After a long journey, Perseus reached the kingdom of Kepheus, which lay in Ethiopia 1 on the shores of the Ocean. There, on a rock, near the seashore, he saw the beautiful Andromeda, daughter of King Kepheus, chained. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia angered the sea nymphs. Proud of her beauty, she said that she, Queen Cassiopeia, was the most beautiful of all. The nymphs became angry and begged the god of the seas, Poseidon, to punish Kepheus and Cassiopeia. Poseidon sent, at the request of the nymphs, a monster like a gigantic fish. It emerged from the depths of the sea and devastated the possessions of Kefei. The kingdom of Coffee was filled with crying and groans. He finally turned to the oracle of Zeus Ammon 2 and asked how he could get rid of this misfortune. The Oracle gave this answer:
Give your daughter Andromeda to be torn to pieces by the monster, and then Poseidon’s punishment will end.
The people, having learned the answer of the oracle, forced the king to chain Andromeda to a rock by the sea. Pale with horror, she stood at the foot of the cliff in heavy shackles. Andromeda; She looked at the sea with inexpressible fear, expecting that a monster would appear and tear her to pieces. Tears rolled from her eyes, horror gripped her at the mere thought that she should die in the bloom of her beautiful youth, full of strength, without having experienced the joys of life. It was her that Perseus saw. He would have taken her for a marvelous statue made of white Parian marble, if the sea wind had not blown her hair and large tears had not fallen from her beautiful eyes. The young hero looks at her with delight, and a powerful feeling of love for Andromeda lights up in his heart. Perseus quickly went down to her and asked her affectionately:
Oh, tell me, fair maiden, whose country this is, tell me your name! Tell me, why are you chained to the rock here?
Andromeda explained whose guilt she had to suffer for. The beautiful maiden does not want the hero to think that she is atoning for her own guilt. Andromeda had not yet finished her story when the depths of the sea began to gurgle, and a monster appeared among the raging waves. It raised its head high with its huge mouth open. Andromeda screamed loudly in horror. Mad with grief, Kepheus and Cassiopeia ran to the shore. They cry bitterly, hugging their daughter. There is no salvation for her!
Then the son of Zeus, Perseus, spoke:
You will still have a lot of time to shed tears, little time just to save your daughter. I am the son of Zeus, Perseus, who killed the gorgon Medusa entwined with snakes. Give me your daughter Andromeda as my wife, and I will save her.
Kepheus and Cassiopeia happily agreed. They were ready to do anything to save their daughter. Kefei He even promised him the entire kingdom as a dowry, if only he would save Andromeda. The monster is already close. It quickly approaches the rock, cutting through the waves with its wide chest, like a ship that rushes through the waves, as if on wings, from the strokes of the oars of mighty young rowers. The monster was no further than the flight of an arrow when Perseus flew high into the air. His shadow fell into the sea, and the monster rushed with fury at the hero’s shadow. Perseus boldly rushed from above at the monster and plunged his curved sword deep into his back. Feeling a serious wound, the monster rose high in the waves; it beats in the sea, like a boar surrounded by a pack of dogs barking furiously; first it plunges deep into the water, then it floats up again. The monster madly hits the water with its fish tail, and thousands of splashes fly up to the very tops of the coastal cliffs. The sea was covered with foam. Opening its mouth, the monster rushes at Perseus, but with the speed of a seagull he takes off in his winged sandals. He delivers blow after blow. Blood and water gushed from the mouth of the monster, struck to death. The wings of Perseus's sandals are wet, they can barely hold the hero in the air. The mighty son of Danai quickly rushed to the rock that protruded from the sea, grabbed it with his left hand and plunged his sword three times into the monster’s wide chest. The terrible battle is over. Joyful screams rush from the shore. Everyone praises the mighty hero. The shackles were removed from the beautiful Andromeda, and, celebrating the victory, Perseus leads his bride to the palace of her father Kepheus.
1 Ethiopia is a country that, according to the Greeks, lay in the extreme south of the earth. The Greeks and then the Romans called Ethiopia the entire country lying in Africa south of Egypt.
2 Was located in an oasis in the Libyan Desert, west of Egypt.
On the shore of the Ocean. There, on a rock, near the seashore, he saw the beautiful Andromeda, daughter of King Kepheus, chained. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia angered the sea nymphs. Proud of her beauty, she said that she, Queen Cassiopeia, was the most beautiful of all. The nymphs became angry and begged the god of the seas, Poseidon, to punish Kepheus and Cassiopeia. Poseidon sent, at the request of the nymphs, a monster like a gigantic fish. It emerged from the depths of the sea and devastated the possessions of Kefei. The kingdom of Coffee was filled with crying and groans. He finally turned to the oracle of Zeus and asked how he could get rid of this misfortune. The Oracle gave this answer:
Give your daughter Andromeda to be torn to pieces by the monster, and then Poseidon’s punishment will end.
