head’. After the feast, on the next day, when the other feasters were bringing their horses, Perseus did so too. But he does not accept it, and requested the Gorgon’s head according to his promise. If he did not bring it, he said that he would take his mother. He in pain goes away to the edge of the island, lamenting his misfortune. And Hermes was seen by him … [Quest narrative follows.] When Perseus arrives on Seriphos, he goes to Polydectes, and tells him to gather the people together so that he can show them the Gorgon’s head, knowing that if they saw it they would be turned into stone. Polydectes gathered the people and tells him to show it. As he turned away, he takes it out of his pouch and shows it. They saw it and became stones. Taking the head from Perseus, Athena puts it into her own aegis. The pouch he gives back to Hermes, and the sandals and helmet to the Nymphs. Pherecydes tells the story in Book 2. Pherecydes fr. 11 Fowler

In what follows he [i.e. Pherecydes in Book 2] speaks also about the death of Acrisius, that after the petrifaction of Polydectes and of the people with him by means of the Gorgon’s head {on Seriphos}, Perseus leaves Dictys on Seriphos to rule over the Seriphians who were left, and he himself set sail for Argos with the Cyclopes, Danaë, and Andromeda. On his arrival he does not find Acrisius in Argos, since in fear of him he had retreated to the Pelasgians in Larissa … [Story of his encounter with Acrisius follows.] Pherecydes fr. 12 Fowler

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A similar account is found in the later mythographer Apollodorus (second or third century ad); … Apollodorus describes how Abas, king of Argos, had twin sons by his wife Hypermnestra, Acrisius and Proetus. Having fought even in the womb, the brothers continued their conflict as adults, until Acrisius drove Proetus into exile (Bibl. 2.24); his brother became king of Tiryns, but Acrisius became king of Argos, and had a daughter, Danaë, by his wife Eurydice (2.26). His narrative then proceeds: [34] When Acrisius consulted the oracle concerning the birth of male children the god said that his daughter would have a son that would kill him. Fearing this, Acrisius constructed a bronze underground chamber and guarded Danaë. As some say, Proetus seduced her, from which dissension broke out between them; but as some say, Zeus turned himself into gold and, flowing through the roof into Danaë’s lap, and had intercourse with her. [35] Subsequently perceiving that she had given birth to Perseus, he did not believe that she had been raped by Zeus, and, casting his daughter with her son into a chest, he threw them into the sea. When the chest was washed up on the island of Seriphos, Dictys took up the boy and reared him. [36] The king of Seriphos, Dictys’ brother Polydectes, lusted after Danaë, and, since Perseus had become a man and he was unable to have intercourse with her, called together his friends, including Perseus, saying that he was collecting contributions towards a wedding-gift for Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaus. When Perseus said that he would not refuse even at the price of the Gorgon’s head, Polydectes asked for horses from the others, but taking no horses from Perseus, set for him the task of fetching the Gorgon’s head. [Perseus’ adventures follow: he kills the Gorgon Medusa and appropriates her head, and rescues Andromeda from a sea-monster in Ethiopia.] [45] On returning to Seriphos and finding that his mother had fled to the altars together with Dictys because of Polydectes’ violence, he went to the palace, where Polydectes had called his friends together, and, turning away, displayed the Gorgon’s head. When they saw it, each was turned to stone in whatever pose each of them happened to have. [46] Having established Dictys as king, Perseus gave the sandals and bag and helmet to Hermes, and the Gorgon’s head to Athena. Hermes gave the aforementioned items to the Nymphs, and Athena set the Gorgon’s head in the middle of her shield. [Short excursus on Athena and Medusa.] But Perseus, with Danaë and Andromeda, made haste to Argos to see Acrisius. He … [An account of Acrisius’ accidental death at Perseus’ hands, Perseus’ rule over Tiryns (rather than Argos), and his children by Andromeda.] Apollodorus, Library 2.34–6, 45–7 (2.45–6 = Eur. Dictys T5 Karamanou)

