Greek Heroic Age of the founding narratives of various city-states. They also became the ancestors of later heroes. The Phoenician prince Cadmus, was the first Greek hero. The grandson of Poseidon (through his father Agenor), he founded Thebes Perseus, famous for his exploits well before the days of his great-grandson, Heracles, was the son of Zeus. Perseus beheaded the Medusa, saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus, and was the legendary founder of Mycenae. Aeacus was also a son of Zeus. Bellerophon was descended from the nymph, Orseis. Oenomaus, king of Pisa, in the Peloponnese, was the son of Ares. The excellence of
The Sea Monster bring motifs together in a single image. The abduction of a woman by a water-god is one of the oldest Greek mythological conceptions and a subject that fascinated men through to the Renaissance. Dürer adds a layer of complexity to the scene in that the woman does not seem too upset at her fate. Vasari gave an early description of the work, through a vague description of a picture of a nymph set in the ancient world. Recent interpretations mention the abduction of Scylla by the sea demon Glaucus, or the abduction of Hesione by a monster. Further speculation centres