Cepheus (father of Andromeda) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cepheus |
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| King of Aethiopia | |
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Aethiopia |
| Consort | Cassiopeia |
| Offspring | Andromeda |
| Parents | Belus and Achiroe |
| Siblings | Danaus, Aegyptus, Phineus |
Cepheus was a legendary king from Greek mythology. He ruled a land called Aethiopia. He is most famous as the father of Princess Andromeda, a brave princess who was rescued by the hero Perseus.
Contents
Who Was King Cepheus?
Cepheus's Family Tree
In some stories, King Cepheus was the son of a powerful figure named Belus. His mother was Achiroe, who was the daughter of Nilus. Cepheus also had brothers named Danaus, Aegyptus, and Phineus. His family had connections to the ancient city of Argos through his ancestor, King Iasus.
The Story of King Cepheus and Andromeda
King Cepheus is a very important character in the exciting legend of Perseus. He was married to Queen Cassiopeia, and together they had a beautiful daughter, Princess Andromeda. Cepheus also had a brother, Phineus, who hoped to marry Andromeda.
Cepheus ruled over a kingdom often called "Aethiopia". Some stories also place his kingdom in the city of Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) in Phoenicia.
One day, Queen Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was even more beautiful than the Nereids, who were lovely sea nymphs. This made the Nereids and the powerful sea god Poseidon very angry. To punish Aethiopia, Poseidon sent a terrible flood and a giant sea monster named Cetus to attack the kingdom.
King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia were very worried. They asked an oracle (a wise person who could see the future) for advice. The oracle told them that the only way to stop the monster and the flood was to offer Princess Andromeda to Cetus. So, with a heavy heart, King Cepheus had his daughter chained to a rock by the sea, waiting for the monster.
Luckily, the hero Perseus was flying by, returning home after a great adventure where he had defeated the monster Medusa. He saw Andromeda chained to the rock and immediately fell in love with her. Perseus promised to defeat Cetus if Andromeda would agree to marry him. He then bravely fought the sea monster and killed it. In some versions, he even used Medusa's head to turn the monster to stone!
King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia were very grateful and agreed to let Perseus marry Andromeda. However, Cepheus's brother, Phineus, was still determined to marry Andromeda himself. He plotted against Perseus, but Perseus used Medusa's head to turn Phineus and his followers into stone.
After their wedding, Perseus and Andromeda stayed with King Cepheus for a while. Since Cepheus did not have any other children to inherit his throne, he adopted their first son, Perses. This Perses later became known as the ancestor of the Persian people.
Cepheus in the Stars
After his life on Earth, King Cepheus was honored by the gods. He was placed among the stars and became the constellation Cepheus. You can still see him in the night sky, near his wife Cassiopeia and his daughter Andromeda, forever part of the celestial stories.