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The account provided by Theon, a grammarian of the first century bc, in his commentary on Pindar’s Pythian 12, also belongs here, because of its similarity to that crucial point of Apollodorus’ version: For as Danaë was being forced by Polydectes, it transpired that she took refuge at the altar of … But Polydectes, taking care to send Perseus [to] cut off [Medusa’s] head, with the intention that he should die and … Polydectes on seeing [the Gorgon’s] head was turned to stone and Danaë was saved. Theon, Commentary on Pindar’s Pythians, on 12.13 = Eur. Dictys T4 Karamanou

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The account given in the Iliad D-scholia is also close to that of Apollodorus: Danaë the daughter of Acrisius, having slept with Zeus, gave birth to Perseus. For when Acrisius consulted the oracle concerning the birth of male children the god said that a son would be born from his daughter that would kill him. Fearing this, Acrisius constructed a bronze chamber under the earth and guarded Danaë. But she, as Pindar 87 and certain others say, was seduced by her father’s brother Proetus, from which dissension broke out between them; but as some say, Zeus turned himself into gold and, flowing through the roof into Danaë’s lap, had intercourse. Subsequently perceiving that Perseus had been born from her, Acrisius did not believe that his daughter had been raped by Zeus, and, casting her with the boy into a chest, threw them into the sea. When they were brought safely to the island of Seriphos, it happened that the boy was reared by Polydectes, or, as some say, by Dictys, Polydectes’ brother. Later when Acrisius went into exile, Perseus took over the kingdom of the Argives.

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A third source for Pherecydes seems to be found in this account in the Pindaric scholia: ‘He killed the Gorgon’; the story is as follows. When his grandfather Acrisius perceived that Danaë had secretly conceived Perseus, then he locked her in a chest with the boy and cast her into the sea, and the chest was brought to the island of Seriphos, which Polydectes ruled. And then when he had come to manhood and was feasting at Polydectes’ house, as different people made different contributions to the feast, he himself promised the Gorgon’s head. Polydectes, taking his promise as an opportune excuse, demanded it from him, and drove him from the island to deliver the head. For he was in love with his mother. And he, having departed and having cut off the Gorgon’s head, brought it into the feast, and turned everyone at the symposium into stone, including Polydectes himself. Scholia to Pindar, Pythian 10.72a (ii 248.3–15 Drachmann)

Finally, the Roman mythographer Hyginus. His account of Danaë offers a generally familiar tale, with some significant variations: Danaë was the daughter of Acrisius and Aganippe. It was fated for her that her child would kill Acrisius; fearing that, Acrisius enclosed her in a stone-walled chamber. But Jupiter turned himself into a shower of gold and lay with Danaë, and from that act of intercourse Perseus was born. Because of her sexual offence her father shut her in a chest and threw her with Perseus into the sea. Through the will of Jupiter the chest was brought to the island of Seriphos; when the fisherman Dictys found it, he broke it open and saw the woman with her child. He brought them to the king, Polydectes, who took her in marriage and had Perseus brought up in the temple of Minerva. When Acrisius discovered that they were staying with Polydectes, he set out to bring them back; when he arrived there, Polydectes made pleas on their behalf, while Perseus gave his to his grandfather that he would never kill him. While Acrisius was delayed by a storm, Polydectes died; while they were holding funeral games for him, Perseus killed him by casting a discus, which the wind directed onto Acrisius’ head. Thus because he had not willed the action, it was a deed of the gods; and when Acrisius was buried Perseus set out for Argos and took possession of his ancestral lands. Hyginus, Fabulae 63

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A different account in Hyginus gives a picture of Polydectes more closely aligned to the one found in Pherecydes and Apollodorus: Cassiope regarded her daughter Andromeda’s appearance as superior to that of the Nereids. For this reason Neptune demanded that Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus, should be exposed to a sea-monster. When she had been exposed, Perseus, flying with the sandals of Mercury, is said to have come to that place and to have freed her from danger; when he wanted to abduct her, her father Cepheus, together with Agenor, whose betrothed she was, desired to kill Perseus secretly. The matter being discovered, he showed the Gorgon’s head to them and they were all transformed from human appearance into rock. Perseus returned with Andromeda to his homeland. When Polydectes saw that Perseus possessed such great courage, he was afraid and wanted to kill him through treachery; but when the matter was discovered, Perseus showed the Gorgon’s head to him and he was changed from human appearance into stone. Hyginus, Fabulae 64”