The people, having learned the answer of the oracle, forced the king to chain Andromeda to a rock by the sea. Pale with horror, Andromeda stood at the foot of the rock in heavy chains; She looked at the sea with inexpressible fear, expecting that a monster would appear and tear her to pieces. Tears rolled from her eyes, horror gripped her at the mere thought that she should die in the bloom of her beautiful youth, full of strength, without having experienced the joys of life. It was Perseus who saw her. He would have taken her for a marvelous statue made of white Parian marble, if the sea wind had not blown her hair and large tears had not fallen from her beautiful eyes. The young hero looks at her with delight, and a powerful feeling of love for Andromeda lights up in his heart. Perseus quickly went down to her and asked her affectionately:
Oh, tell me, fair maiden, whose country this is, tell me your name! Tell me, why are you chained to the rock here?
Andromeda explained whose guilt she had to suffer for. The beautiful maiden does not want the hero to think that she is atoning for her own guilt. Andromeda had not yet finished her story when the depths of the sea began to gurgle, and a monster appeared among the raging waves. It raised its head high with its huge mouth open. Andromeda screamed loudly in horror. Mad with grief, Kepheus and Cassiopeia ran to the shore. They cry bitterly, hugging their daughter. There is no salvation for her!
Then the son of Zeus, Perseus, spoke:
You will still have a lot of time to shed tears, little time just to save your daughter. I am the son of Zeus, Perseus, who killed the gorgon Medusa entwined with snakes. Give me your daughter Andromeda as my wife, and I will save her.
To the left of Andromeda is her father Kepheus, to the right of her mother Cassipea
Kepheus and Cassiopeia happily agreed. They were ready to do anything to save their daughter. Kepheus even promised him the entire kingdom as a dowry, if only he would save Andromeda. The monster is already close. It quickly approaches the rock, cutting through the waves with its wide chest, like a ship that rushes through the waves, as if on wings, from the strokes of the oars of mighty young rowers. The monster was no further than the flight of an arrow when Perseus flew high into the air. His shadow fell into the sea, and the monster rushed with fury at the hero’s shadow. Perseus boldly rushed from above at the monster and plunged his curved sword deep into his back. Feeling a serious wound, the monster rose high in the waves; it beats in the sea, like a boar surrounded by a pack of dogs barking furiously; first it plunges deep into the water, then it floats up again. The monster madly hits the water with its fish tail, and thousands of splashes fly up to the very tops of the coastal cliffs. The sea was covered with foam. Opening its mouth, the monster rushes at Perseus, but with the speed of a seagull he takes off in his winged sandals. He delivers blow after blow. Blood and water gushed from the mouth of the monster, struck to death. The wings of Perseus's sandals are wet, they can barely hold the hero in the air. The mighty son of Danai quickly rushed to the rock that protruded from the sea, grabbed it with his left hand and plunged his sword three times into the monster’s wide chest. The terrible battle is over. Joyful screams rush from the shore. Everyone praises the mighty hero. The shackles were removed from the beautiful Andromeda, and, celebrating the victory, Perseus leads his bride to the palace of her father Kepheus.
How Perseus saved Andromeda
The names of the starry sky reflect the myth of the hero Perseus. Once upon a time, according to the ancient Greeks, Ethiopia was ruled by a king named Cepheus and a queen named Cassiopeia. Their only daughter was the beautiful Andromeda. The queen was very proud of her daughter and one day had the imprudence to boast of her beauty and the beauty of her daughter to the mythical inhabitants of the sea - the Nereids. They were very angry, because they believed that they were the most beautiful in the world. The Nereids complained to their father, the god of the seas Poseidon, so that he would punish Cassiopeia and Andromeda. And the powerful ruler of the seas sent a huge sea monster - Whale - to Ethiopia. Fire burst out of Keith's mouth, black smoke poured out of his ears, and his tail was covered with sharp spikes. The monster devastated and burned the country, threatening the death of the entire people. To appease Poseidon, Cepheus and Cassiopeia agreed to give their beloved daughter to be devoured by the monster. Beauty Andromeda was chained to a coastal rock and meekly awaited her fate. And at this time, on the other side of the world, one of the most famous legendary heroes - Perseus - accomplished an extraordinary feat. He entered an island where gorgons lived - monsters in the form of women who had snakes instead of hair. The gaze of the gorgons was so terrible that anyone who dared to look into their eyes was instantly petrified. But nothing could stop the fearless Perseus. Seizing the moment when the gorgons fell asleep. Perseus cut off the head of one of them - the most important, the most terrible - the gorgon Medusa. At the same moment, the winged horse Pegasus flew out of Medusa’s huge body. Perseus jumped on Pegasus and rushed to his homeland. Flying over Ethiopia, he noticed Andromeda chained to a rock, who was about to be grabbed by the terrible Whale. Brave Perseus entered into battle with the monster. This struggle continued for a long time. Perseus's magical sandals lifted him into the air, and he plunged his curved sword into Keith's back. The whale roared and rushed at Perseus. Perseus directed the deathly gaze of the severed head of Medusa, which was attached to his shield, at the monster. The monster petrified and drowned, turning into an island.
