Why did Hermes and Athena help Perseus?

They wanted to help Perseus because they were his half siblings. Athena gave him the highly polished shield and Hermes the winged sandals. The Medusa could never be looked upon face to face, but Perseus could use the shield as a mirror to see her in order to decapitate her.

What does Hermes do for Perseus?

Hermes lent Perseus winged sandals to fly, and Athena gave him a polished shield.

What does Athena give Perseus How will it help him?

What does Athena give to Perseus? How will it help him? Athena gives Perseus a shield of polished bronze so he can see Medusa to kill her, without turning into stone.

What was the role of Hermes and Athena?

Symbolism. It was natural to see these two deities unified or fused as one form: the Greek god Hermes presided over eloquence, the goddess Athena over crafts and the sciences. For example, each god embodies the kind of clever intelligence or metis that manifests itself in the clever ruse and the winning strategy.

Why is Perseus important to Greek culture?

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.

Why was Hermes important in Greek mythology?

Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators. In myth, Hermes functioned as the emissary and messenger of the gods, and was often presented as the son of Zeus and Maia, the Pleiad.

What magic gift does Hermes give Perseus?

First, Hermes gave Perseus a magical sword that wouldn’t break on the Gorgon’s scaly neck. Athena lent Perseus her highly polished bronze shield. She told him he could use it as a mirror, so that he could see Medusa to attack her without actually looking at her face and turning to stone.

What gifts were given to Perseus?

Knowing that his quest was impossible, Perseus visited the Temple of Athena to pray for help. The gods heard his prayer and granted him 5 gifts. These were a helmet of invisibility, a sword, a shiny shield and a magic pouch. The final gift was a pair of winged sandals from Hermes, which gave Perseus the ability to fly.

Why did Athena give Perseus a shield?

Medusa Raped in The Temple of Athena: The poem suggests that Athena (always present) witnessed the incident and appalled by the disgrace at her temple, turns Medusa’ into a hideous monster. Athena gives Perseus her mirror shield to use so he can look through the shield at Medusa instead of directly upon her.

Why is Hermes important?

Hermes was the ancient Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves, and travel. One of the cleverest and most mischievous of the Olympian gods, he was the patron of shepherds, invented the lyre, and was, above all, the herald and messenger of Mt.

How do Athena and Hermes equip Perseus to do the task ahead of him?

Athena lent Perseus her highly polished bronze shield. She told him he could use it as a mirror, so that he could see Medusa to attack her without actually looking at her face and turning to stone. Perseus took his gifts, and he and Hermes set off together to find the Gray Women, Perseus instantly fell in love.

Why did Athena and Hermes help Perseus kill Medusa?

Answer Wiki. They wanted to help Perseus because they were his half siblings. Athena gave him the highly polished shield and Hermes the winged sandals. The Medusa could never be looked upon face to face, but Perseus could use the shield as a mirror to see her in order to decapitate her.

Why are Hermes and Athena so important to the Greek mythology?

Perseus just gave them a reason. Both Athena and Hermes were protectors of civilization and both respected intelligence above all else.

How did Athena and Hermes help the hero kill the Gorgon?

Athena and Hermes both helped their half-brother in his quest to kill the Gorgon. Athena gave him information and her shield, which he could use to avoid looking directly at the monster’s petrifying face. Hermes lent the hero his winged sandals.

How is Perseus a hero in Greek mythology?

Athena and Hermes, his half-siblings, took the roles of dual patrons to the hero that embodied both of their divine domains. Perseus was a much different type of hero in the way he handled Medusa than was common in Greek mythology. He had a powerful weapon, but he only used it once.