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This Greek Myth Holds An Important Lesson for All of Us
Never cast your fears out to sea unless you want them to return tenfold.
I take a lot of inspiration from the ancient world. I like to study their stories, fables, and mythologies, and I like to understand the world from their point of view (often more complex than we give our ancient ancestors credit for).
Mythology can be especially helpful in doing this, as it was used in the ancient world to identify and understand every conceivable facet of the human condition. In the world of the ancients, the myths were not so much used to coerce and control. They were warnings and, sometimes, validations.
Man was not made in the reflection of the gods. Quite the contrary. The stories of the gods and goddesses of the ancient world are reflections of humanity — the good, the bad, the questionable, and the obscene.
In the telling of these stories, we see ourselves. We see the same jealousies, fears, insecurities, betrayals, emotions, and experiences that we endure as we wind down the mortal coils. When we tell these stories, we learn lessons about the world and about our place within it (and within the lives of those we love).
Foolish King Acrisius.
In mythology, it’s hard to beat the old Greek stories of heroes. In these tales, men (and women) complete fantastic feats and fated quests to triumph over the impossible. They become demigods and champions, but many go on to meet very tragic human ends.
That is certainly the case for foolish King Acrisius, who serves as a powerful cautionary tale for those who bury and banish their fear — rather than embracing and resolving it.
The myth of Acrisius is certainly one of those myths we can look to for lessons about ourselves. Intertwined with the brave tale of Perseus, it outlines the story of a man who is possessed by fear.
Acrisius, king of Argos, was desperate for a child and visited an oracle to tell him about his future as a father. While there, the prophetic virgin told king Acrisius that he would have one child, who would bear a son that would kill him. The king became fearful when he returned home to find his wife pregnant with…
