In Greek mythology, Andromeda was a princess of the ancient kingdom of Aethiopia. She was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, who boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than the sea nymphs known as the Nereids.
The Nereids, who were associated with the sea god Poseidon, were offended by Cassiopeia's claim and asked Poseidon to punish her. In response, Poseidon sent a sea monster, known as Cetus, to ravage the coast of Aethiopia. In order to appease the gods and save her kingdom, Cassiopeia and Cepheus were forced to sacrifice Andromeda to Cetus.
Andromeda was chained to a rock on the coast as a offering to the sea monster, but she was rescued by the hero Perseus, who had been sent on a quest to kill the monster by King Polydectes of Seriphus. Perseus fell in love with Andromeda and asked for her hand in marriage, which was granted by her grateful parents.
The story of Andromeda has been retold in various forms throughout history, including in literature, art, and film. It is often seen as a classic tale of love and bravery, as Perseus risks his life to save Andromeda and ultimately wins her hand in marriage. The tale of Andromeda also serves as a warning against pride, as Cassiopeia's boastful claims ultimately lead to her daughter's near-death experience.
Andromeda in Greek Mythology: The Legendary Princess
Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopea, the queen. It looked as if Poseidon would get his wish. Australian Books and Authors in the American Marketplace 1840s-1940s. Others let their imagination explore a reality where a man from their part of the world falls seeks adventures and marries an exotic black princess. Cepheus consulted the oracle of Ammon who advised the king that the only way to stop the destruction was to sacrifice his daughter to Ketos. Her advice was to strip Andromeda naked and tie down so that the monster could ravage her. Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica.
Andromeda: The Legendary Princess Of Greek Mythology
April: The Doom of King Acrisius. The body of Hector is alluded to in the position of the semi-nude corpse in the bottom left of the work. Having freed his mother of Polydectes, Perseus was now also free to roam Greece with Andromeda. At least architecturally, this prototype still survives essentially unchanged. Andromeda Lives On Andromeda is a legendary princess whose story continues to be told because her permanent place in the sky allows us to always remember her. This is because King Cepheus obeyed Poseidon. At the wedding a quarrel took place between the rivals, and Phineus was turned to stone by the sight of the Gorgon's head.
Sources: Categorized in: This post was written by GreekBoston. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications. We are often asked about mythology merchandise. The Heroes of the Greeks. Perseus frees Andromeda, Piero di Cosimo, 1510-1515, The Uffizzi left ; Perseus and Andromeda, Peter Paul Rubens, ca 1622, Hermitage Museum middle ; Andromeda, Engraving after Abraham van Diepenbeeck, 1655, via Internet Archive right.
She was facing an impending death from a sea monster up until the point when she was noticed by a passing-by Perseus. The king agreed, but only if Perseus could save his daughter and kill the monster in his seas. The pair also had seven children, all of whom were well known in other Greek mythological stories — Perses, Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, Electryon, and Cynurus. New York: Columbia University Press. Perseus would be known as the ancestors of the Persians, with their many descendants continuing to have control over Mycenae. Article last revised on September 06, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Yet, the question remains: who is this mysterious woman of the Mediterranean? Most art historians believe that the two works were likely destroyed deliberately, as the scene was considered highly erotic at the time. Together, Perseus and Andromeda lived a happy life until they became constellations in the sky. The water is close to the sea, and the account which the natives give of the spring is that Perseus, after destroying the Sea-Monster, to which the daughter of Cepheus was exposed, washed off the blood in the spring. Few other women have received so much praise for their beauty as Andromeda in Greek and Roman Mythology. Flying across North Africa, Perseus went beyond South Egypt into the land that the Greeks called Ethiopia Ethiops in Greek means a man with a sun burnt face.
When Perseus came upon Andromeda while she was chained, he decided to rescue her. The artist has given us much in a small space: maiden modesty, girlish terror, are here portrayed in the countenance of Andromeda, who from her high rock gazes down upon the strife, and marks the devoted courage of her lover, the grim aspect of his bestial antagonist. While mythology is a popular theme in art generally, there are a number of specific myths that are particularly common in great works of art. Andromeda is Rescued by Perseus and the Two Were Married The hero Perseus, however, ultimately would not let this happen. Perseus punished the king and his loyal nobles by showing them the head of Medusa and turning them into stone.
There were fifty of these Nereids in total, and each of them was known for their beauty. However, they had forgotten one tiny detail; Andromeda was already betrothed to her uncle, Phineus. King Cepeus Chains Andromeda as a Sacrifice There have been many artists over the centuries who have painted Andromeda and when they do, the paintings usually show her chained to a rock or a tree. When he found Andromeda while she was chained, her instantly fell in love with her. When word got back to Achilles, he was so enraged that he went on a killing spree, massacring the Trojan forces, while seeking out Hector. Some Greeks or Romans took comfort in the idea of a white royal family ruling over a foreign land like Ethiopia. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes.
Some of the most widely-depicted fighters from the Trojan War are Achilles, Patroclus, and Hector, who were involved in one of the most famous episodes from the war. In the view of the woman, Perseus was astonished: When Perseus her beheld as marble he would deem her, but the breeze moved in her hair, and from her streaming eyes the warm tears fell. Conversely, it could depict the moment before Icarus falls out of the sky. To purchase such goodies we suggest you try Amazon, Ebay or other reputable online stores. According to the version of In any case, Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the parents of Andromeda agreed with the union of Perseus and Andromeda who were madly in love after meeting each other a few hours earlier.
Greek mythology is prominent in art dating from antiquity through to the renaissance and even in contemporary artwork. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. She was particularly known for her beauty, but the princess herself was often portrayed as being fairly humble. In the 20th century, AndrĂ³meda, Micro-sorrow I in D minor B96 for piano 1984. Perseus and Andromeda also produced five sons, Alcaeus, Heleus, Sthenelus, Electryon, and Cynurus, and two daughters, Autochthe and Gorgophone.
