Return to Argos

Soon after killing Polydectes, Perseus decided to take his bride Andromeda and his mother back to his home country. Meanwhile, King Acrisius felt sure that his grandson would never return to kill him, as the fortune-teller had predicted. Surely, he thought, his daughter and grandson had died in the sea twenty years before.

Before Perseus left Serapis, he made Dictys king of the island and thanked him once again for all his kindness. The three arrived in Argos, where Perseus was born, and learned that his grandfather, Acrisius, had gone away for a while. Then, while Perseus was waiting for the king to return, he heard of some athletic games happening in the north. He went north to join the games and hoped to win fame for his skills. His wife and mother waited in Argos for Acrisius' return.

Perseus entered the athletic games but he did not give his name or meet the king and his guests. If he had done so, he might have seen that his grandfather was among them. Acrisius, too, had no idea that one of the athletes was his grandson Perseus.

Perseus won the first two contests, running and jumping, and was admired by all the women and men in the crowd. The third event was the spear throw. When Perseus' turn came, he held the spear perfectly, for he had great experience using one.

Then, with great strength, he threw it forward and watched it go straight down the field. But suddenly, the spear changed direction in the air and flew toward the crowd of people watching the games. The sharp head of the spear hit one of the king's guests, who fell down dead.

Perseus ran forward and asked the king why the spear had moved so wildly in the air. The king spoke sadly, "It must have been the wish of the gods." Perseus learned later that the man who had died was Acrisius, his grandfather. He stayed for the funeral and then told the news to Danae and Andromeda. Danae was sad, but the memory of herself and her son cruelly locked in the tower and then thrown in the sea made her feel less bad about her father's death.

Perseus and Andromeda ruled Argos well for many years to come. After their deaths, they were placed in the sky as stars.

(end of section)