Perseus House

House Colour: Robin Red

Named after the Constellation of Perseus

Whatever it Takes

The Story of Perseus

Perseus was the son of the Greek god Zeus and the princess Danae. When Perseus was born, King Acrisius locked Danae and Perseus in a wooden chest and threw it into the sea. The chest floated to an island where it was rescued by a fisherman who was brother to the island's king, Polydectes. Polydectes offered them protection and Perseus was raised in his house. Polydectes may have had an ulterior motive as he later tried to force marriage on Danae. The king tried to mislead Per- seus by saying that he intended to marry someone else. Perseus was so relieved that he promised the king a rather extravagant wedding gift, the head of Medusa.

Medusa was one of three sisters, daughters of Ceto and Phorcys, who was transformed into a hideous creature by the goddess Athene. Also known as the Gorgon, Medusa had serpents for hair, huge teeth, and a protruding tongue. One look turned people to stone. Athene helped Perseus gather magic equipment and gave him a shield to use as a mirror so that he would not look at Medusa directly. Perseus flew to the Gorgon's den with his winged sandals, and, using the shield as a mirror, cut off Medusa's head and buried it. Perseus the constellation is usually depicted showing him holding Medusa's head, with the bright star Algol marking her eye.