Perseus shield. Perseus then proceeded to the Gorgons' cave. In the cave he came upon the sleeping Medusa. By viewing Medusa's reflection in his polished shield, he safely approached and cut off her head. From her neck sprang Pegasus ("he who sprang") and Chrysaor ("sword of gold"), the result of Poseidon and Medusa's mating. The other two Gorgons pursued Perseus, but, wearing his helm of darkness, he escaped. From here he proceeded to visit King Atlas who had refused him hospitality; in revenge Perseus turned him to stone. On the way back to Seriphos Island, Perseus stopped in the kingdom of
Perseus with the Head of Medusa newly refurbished medium. Perseus was one of Cellini’s crowning works, completed with two different ideals in mind. He wanted to respond to the sculpture already placed within the piazza, which he did with the subject matter of Medusa reducing men to stone. Secondly, the Medici were represented by "Perseus" and the subject matter achieved that in the round sculpture and the relief below. Moreover, in that respect, Cellini also made a statement for himself in the actual casting of "Perseus". Cellini gave life with his new sculpture in his use of bronze and asserted the Medician control over the Florentine