Answer to Mythological Who's Who
Perseus
Athena
Medusa
I am the son of Zeus and Danae. As a baby I was set adrift with my mother by my grandfather because of a prediction that I would kill him. I did actually fulfill this prediction later in life by accident.

I set out to kill Medusa and succeeded with the help of Hermes' winged sandals and some stories say with Athena's shield and others say with Hades' helmet that made its wearer invisible.

I then flew to the western end of the Earth and sought hospitality from Atlas. When Atlas refused, I showed him Medusa's head and he was turned into a mountain.

After this I saved my future wife, Andromeda from a sea monster.

At the wedding feast, Andromeda's, former betroved, Phineas and his friends attacked my party and I was forced to use Medusa's head to turn my enemies to stone.

I am Athena the goddess of wisdom, war and handicrafts, and one of my symbols was the owl. I was born fully grown in a suit of armour from Zeus's head. After he swallowed my mother Metis, he suffered terrible headaches and asked Hephaistos to stike him in the headwith an axe and I emerged.

Poseidon and I both wanted Athens as our own city. Poseidon tried to win the people over by producing a salt water spring but my present of the olive tree proved more popular.

I was a protector of heroes in their quests and I helped Perseus against Medusa.

I turned Medusa into a gorgon when she offended me.

Arachne was another maiden who offended me when she claimed to be able to weave better than me. After a weaving contest where she continued to show disrespect to the gods, I turned her into a spider.

 

 

I was a beautiful maiden, but I offended Athena and she turned my hair to snakes. After that anyone who looked apon me was turned to stone.

I was the only mortal gorgon, unlike my sisters, Sthenno and Euryale.

Perseus cut off my head and avoided being turned into stone by looking at my reflection in a shield. When I was killed the giant, Chrysaor and the winged horse, Pegasus were born from drops of my blood. Perseus then placed my head in a sack. Even after death my head still had the ability to turn people into stone.

Finally he gave my head to Athena who placed it in the middle of her Ageis. My head also became the centerpiece of a series of warcraft icons: Terror, Hatred and Onslaught.

 

Some external links for futher information. When you are ready to return to this page close the page of the external link .

Links

Perseus and Medusa in Bulfunch's Mythology
Athena (Minerva) and Arachne in Bulfinch's Mythology
Athena from Mythography
Athena from Encyclopedia Mythica
Perseus from Mythography
Perseus from Encyclopedia Mythica
Medusa from Mythography
Medusa from Encyclopeda Mythica

 

 

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Greek Mythology
Yr 7 English
St Pius X College
prepared by Leonie Millar 2001
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