Discover the legend of Andromeda, the most beautiful princess of Greek mythology. Learn about her adventures and powers hidden in history.
Andromeda the beautiful
Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, who came from the kingdom of Ethiopia. Not only was she the princess of the kingdom, but she was also particularly known for her great beauty. However, her monther, Queen Cassiopeia, was particularly boastful about how beautiful her daughter was, and this eventually got Andromeda into trouble. Here is the story of who Andromeda was and the trouble this eventually caused her.
Who really was Princess Andromeda?
As mentioned above, Andromeda was the beloved daughter of the kings of the Kingdom of Ethiopia. She was particularly known for her beauty, but the princess herself was often portrayed as rather humble.
It was her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, who was proud of how beautiful her daughter was. Because the queen was so sure of her daughter’s beauty, she often compared her to the creatures of myth who were also considered beautiful. In her comparisons, her daughter was always considered the most beautiful.
The most beautiful of the sea nymphs
One day, Queen Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, which were the nymphs who were daughters of Poseidon. The beauty of the Nereids was legendary, and they were not only his daughters, but also his beloved companions who often accompanied him on his sea voyages.
They also played a role in the story of Jason and the Argonauts during their quest for the golden fleece. They were also not happy to hear that Cassiopeia determined that her daughter’s beauty was greater than theirs, so they decided to take revenge.
The Nereids convince Poseidon to send a monster seal after her. It is unclear whether Andromeda agreed with her mother that she was more beautiful than the Nereids. However, it was not only the princess who had to pay for her mother’s actions.
Out of revenge, Poseidon sent the sea monster, Cetus, to Ethiopia to ravage the coast. Seeing that his people were struggling, the king consulted an oracle to see what he should do. His advice was to strip Andromeda naked and bind her so that the monster could devastate her. This is the only way for the people of Ethiopia to find peace, he said.
Rescuing Andromeda
The hero Perseus, however, ultimately did not allow this to happen. When he found Andromeda while she was in chains, he instantly fell in love with her. He knew what he had to do. Instead of letting Andromeda be eaten, he fought Cetus until the sea monster met its end. After the monster was killed, Andromeda and Perseus were married.
She traveled with him to his homeland and they are always portrayed as having a happy and adventurous life together. The couple also had seven children, all of whom were well known in other Greek mythological tales: Perses, Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, Electryon and Cyanurus.
