Perse’s disappointment over having a daughter speaks to the prevalence of misogyny in ancient Greece. Women aren’t expected to have any power, so Perse, whose hopes for power rest on the men she is associated with, sees daughters as useless. Helios, however, doesn’t mind having daughters, as he can sell them for high prices to men who wish to marry them. Because men and other gods are eager to associate themselves with the powerful Helios—and hope to pass some of Helios’s power to their children by mating with Helios’s daughters—the girls are considered valuable. Of course, they are not valued for their character, but only for their sexuality, which again reveals ancient Greece’s misogyny. So, when Perse hears that Circe is unlikely to marry a powerful god, but to a mortal, she is upset—association with a lowly mortal will not bring Perse and status or influence. So, she rejects Circe, demonstrating how power takes precedence over any paternal feelings of love.