Website of the Gods!!!

This is a blog of the gods, Ancient Rome, the Gallic Wars, translations, and other Latiny stuff!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Heroes-Herakles, Perseus, Theseus






Herakles was an Argonaut who left the expedition after losing his friend Hylas. Herakles showed much prowess against beasts and animals. His most difficult are named the 12 labors. Herakles died, but his father Zeus gave him a place on Mount Olympus anyway.

Perseus was the son of Zeus and slayer of Medusa, a Gorgon. Perseus rescued Andromeda, who became his wife, on the way home from this adventure. Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather, which fulfilled a prophecy.

Theseus slew the minotaur, but on his way home he made a horrible mistake. He forgot to fly the white sails of victory. His father, Aegeus, seeing black sails, killed himself, thinking that Theseus was dead. The Aegean Sea is believed to be named after his father because that is where he drowned himself.




Perseus and Pergasus

What if Perseus had tamed Pegasus after it sprang from the neck of the slain Medusa? What would have become of Bellerophon, who had an obsession with taming the beast? We begin with the slaying of Medusa…

Perseus watched as Medusa's decapitated head slid off her body. He put the Gorgon's head in his bottomless wallet and began to walk away, but as he did heard a faint neighing. He turned to see a white, winged horse stretching its wings and standing for the first time. It seemed to have sprang from the neck of the dead Medusa. This was strange. Perseus easily caught the beast and put it in his bottomless wallet as well. He intended to make it his own.

Perseus' story continues as before. He rescues Andromeda, they get married, he accidentally kills his grandfather. There is one minor difference. Every day at the time when the sun is at its highest, Perseus trains the winged beast (he named it Pergasus, partly after himself) at the foot of mount Olympus. He plans on flying to the gods at the top of the mountain.

Perseus tames the horse. He then trains it to obey him, taking off on command, turning on command. Perseus is proud of himself. He decides in that moment of pride to abandon his winged shoes on the bottom of the mountain. He decides that he will not need them any more. The next day, he plans to make his ascent.

Bellerophon, who has been stalking Perseus and observing him, finds the winged sandals. He plots to stop Perseus and make the ascent himself. Bellerophon has had a burning obsession with taming the horse, and every once in a while sneaks into Perseus' stable and talks to the horse. He now knows what he will do…

Perseus equips himself with all of the weapons and other items he had with him for his fight with Medusa. He plans to offer them to the gods, before he makes his journey. He burns all of the items, except his wallet and his sword, because they wouldn't catch fire. He decides to offer the wallet personally and to leave the sword. On command, Pergasus rises and takes flight. Perseus decides to take it easy in the beginning and move slowly.

Perseus spies a white dot below him getting bigger and bigger. Perseus had played right into Bellerophon's trap. He had even given him a sword that couldn't be bent or broken. Bellerophon reached the height of the Pergasus. Perseus begins to ask who he is and why he has his stuff when Bellerophon attacks. Perseus senses this and urges Pergasus higher. Bellerophon misses his target and plunges the sword deep into the side of Pergasus. They plummet toward the earth.

As they both hit the ground, the dead body of Pergasus lands on the incredulous-faced Bellerophon, crushing him instantly. Perseus begins to laugh. His wallet lands on the ground, empty. He stares at it curiously. He could have sworn he still had something in the wallet…What was it again?

Medusa's decapitated head lands on the ground in front of him. He turns to stone before he even realizes what had happened...


In this story, the gods have turned their back on Perseus. He had taken the beast of Poseidon which was intended for Bellerophon and had used it as his own. He had also abandoned the winged sandals of Hermes. He then dared to try to reach the top of Mount Olympus of his own accord. Living on Mount Olympus is a privilege only the gods possess and can give. Bellerophon was wronged, but was malicious. He had grown crazed in his obsession. The gods figured "two birds with one stone."

What a time for the gods to use proverbs...