The myth of Andromeda: The myth tells that Cassiopeia, queen of Ethiopia and mother of Andromeda, boasted of being more beautiful than the Nereids. For this affirmation she was stained with impiety and pride towards the gods, arousing their anger and consequent revenge.
So it was that Poseidon sent a terrible sea monster to devastate everything and the king, not knowing what to do, consulted the oracle of the god Ammon. the response was that to appease the divine wrath Cassiopeia offered her daughter Andromeda to the horrible sea creature, Cetus.
Perseus volunteered to free the young woman from this terrible fate, and promised to kill a monster in exchange for Andromeda’s hand. Defeated the sea monster, Perseus placed Medusa’s head on the ground to rinse his hands; on contact with the Gorgon’s blood, some algae petrified and turned into coral. “As soon as he saw her, tied by her arms to a hard rock (had it not been for the fact that a light breeze stirred her hair and warm tears dripped from her eyes, he would have mistaken her for a marble statue), unconsciously he became inflamed, remained astounded, and enchanted at the sight of so much beauty, he said: “O you who do not deserve these chains, but only those that unite eager lovers, tell me, I ask you, the name of this region is yours, and why are you tied so ”» narrates the Latin poet Ovid in the fourth book of his “Metamorphoses”.
Certainly Perseus could not tolerate that so much beauty would end up being devoured by a monster, so he killed the sea being and freed Andromeda, making her his wife. Legend has it that at their death, mother and daughter, by the will of Athena, were placed among the stars: so we have the constellation of Cassiopeia and Andromeda. Close to the latter there is also that of Perseus.