And Perseus unchained Andromeda and brought her to the palace of Cepheus. The delighted king gave Andromeda as his wife to Perseus. In Ethiopia the merry feast continued for many days. And since then the constellations of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda, and Perseus have been burning in the sky. On the star map you will find the constellation Cetus, Pegasus. This is how the ancient myths of the Earth found their reflection in the sky.
How the winged horse Pegasus “flew” into the sky
Near Andromeda is the constellation Pegasus, which is especially visible at midnight in mid-October. The three stars of this constellation and the star Alpha Andromeda form a figure that astronomers call the “Big Square”. It can be easily found in the autumn sky. The winged horse Pegasus arose from the body of the Gorgon Medusa, beheaded by Perseus, but did not inherit anything bad from her. He was the favorite of nine muses - the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne; on the slope of Mount Helikon he knocked out the source of Hippocrene with his hoof, the water of which brought inspiration to poets.
And one more legend in which Pegasus is mentioned. The grandson of King Sisifus, Bellerophon, was supposed to kill the fire-breathing monster Chimera (Chimera means “goat” in Greek). The monster had the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. Bellerophon managed to defeat the Chimera with the help of Pegasus. One day he saw a winged horse, and the desire to take possession of it seized the young man. In a dream, the goddess Athena, the beloved daughter of Zeus, wise and warlike, the patroness of many heroes, appeared to him. She gave Bellerophon a wonderful horse-taming bridle. With her help, Bellerophon caught Pegasus and went to battle the Chimera. Rising high into the air, he threw arrows at the monster until it gave up the ghost.
But Bellerophon was not satisfied with his luck, but wished to ascend to heaven on a winged horse, to the home of the immortals. Zeus, having learned about this, became angry, enraged Pegasus, and he threw his rider to Earth. Pegasus then ascended to Olympus, where he carried the lightning bolts of Zeus.
The main attraction of the Pegasus constellation is a bright globular cluster. Through binoculars you can see a round luminous foggy spot, the edges of which sparkle like the lights of a big city visible from an airplane. It turns out that this globular cluster contains about six million suns!
The most beautiful constellation in the southern sky
There is no other constellation in the entire sky that would contain so many interesting and easily accessible objects for observation as Orion, located near the constellation Taurus. Orion was the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas Greek mythology(in Roman - Neptune). He was a famous hunter, fought with a bull and boasted that there was no animal that he could not defeat, for which Hera, the powerful wife of the mighty Zeus, sent Scorpio against him. Orion cleared the island of Chios from wild animals and began to ask the king of this island for the hand of his daughter, but he refused him. Orion tried to kidnap the girl, and the king took revenge on him: after getting drunk, he blinded Orion. Helios restored Orion’s sight, but Orion still died from the bite of the Scorpio sent by the Hero. Zeus placed him in the sky in such a way that he could always escape from his pursuer, and indeed, these two constellations are never visible in the sky at the same time.
Where does Veronica's hair come from in the sky?
The ancient constellation Leo had a fairly large “territory” in the sky, and Leo himself had a magnificent “tassel” on his tail. But in 243 BC. he lost it. Happened funny story, about which the legend says.
The Egyptian king Ptolemy Euergetes had a beautiful wife, Queen Veronica. Her luxurious long hair. When Ptolemy went to war, his saddened wife swore an oath to the gods: if they kept her beloved husband safe and sound, she would sacrifice her hair. Soon Ptolemy returned home safely, but when he saw his shorn wife, he was upset. The royal couple was somewhat reassured by the astronomer Konon, who said that the gods raised Veronica's hair to the sky, where they were destined to decorate the spring nights.
After a long journey, Perseus reached the kingdom of Kepheus, which lay in Ethiopia on the shores of the Ocean. There, on a rock, near the seashore, he saw the beautiful Andromeda, daughter of King Kepheus, chained. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia angered the sea nymphs. Proud of her beauty, she said that she, Queen Cassiopeia, was the most beautiful of all. The nymphs became angry and begged the god of the seas, Poseidon, to punish Kepheus and Cassiopeia. Poseidon sent, at the request of the nymphs, a monster like a gigantic fish. It emerged from the depths of the sea and devastated the possessions of Kefei. The kingdom of Coffee was filled with crying and groans. He finally turned to the oracle of Zeus Ammon and asked how he could get rid of this misfortune. The Oracle gave this answer:
“Give your daughter Andromeda to be torn to pieces by the monster, and then Poseidon’s punishment will end.”
