Editing Perseus (section)

{{Short description|Ancient Greek hero and founder of Mycenae}}
{{other uses|Perseus (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| name = Perseus
| image = Firenze.Loggia.Perseus02.JPG
| alt = 
| caption = ''[[Perseus with the Head of Medusa]]'' by [[Benvenuto Cellini]] (1554)
| god_of = King of [[Ancient Argos|Argos]]<br />Founder and king of [[Mycenae]]<br />Slayer of [[Medusa]] and [[Cetus (mythology)|Cetus]]
| abode = [[Serifos|Seriphus]], then [[Ancient Argos|Argos]]
| symbol = Medusa's head
| consort = [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]]
| parents = [[Zeus]] and [[Danaë]]
| siblings = [[Zeus#Offspring|Several paternal half-siblings]]
| children = [[Perses (son of Andromeda and Perseus)|Perses]], [[Heleus]], [[Alcaeus (mythology)|Alcaeus]], [[Sthenelus (son of Perseus)|Sthenelus]], [[Electryon]], [[Mestor]], [[Cynurus]], [[Gorgophone (Perseid)|Gorgophone]], [[Autochthe]]
| Roman_equivalent = 
}}
{{Contains special characters}}
{{Greek mythology sidebar}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Perseus''' ({{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|p|ɜː|r|.|s|i|.|ə|s|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Perseus.wav}}, {{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|p|ɜː|.|sj|uː|s}}; [[Greek language|Greek]]: Περσεύς, [[Romanization of Greek|translit.]] Perseús) is the legendary founder of the [[Perseid dynasty]]. He was, alongside [[Cadmus]] and [[Bellerophon]], the greatest [[Greek hero]] and slayer of monsters before the days of [[Heracles]].<ref>[[Karl Kerenyi|Kerenyi, Karl]], 1959. ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' (London: Thames and Hudson) p. 75.</ref> He beheaded the [[Gorgon]] [[Medusa]] for [[Polydectes]] and saved [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]] from the sea monster [[Cetus (mythology)|Cetus]]. He was the son of [[Zeus]] and the mortal [[Danaë]],<ref name = britannica >{{cite encyclopaedia| url =https://www.britannica.com/topic/Perseus-Greek-mythology| title = Perseus| encyclopaedia = Brittanica| date = 12 January 2007| accessdate = 22 January 2025}} </ref> as well as the half-brother and great-grandfather of [[Heracles]] (as they were both children of Zeus, and Heracles's mother was Perseus' granddaughter).