Polydectes in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Polydectes

5 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Polydectes, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Polydectes was the king of the island of Seriphos in Greek mythology, son of Magnes and a Naiad; or Peristhenes and Androthoe; or Poseidon and Cerebia... For the story in one place, read our article on Polydectes.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.4.1–5Perseus: Danae, Medusa and AndromedaAn oracle tells Acrisius that his daughter's son will kill him, so he shuts Danae in a brazen chamber, but she bears Perseus to Zeus and is cast into the sea with him in a chest. On Seriphus, Polydectes sends Perseus to fetch the Gorgon's head; with help from Hermes and Athena he gets the nymphs' gear from the Phorcides and beheads Medusa, from whom Pegasus and Chrysaor spring. He rescues Andromeda from a sea monster, turns Polydectes to stone, and accidentally kills Acrisius with a discus at Larissa, so fulfilling the oracle. The section ends with Perseus's descendants and the birth of Eurystheus.

Pindar (1)

Pindar, Pythian Odes 12.1–32Pythian 12: for Midas — Perseus, Medusa and the flutePindar praises Acragas and Midas, flute-player and Pythian victor, and tells how Perseus cut off the head of Medusa and blinded the brood of Phorcus, freeing his mother from Polydectes. He says that Athena made the many-voiced music of the flute to echo the lament of the Gorgons, and gave it to mortals for their contests. The ode ends with the reflection that without toil there is no success, and that fortune is unforeseen.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.149–249Phineus turned to stonePerseus, outnumbered, calls to his friends to avert their eyes, and shows the Gorgon's head to one after another of his enemies, and each is turned to stone in whatever attitude he was in. Phineus, seeing his friends become statues, begs for mercy and turns away, but is changed to stone himself. Perseus then goes to Seriphos and turns King Polydectes, who had mocked him, to stone.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.7.1–11Sparta: the Eurypontid kings, from Procles to Archidamus IIPausanias lists the Eurypontid house descended from Procles, noting Eurypon, Prytanis, Charillus’ wars against Argos and Tegea, and Nicander’s invasion of Argolis, in which the Asinaeans joined. Later kings include Theopompus, Anaxidamus, Aristo, whose doubts about his son Demaratus led to Demaratus’ exile to Persia, Leotychides, who fled to Tegea, and Archidamus, who ravaged Attica, took Plataea and was not the real instigator of the war.

Nonnus of Panopolis (1)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 25.80–193Book 25: The feats of Perseus and Minos set against those of DionysosThe poet continues the comparison with Perseus, setting his sea-monster, Polydectes and Andromeda against Dionysos' defeat of the Giants. He contrasts Minos' conquest of Megara, won through Scylla's love, with a victory won by hard fighting, and turns to Heracles, whose Nemean lion was matched by the boy Dionysos with his team of lions.