Andromeda was a mortal and Princess of Aethiopia, according to Greek Mythology. She is best known for being the wife of the Demi-God hero, Perseus and for being put into the sky as the constellation, Andromeda by Athena.
Genealogy and Family[]
Andromeda was born to King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Aethiopia.
Her former fiancé was Prince Phineus, her uncle. She married her saviour, Perseus and the couple had (according to Apollodorus) six sons: Perses, Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, Electryon, and a daughter, Gorgophone. Their descendants ruled Mycenae from Electryon down to Eurystheus.
Story[]
In the myth, Andromeda was chained to a rock on the coastline to be taken by the Ethiopian Cetus after a oracle revealed to her parents that Andromeda had to be sacrificed to the monster in order to save Aethiopia from floods caused by the sea god Poseidon, who became angry with Queen Cassiopeia's boast that her daughter was more beautiful than all the Nereids which offended him and the Nereids. Luckily, Andromeda would be saved by a passing Perseus who defeated the sea monster and set her free from the chains. The two would travel back to Princess Andromeda's home together, where Perseus voiced his desire to marry Andromeda where he was challenged by Phineus, the princess' fiancé, who attacked Perseus, who shared that if Phineus really wanted to marry Andromeda he should have rescued her. Perseus would then use the head of the Medusa to turn his rival and his army into stones. Perseus would go on to marry Andromeda and the two went to Greece, where Andromeda met her mother in law Danae and eventually had their seven children.
According to the Catasterismi, Andromeda is placed in the sky by Athena as the constellation Andromeda, in a pose with her limbs outstretched, similar to when she was chained to the rock, in commemoration of Perseus' bravery in fighting the sea monster.
Appearance and Personality[]
Andromeda is presented as a beautiful woman. The tradition has been criticized for depicting the princess of Aethiopia as white and few artists have chosen to portray her as dark-skinned, despite Ovid's account of her.
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
Her name is spelt Ἀνδρομέδα, in Ancient Greek it means 'mindful of her husband' or 'leader of humankind' or 'ruler of men'.
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