The first treatment appears in two of Pindar’s epinician odes. Pythian 12 (490) describes the origin of the art which brought a pipe-player his victory – an art which Pallas Athena once invented by weaving together the dreadful lament of the fierce Gorgons; she heard it pouring forth from under the maidens’ unapproachable snaky heads in their labour, full of grief, when Perseus cried out, bringing the third part of the sisters as doom to sea-girt Seriphos and to its people. Indeed he blinded the awesome brood of Phorcys, and made wretched for Polydectes the feast, the strict enslavement of his mother, and the bed of compulsion, after cutting off the head of fair-cheeked Medusa – even Danaë’s son, whom we say was born from the flowing gold. Pindar, Pythian 12.11–18 The emphasis on Medusa’s beauty fits with a contemporary trend in visual art towards depicting her in that manner (p. 8 above). The description of Perseus’ exploit is immediately followed by the earliest reference both to his return to Seriphos and to the punishment of Polydectes for raping his mother, and of the people of Seriphos as a whole, presumably for supporting him; the brief reference to ‘the feast’ (something explained in surviving literature only in much later sources) implies his audience’s deeper knowledge of the myth. This mention is followed by a reference to Perseus’ origins, the first definite reference to the golden shower, …

Previously, in Pythian 10 (498), on mentioning the Hyperboreans, a mythical people dwelling in the distant north, Pindar describes how Perseus once came to them: Not on ships, nor by going on foot, could you find the wondrous way to the assembly of the Hyperboreans. Among whom Perseus, leader of the people, once dined when he came to their house, encountering them sacrificing splendid hecatombs of donkeys to the god; at whose feasts and words of praise in particular Apollo constantly rejoices, and laughs as he sees the beasts’ erect arrogance.        …         Breathing with his bold heart the son of Danaë once came, and Athena was leading, to the gathering of blessed men. He killed the Gorgon, and came bearing her speckled head, with its locks of serpents, as stony death to the islanders. For me nothing that the gods have accomplished ever seems to be unbelievable so as to create wonder. Pindar, Pythian 10.29–36, 44–50

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A third Pindaric treatment appears in Dithyramb 4, a poem of unknown date but which probably comes after the odes discussed above, since they were composed in the 490s and his career extended until at least 446: … was planning/planting for … mother … … and the bed of compulsion … trickery …     … … The son of Cronus nodded assent … by necessity … … and the road of the immortals is long …     … … was of concern to his father’s mind, … him, in his highest counsels. and from Olympus he dispatched to him Hermes of the golden wand … and the Grey-Eyed one, protector  of cities. He brought it, and they saw things not to be seen … For indeed he brought about their utmost transformation; and they were manifested as stones instead of humans. … and he apportioned requital for passion to the general. Pindar, Dithyramb 4 = fr. 70d.14–18, 35–43 S–M

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References to Perseus occur in four other Pindaric poems, none datable. One is the poem of unknown genre in which Pindar cites Proetus’ rape of Danaë, just mentioned; this indicates that he dealt with her life before her arrival on Seriphos, something well attested in other sources of this period. A description of Perseus’ escape from the Gorgons is found in Dithyramb 1; although relatively brief in the preserved fragment, the introductory phrase (λέγοντι δὲ βροτοί, ‘and mortals report’) may suggest a subsequent correction to the myth, and thus more than casual engagement with it. In Isthmian 5 Perseus is a pre-eminent hero of Argos, on a par with the Oeneidae in Aetolia, Iolaus in Thebes, and Castor and Polydeuces in Sparta; in Nemean 10 ‘the deeds of Perseus concerning the Gorgon Medusa’ would take long to relate, the poet declares, again in a context praising Argos.

