Perseus is a major hero from Greek mythology best known for his clever decapitation of Medusa, the monster who turned all who looked at her face into stone. He also rescued Andromeda from the sea monster. Like most of the mythological heroes, the genealogy of Perseus makes him the son of a god and a mortal.

Is Perseus a hero god or monster?

Perseus was a demi-god, the son of Zeus and a mortal named Danae. Perseus killed the famed monster Medusa, the hideous gorgon with snakes for hair who turned anyone with the misfortune of looking into her eyes into stone. Cepheus and Cassiopeia were king and queen, and had a beautiful daughter, Andromeda.

Is Perseus an ideal hero?

Perseus, however, more closely resembled the type of man that later readers would find heroic. His story, more than that of any other Greek hero, influenced the modern heroic ideal. After killing the Gorgon, Perseus rescued Princess Andromeda, who had been offered as a sacrifice to appease a sea monster.