Kudos to Perseus, the Slayer of Monsters

Caravaggio's Head of Medusa, 1597 (Public Domain)

One of the great art museums of Europe is the Uffizi in Florence. In addition to all the artworks inspired by Biblical themes, there is an abundance of references to Greek mythology, including this Head of Medusa by Caravaggio. (I took my own photo when there, but this is a better representation.) 

According to legend, it was Perseus who slew the Medusa, a woman who was cursed by the goddess Athena. Her hair was turned into snakes and anyone who looked at her would turn to stone.

Many of us who were familiar with Hercules were less familiar with Perseus. Did you know that Perseus was a half-brother to Hercules? They shared the same father: Zeus. 

I remember well my childhood fascination with Greek mythology, in part inspired by books in grade school and, in part, stimulated by TV shows like Sons of Hercules. I couldn't understand, though, why they had a show about the sons of Hercules instead of Hercules, an Anglicized version of the name Heracles.

Here's what Wikipedia says about the show: The series repackaged 13 Italian sword-and-sandal films by giving them a standardized theme song (which I remember to this day) for the opening and closing titles, as well as a standard introductory narration attempting to relate the lead character in each film to the Greek demigod Hercules. In reality, they were not filmed as Hercules films but rather as Hercules-like and gladiatorial and mythological hero films.

Long before Heracles performed his legendary labors, though, there was Perseus, one of the great heroes of ancient Greek mythology. Also born of Zeus, king of the gods, and Danaë, a mortal princess, Perseus belonged to two worlds: the realm of divine power and the fragile, uncertain world of humanity.

His greatest exploit was ths slaying of Medusa, the terrifying Gorgon. Armed with gifts from the gods, including a polished shield that served as a mirror, Perseus approached the monster without looking directly upon her. With a single stroke, he severed her head, transforming an instrument of terror into a weapon of his own. That explains why Caravaggio's image of the Medusa is painted on a shield.

This wasn't his only adventure. Journeying home, Perseus encountered the beautiful Andromeda, chained to a rock beside the sea as a sacrifice to a monstrous creature. He slew the beast and rescued the princess, whom he later married. (That's one way to get a wife.)

Like Cadmus and Bellerophon, Perseus belonged to that early generation of Greek heroes who confronted the monstrous and unknown. He was also an ancestor of Heracles, something like a great-grandfather, whose exploits would eventually eclipse his own.

The moral of the story with regards to Medusa might be that some enemies cannot be confronted directly. His victory required both bravery and ingenuity.

In our modern world, that principle holds true. Not every monster can be overcome by force. (I can tell you a story or two.) Sometimes survival depends upon courage mixed with creativity. And sometimes the greatest act of heroism is not destroying a monster, but rescuing someone from its grasp.