Polydectes was a king of Seriphos, the son of Magnes and a Naiad. He it was who sent Perseus to fetch Medusa's head. He seems to have been a hospitable man, at any rate in some accounts, since his name means 'receiving many', from polys, 'many' and dectes, 'receiver'. The second element of his name may be related to that of his brother, Dictys, especially since the latter's name means 'netter', i.e. a kind of'receiver'.
