There is some idea that it descended into Greek from the Proto-Indo-European language. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, as well as the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles (as they were both children of Zeus, and Heracles' mother was descended from Perseus).īecause of the obscurity of the name 'Perseus' and the legendary character of its bearer, most etymologists presume that it might be pre-Greek however, the name of Perseus's native city was Greek and so were the names of his wife and relatives. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. Perseús) is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. In Greek mythology, Perseus ( US: / ˈ p ɜː r.
