Perseus Greek Hero Essay

In the movie Hercules, it was once said, “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” This was assuredly true about the Greek hero. According to Aristotle, part of their characterization was built upon personality, although the other part was built on strength. There were many characters that fit this description in Greek mythology, but of all of them Perseus was the most superb. This son of Zeus and Danae helped the Gods vanquish evil, most remarkable defeating Medusa. He had many other amazing feats throughout his life that helped make him outstanding, but those feats were not the only thing that made him who he was. His valiant qualities, tied in with his brave personality, and heroic acts all prove together that Perseus was the most astounding Greek hero.

First of all, Perseus fit the description of a Greek hero perfectly. Aristotle said, “the

Some said that he could not have been a Greek hero because Greek heroes fought until the end, meaning they died from their fights. On the other hand, Perseus did not do that, he died from old age, as reported by Greekmythology.wikia.com. Although that is true, he also slayed Medusa, as an article on Myths.e2bn.org acknowledges. Saving Andromeda, his wife, was his second victory. Due to her mother’s bragging, she was to be sacrificed to Cetus, the sea monster, in Greeka.com’s account of the story. Finally, he also killed Polydectes so to stop the abuse of his mother. According to the website Myths.e2bn.org, “Perseus returned hurriedly to Seriphos where he learned his mother and Dictys had taken refuge and were living in fear in a temple after being threatened repeatedly by Polydectes. Without delay Perseus headed to confront Polydectes who was hosting a banquet when he arrived and announced the completion of his quest.” Overall, Perseus’ heroic acts proved, once and for all, that Perseus was the best Greek