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He had gone out a boy, and he was come home a hero his eye shone like an eagle's, and his beard was like a lion's beard, and he stood up like a wild bull in his pride.īut Polydectes the wicked knew him, and hardened his heart still more and scornfully he called,. But none of the guests knew Perseus, for he was changed by his long journey. Then Perseus stood upon the threshold, and called to the king by name. The harpers harped, and the revellers shouted, and the wine-cups rang merrily as they passed from hand to hand, and great was the noise in the hall of Polydectes. Then Perseus went out, and up to the hall of Polydectes and underneath the goat-skin he bore the Gorgon's head.Īnd when he came into the hall, Polydectes sat at the table-head, and all his nobles and landowners on either side, each according to his rank, feasting on the fish and the goat's-flesh, and drinking the blood-red wine. Then he left his galley on the beach, and went up as of old and he embraced his mother, and Dictys his good foster-father, and they wept over each other a long while, for it was seven years and more since they had met. So Perseus and the Phœnicians rowed to the westward, across the sea of Crete, till they came to the blue Ægean and the pleasant Isles of Hellas, and Seriphos, his ancient home. But the remembrance of his brave deed was left behind and Andromeda's rock was shown at Iopa in Palestine, till more than a thousand years were past.
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Sacred Texts Classics Index Previous NextĪND when a year was ended, Perseus hired Phœnicians from Tyre, and cut down cedars, and built himself a noble galley and painted its cheeks with vermilion, and pitched its sides with pitch and in it he put Andromeda, and all her dowry of jewels, and rich shawls, and spices from the East and great was the weeping when they rowed away. The Heroes: The First Story-Perseus: Part Five: How Perseus Came Home Again
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