Perseus is a brave traveller of the world. Rightfully so, what Ovid wrote about Perseus relates almost always to one escapade or another. In Ovid's stories, Perseus does what he does best: killing and exploring. Before the lines of my section of Ovid's Metamorphoses, Perseus is flying around the world on his way home from his latest adventure. He flies over Libya while bits of Medusa’s head fall off, which is why there are deadly snakes in Libya today--according to Ovid. He goes to Atlas and asks for food and shelter, but Atlas denies him. Perseus decides to turn Atlas to stone for this offense, and then proceeds to fly away. Next he comes to Ethiopia where he sees the people of king Cepheus. He notices that Andromeda, Cepheus' daughter, is being held captive by the god Ammon. He flies to her, and is speaking to her, when a sea monster emerges from water below (depicted above). He notices Andromeda’s mother and father crying nearby. Perseus offers to save Andromeda if she will be promised to him in marriage as payment. My lines begin after Perseus slays the monster. My lines serve as the transition from the rescue scene to (and partly during) the celebratory banquet, where Perseus tells the story of how he slew the Gorgon. He recounts his stories, and all is well until Cepheus’ brother, Phineus, Andromeda’s original spouse, picks a fight with Perseus. Phineus throws a spear at Perseus, but misses, and then Perseus takes up his own spear, and returns the throw, but also misses, killing a guest of the dinner party. The dinner party turns into a riot, and according to Ovid, Perseus slays well over 200 men, including Phineus, whom Perseus turns into stone with the Gorgon’s head. In classic Perseus manner, he takes this statue home to be a comfort to his new wife.