Andromeda in Greek Mythology
Andromeda was a Ethiopian princess in Greek mythology. Her father was
Cepheus king of Ethiopia. His wife and her mother was Cassiopeia. Queen
Cassiopeis boosted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, who
were sea goddesses. The Nereids were very angry and asked their father
Nereus to send the sea monster Cetus to attack the Ethiopian coasts. To
appease the deities, an Oracle directed Cepheus to chain his daughter to
the side of a rock on the sea coast as a sacrifice to be the only person to
be devoured by the sea monster. Persues, the son of the chief god Zeus and
the mortal Danaeuml;, killed the Gordon Medusa by using the shield of
Athene as a mirror to locate the Gordon Medusa by the Medusa's mirror
image. Any living being looking at a Medusa will be turn into stone, but
the reflection of a Medusa is will not turn the viewer to stone. After
locating the Gordon Medusa, Perseus severed her head with his sword. The
winged horse Pegasus sprang from Medusa's blood. While flying with Hermes
winged shoes on his feet over Ethiopia, Perseus saw Andromeda chained to a
rock and the approaching sea monster. Perseus rescued Andromeda by turning
the sea monster to stone with the head of Gordon Medusa. After killing the
monster, Perseus married Andromeda.
Andromeda was changed into constellation after her death. Andromeda is
the only constellation in the northern hemisphere with a spiral nebula
visible to the unaided eye.
The nearest major galaxy Andromeda resides within the Andromeda
Constellation. This galaxy is 2.5 million light year from Earth. It is the
most distant object visible to the unaided eye.
Her parents, her husband, Pegaus, and the sea monster Cetus are neighboring
constellations.
Andromeda: Greek Mythology links
- Bulfinch's Mythology The Age of Fable
Online version of Thomas Bulfinch book first published in 1855.
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Table of Content
Chapter
XV : The Graeae and Gorgons - Perseus - Medusa - Atlas - Andromeda
- The Mythology of the Constellations
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index
Constellation: Andromeda
Andromeda Home
Burton Craddock
Copyright May 8, 2000
Last update May 24, 2000