Perseus and Andromeda

  • In Greek Mythology the Myth of Perseus and Andromeda is a story of a woman saved from a monster by a man who marries her.
  • The Roman Poet Ovid repeated the myth in his Metamorphoses, and interest was again renewed from the Renaissance onwards.

The Myth

  • Andromeda’s beauty
    • King Cepheus and his wife Queen Cassiopeia ruled the African Kingdom of Aethiopia. They have a very beautiful daughter called Andromeda. Queen Cassiopia is so proud of her beauty that she tells everyone that Andromeda is more beautiful than the Nereids.
  • Poseidon’s anger
    • Poseidon, the God of the Sea, is irritated by a mortal being compared to the Gods such as the Nereids.
    • In punishment, he sends a flood with a sea monster called Cetus, to terrorise the coasts of the kingdom.
  • Andromeda is sacrificed
    • King Cepheus consults the Oracle of Amun but is told that the only solution is to sacrifice his daughter to the sea monster, Cetus.
    • Deeply saddened, but forced to save his kingdom, he has his daughter Andromeda chained to a rock by the sea to await her fate.
  • Perseus
    • Meanwhile, Perseus was returning from his victory over the Gorgon Medusa and was carrying her head, which turned to stone anyone who looked at it.
    • Perseus flew past the beautiful Andromeda on his winged sandals, and fell in love with her.
    • He went to King Cepheus and asked for her hand in marriage. Cepheus agreed on condition that he could save her from the monster.
    • Perseus, demonstrating great bravery, then used the same sword he had used to kill Medusa, to slay Cetus.
  • The Wedding
    • The wedding was announced and the festivities were prepared, but Andromeda had been previously betrothed to her uncle Phineas.
    • At the wedding, an argument developed between Phineas and Perseus. To resolve the dispute, Perseus fetched Medusa’s head which he displayed to Phineas and his followers, who were all turned to stone.
  • Married Life
    • After saving his mother Danae, Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather the king of Argos.
    • Although the throne was legally his to inherit, he prefered instead to become king of Tyrins (Argolis) in the Peloponnese.
    • Perseus and Andromeda had seven sons and two daughters
    • Heracles was their great grandson.

Andromeda Constellation

  • After they died, Athena placed Perseus, Andromeda and her parents, Cepheus and Cassiopeia, all in the Andromeda Constellation.

 

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