Dictys

A fisherman of Seriphus, brother of the island's king, Polydectes. He discovered the chest containing Danaë and Perseus after it had washed ashore, and took up the boy and reared him. Polydectes had fallen in love with Danaë, but could not access her, because Perseus was grown to man's estate. So he called together his friends, including Perseus, under the pretext of collecting contributions towards a wedding gift for Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaus. Now Perseus having declared that he would not stick even at the Gorgon's head, Polydectes required the others to furnish horses, and not getting horses from Perseus ordered him to bring the Gorgon's head.

When Perseus afterwards returned to Seriphus he found that his mother and Dictys had taken refuge at the altars on account of the violence of Polydectes. Perseus entered the palace where Polydectes had gathered with his friends and turned them all to stone with the Gorgon's head. He then appointed Dictys king of Seriphus.

References

Source

  • Pseudo-Apollodorus. The Library ii, 4.1 ff.