Tragedy, to be discussed in the next section, is also concerned with Perseus’ activities after his return; so are the visual arts. A handful of vases show Perseus’ confrontation with Polydectes. For instance, a red-figure pelike (wine-container) from Cerveteri, dating to c. 480 and signed by the painter Hermonax, shows Perseus revealing the Gorgon’s head, standing in front of a seated Polydectes. On the name vase of the Polydectes Painter, found in Bologna and dating to 450–440, the lower part of the seated Polydectes has already turned to stone as he sees the Gorgon’s head, held aloft by Perseus, who is standing in front of him; behind Perseus stands Athena, staring at Polydectes. The rape of Danaë is not depicted, however. The earlier part of the myth, before Perseus’ quest to kill Medusa, also begins to receive attention during this period, as the golden rain, and the construction of the chest, make their first appearances in art; ... Rain and chest are linked on a calyx-crater from Cerveteri, dated to c. 490–480 and attributed to the Triptolemus Painter, which on one side shows Danaë (named) lying on a couch as the golden shower falls into her lap, while on the other she descends into the chest while holding Perseus. Acrisius (named) looks on from her left, meeting her gaze, a staff symbolising authority in his left hand, his right arm outstretched in a gesture of farewell, or command; a carpenter busies himself to her right. The juxtaposition reveals the consequences of the mysterious shower, namely pregnancy and imprisonment; the undeserved nature of Danaë’s punishment, and her essential passivity, could scarcely be clearer.

Sometimes Danaë faces Acrisius alone on these vases; at other times she has female support. On a red-figure stamnos from c. 490, found at Cerveteri and attributed to the Eucharides Painter, Acrisius stands on the viewer’s left, the carpenter in front of him; on the far right stands a woman holding a baby, with one arm gingerly held out towards Acrisius, and in front of her, with both arms fully outstretched to implore the king’s mercy, stands another woman. The woman holding Perseus might be a nurse, the other one being Danaë; alternatively, Danaë holds Perseus, and her mother begs her husband on her behalf. This seems the more attractive interpretation, given both the strikingly direct manner in which the woman entreats the king, and the tendency for Danaë in other depictions to carry her baby son. A similar arrangement, albeit with a less remarkable entreaty, occurs on a contemporary red-figure hydria from southern Italy or Sicily attributed to the Gallatin Painter. One vase on which two supporting women are present is another red-figure hydria, from c. 440–430, from Cumae, name vase of the Danaë Painter. Three figures stand on the left, facing the chest containing Danaë and Perseus on the right: first Acrisius, then a woman, then a shorter woman, perhaps a girl. Whether the two women are Danaë’s mother and a nurse, or whether they are simply anonymous supporters of Danaë’s interposed between her and the cruel king to offer some feminine sympathy, is unclear.

A unique depiction on an oil-flask (lecythos) from c. 470 shows Danaë and Perseus in a chest, birds flying about them. This same moment had been the subject of a long lyric poem of Simonides (active late sixth/early fifth centuries), of which a substantial fragment survives, describing that early episode in Perseus’ life, through a speech delivered in his presence by his mother Danaë, when they are shut up in a chest tossing on the sea. The next stage in the chest’s adventure, its arrival on Seriphos, is the subject of four images from Attic red-figure vases from approximately 470–450. A bell krater shows a man wearing a short chiton, probably meant to be a fisherman, lifting the lid of the chest, from which emerge Danaë and Perseus, to be greeted by a different fisherman on the other side; a fragment attributed to the Karlsruhe Painter shows a man wearing a leather cap lifting a lid and looking at a female face; a fragment of a bell krater shows Polydectes on the left, wearing a cloak and carrying a sceptre, looking at Dictys, who assists Danaë as she steps out of the chest, carrying Perseus; a fragmentary pyxis (box) attributed to the Wedding Painter shows Danaë and Perseus being introduced by fisherman to Polydectes. … The mid-fifth century also sees a few depictions of Perseus’ first encounter with Andromeda, though now not during the conflict with the monster, but either during or after Andromeda’s binding.”