PERSEUS Born to the imprisoned Danae when a shower of gold sent by Zeus found its way toher, Perseus was to become one of the greatest Greek heroes of all time. Shortly afterhis birth, Perseus was sealed, with his mother, inside a closed box which was then seton the sea, and drifted far. This was due to the fear of Danae's father, Akrisios, that the boy would grow up and slay him, taking his throne. The box was eventually rescued by a kindly fisherman named Diktys as it drifted off the coast of the island ofSeiphos. Brought to the court of the king there, Polydektes, Perseus grew up under thecare of his people, but when Polydektes began to woo Perseus' mother, he found thepresence of the youth a problem. So he set him a task:to fetch for the king the headof the foul Gorgon, Medusa.