There was an old man called Acrisios. He was a great king and was protective of the power that he had. One day, Acrisios decided to consult the oracle about whether his power would be threatened in the future. The oracle was famous for giving clear predictions of the future and were known to come true. The reply Acrisios heard was not the one he wanted. It said that his daughter Danae would give birth to a son who would later kill him. Acrisios was horrified and promptly built a bronze chamber, in which he kept Danae. Acrisios now felt that he was safe from danger.

Zeus the king of the gods had watched the doings of Acrisios and had for a long time felt a growing love for Danae. As Zeus was the king of the gods, nothing could stop him from getting his way when his mind was set on something.

Danae sat in her bronze walled prison, wondering if she would ever be free. She realised that it was raining outside and went to the only window in the chamber. She was astonished to see that the rain was like shimmering gold. It was a beautiful sight to behold. She pushed her arm out of the window as far as she could and felt the rain. Her hand was covered in gold and looked like someone had painted gold paint onto it. The rain stopped. Danae once more remembered her sadness and sat in a darkened corner of the chamber again. What she had not realised was that at the moment she touched the gold, she had conceived a child by Zeus, for Zeus had changed himself into a golden rain shower so that he could get to Danae. When Danae learned that she was pregnant, she kept this a secret, until she gave birth to a boy, called Perseus.

When Acrisios found out that he was a grandfather to a boy he was furious. He shut Danae and Perseus up in a wooden box and threw it into the sea. Acrisios thought no more of his daughter and grandson. The box however, had managed to drift to safety on the shores of Seriphos.

Perseus grew into a great hero. He participated in athletic competitions so that he could prove his greatness. It was at one of these competitions that he was throwing a discus. It went off its course and hit Acrisios and killed him. The oracle had come true at last.