Andromeda (Ancient Greek: Ἀνδρομέδα meaning 'protecting/mindful of her husband') was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, king and queen of Aethiopia. She became the wife of Perseus after being rescued from a sea-monster by him.
Mythology[]
Andromeda's mother Kassiopeia, bragged that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, a display of hubris from her. To punish the Queen for her arrogance, Poseidon flooded the kingdom's coasts and released the Ketos Aithiopios (or Ethiopian Cetus) to ravage the coast of Ethiopia as well as ravaging the inhabitants of the kingdom of the vain Queen. The desperate King consulted the Oracle of Zeus-Ammon, who announced that no respite would be found until the king sacrificed his virgin daughter Andromeda to the monster. She was stripped naked and chained to a rock on the coast of Jaffa.
Perseus, returning from having slain the Gorgon Medusa, found Andromeda and slew the sea monster Cetus by using Hades borrowed Helm of Darkness and Hermes' winged shoes to set her free, and married her in spite of Andromeda having been previously promised to her uncle Phineus. At the wedding a quarrel took place between the rivals, and Phineus was turned to stone by the sight of the Gorgon's head.
Andromeda followed her husband to his native island Seriphos to rescue his mother, then they go to Argos where Perseus is the rightful heir to the throne. However, after accidentally killing his grandfather Acrisius, the king of Argos, Perseus chooses to become king of neighboring Tiryns instead and together they became the ancestors of the family of the Perseidae through the line of their son Perses. Perseus and Andromeda had seven sons: Alcaeus, Perses, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, Cynurus, and Electryon, and two daughters, Autochthe and Gorgophone. After her death, Andromeda was placed by Athena amongst the constellations in the northern sky, near Perseus and Cassiopeia.
Popular Culture[]
Films[]
- Andromeda makes several appearances in the two Clash of the Titans films
- Andromeda appears in the 2010 film Clash of the Titans. She is portrayed by Alexa Davalos.
- Andromeda returns in the 2012 film Wrath of the Titans, this time portrayed by Rosamund Pike.
Gallery[]
Family[]
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Preceded by: Eurydice |
Queen of Argos Mythic |
Succeeded by Demophile |
Preceded by: Demophile |
Queen of Mycenae Mythic |
Succeeded by Anaxo |