Famous Men of Greece · Ch. III · Unit 1: The gods and the first heroes
5. Perseus
Goal: Your child can retell how Perseus got the Gorgon's head and saved Andromeda, naming the magic gifts that helped him.
You'll need
- A map or globe (a free online map works well)
- A notebook or paper and colored pencils
- A shiny spoon or a small mirror
What's in the book
Danae and baby Perseus are cast adrift in a chest. Grown up, Perseus promises Polydectes the head of Medusa. With help from Mercury and Minerva, the Gray Sisters and the Hesperides, he wins it, saves Andromeda from a sea monster, and in the end fulfills the old oracle by accident.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find Argos in southern Greece and the island of Seriphos in the Aegean Sea. The book says Perseus flew along the coast of Africa, so find that too.
Read the chapter together
Read pages 31–40 aloud, or let your child read and help with the hard names. This is a long story in three parts. You can stop after part I (Medusa) and take a short break.
Narration
Close the book. Ask your child to tell the story back in their own words, from the beginning. Don't correct as they go; just listen. If they get stuck, use a prompt:
- Why did Polydectes ask for the Gorgon's head?
- How did Perseus make the Gray Sisters tell him the way?
- What three treasures did the Hesperides lend him, and what was each for?
- How did the old oracle come true in the end?
Try the shield trick
Hand your child a shiny spoon or mirror. Have them look at something behind them using only the reflection.
SayThat is how Perseus looked at Medusa without being turned to stone.
Talk it over
Ask:
1. Who helped Perseus? Could he have done it alone?
2. Why did Andromeda's mother get her into trouble?
3. What do the Greeks mean by "What had been fated came to pass"?
Remember it
"See! I have brought that which you desired."
Perseus's gifts: winged sandals, the magic wallet, the cap of darkness, Minerva's shield and Mercury's sword of light.
Something extra
The book says Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus and Cassiopeia can be seen as stars. On a clear night, look for Cassiopeia, a bright "W" (or "M") of stars in the northern sky. A free star map app can help you find it.
Afterwards
Draw Perseus with all five of his magic gifts and label each one.
Answers to the book's problems
1. Mercury and Minerva, the Gray Sisters (unwillingly) and the Hesperides. He could not have done it alone. 2. She boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the nymphs in Neptune's palace, which made Neptune angry. 3. That what the oracle foretold happened even though people tried to stop it: Perseus killed his grandfather by accident with a quoit.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.