While
important, the whole episode with Andromeda has really been a sidequest.
Perseus still hasn’t saved his mom from Polydectes. And, wouldn’t you know it,
they don’t believe that a guy like Perseus could have possibly slain Medusa and
taken her head. Therefore, “greeted by a storm of insults [Perseus] displayed
the Gorgon’s head, averting his own gaze as he did so, and turned them all to
stone.” Yeah, he went nuclear on them. It’s getting increasingly easier for
Perseus to take the nuclear option.
It’s
surprising, then, that Perseus hands Medusa’s head over to Athena, as simple as
that. There is no prolonged discussion, no need to convince him. It’s as if
Perseus knows that this is the way to do things. He’s retiring from the hero
biz. He also gives up his sandals, wallet, and helmet to Hermes. And while the
adventuring gear might be understandable, Medusa’s head is a strategic weapon
that would be useful to a king.
He’s
already proven its usefulness in dealing with a large number of enemies. No
army, no matter how great, would be able to stand against Medusa’s head. He
would be able to ensure the safety of his people for as long as he reigned. And
that’s the problem.
First,
there’s no guarantee it would only be defensive. Yes, he’s acted responsibly so
far, but power corrupts yadda yadda. He showed restraint with the Kraken and
with the attack at his wedding, but had no problem petrifying Polydectes’s
entire inner circle. How long until Perseus went from a great defender to a
monstrous conqueror?
Problem two
is much scarier. Let’s say that Perseus continues being Perseus and does the
right thing for his entire life. He’s still mortal. He’s going to die. Then
what? The Greeks don’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to
succession of power. More than that, who is to say that Perseus’s heir, or his
heir’s heir doesn’t become a bloodthirsty conqueror? Medusa’s head is far too
powerful a weapon to leave in the hands of someone who will not use it
responsibly?
Also, such
a powerful weapon makes him a target. While no one will want to send entire
armies to become petrified, every neighboring king will resent Perseus having
such a weapon at his disposal, and they’ll want it for themselves.
The wise
solution is exactly what Perseus did, turn it over to Athena. This kind of
wisdom is not seen in many of the Greek heroes. Odysseus, Achilles, Agamemnon,
and Jason certainly didn’t show this much wisdom, either. But we’ll deal with
those another time. Perseus willingly surrenders these powerful weapons, and
also demonstrates that he will be a wise king. He goes on to further the entire
Perseid dynasty, which is mostly peaceful. He and Andromeda are also
immortalized as constellations. Andromeda’s parents are there, too, but theirs
is a punishment.