The people, having learned the answer of the oracle, forced the king to chain Andromeda to a rock by the sea. Pale with horror, Andromeda stood at the foot of the rock in heavy chains; She looked at the sea with inexpressible fear, expecting that a monster would appear and tear her to pieces. Tears rolled from her eyes, horror gripped her at the mere thought that she should die in the bloom of her beautiful youth, full of strength, without having experienced the joys of life. It was Perseus who saw her. He would have taken her for a marvelous statue made of white Parian marble, if the sea wind had not blown her hair and large tears had not fallen from her beautiful eyes. The young hero looks at her with delight, and a powerful feeling of love for Andromeda lights up in his heart. Perseus quickly went down to her and asked her affectionately:
- Oh, tell me, beautiful maiden, whose country this is, tell me your name! Tell me, why are you chained to the rock here?
Andromeda explained whose guilt she had to suffer for. The beautiful maiden does not want the hero to think that she is atoning for her own guilt. Andromeda had not yet finished her story when the depths of the sea began to gurgle, and a monster appeared among the raging waves. It raised its head high with its huge mouth open. Andromeda screamed loudly in horror. Mad with grief, Kepheus and Cassiopeia ran to the shore. They cry bitterly, hugging their daughter. There is no salvation for her!
Then the son of Zeus, Perseus, spoke:
“You will still have a lot of time to shed tears, there will be little time just to save your daughter.” I am the son of Zeus, Perseus, who killed the gorgon Medusa entwined with snakes. Give me your daughter Andromeda as my wife, and I will save her.
Kepheus and Cassiopeia happily agreed. They were ready to do anything to save their daughter. Kepheus even promised him the entire kingdom as a dowry, if only he would save Andromeda. The monster is already close. It quickly approaches the rock, cutting through the waves with its wide chest, like a ship that rushes through the waves, as if on wings, from the strokes of the oars of mighty young rowers. The monster was no further than the flight of an arrow when Perseus flew high into the air. His shadow fell into the sea, and the monster rushed with fury at the hero’s shadow. Perseus boldly rushed from above at the monster and plunged his curved sword deep into his back. Feeling a serious wound, the monster rose high in the waves; it beats in the sea, like a boar surrounded by a pack of dogs barking furiously; first it plunges deep into the water, then it floats up again. The monster madly hits the water with its fish tail, and thousands of splashes fly up to the very tops of the coastal cliffs. The sea was covered with foam. Opening its mouth, the monster rushes at Perseus, but with the speed of a seagull he takes off in his winged sandals. He delivers blow after blow. Blood and water gushed from the mouth of the monster, struck to death. The wings of Perseus's sandals are wet, they can barely hold the hero in the air. The mighty son of Danai quickly rushed to the rock that protruded from the sea, grabbed it with his left hand and plunged his sword three times into the monster’s wide chest. The terrible battle is over. Joyful screams rush from the shore. Everyone praises the mighty hero. The shackles were removed from the beautiful Andromeda, and, celebrating the victory, Perseus leads his bride to the palace of her father Kepheus.
After a long journey, Perseus reached the kingdom of Kepheus, which lay in Ethiopia on the shores of the Ocean. There, on a rock, near the seashore, he saw the beautiful Andromeda, daughter of King Kepheus, chained. She had to atone for the guilt of her mother, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia angered the sea nymphs. Proud of her beauty, she said that she, Queen Cassiopeia, was the most beautiful of all. The nymphs became angry and begged the god of the seas, Poseidon, to punish Kepheus and Cassiopeia. Poseidon sent, at the request of the nymphs, a monster like a gigantic fish. It emerged from the depths of the sea and devastated the possessions of Kefei. The kingdom of Coffee was filled with crying and groans. He finally turned to the oracle of Zeus Ammon and asked how he could get rid of this misfortune. The Oracle gave this answer:
“Give your daughter Andromeda to be torn to pieces by the monster, and then Poseidon’s punishment will end.”
The people, having learned the answer of the oracle, forced the king to chain Andromeda to a rock by the sea. Pale with horror, Andromeda stood at the foot of the rock in heavy chains; She looked at the sea with inexpressible fear, expecting that a monster would appear and tear her to pieces. Tears rolled from her eyes, horror gripped her at the mere thought that she should die in the bloom of her beautiful youth, full of strength, without having experienced the joys of life. It was Perseus who saw her. He would have taken her for a marvelous statue made of white Parian marble, if the sea wind had not blown her hair and large tears had not fallen from her beautiful eyes. The young hero looks at her with delight, and a powerful feeling of love for Andromeda lights up in his heart. Perseus quickly went down to her and asked her affectionately:
- Oh, tell me, beautiful maiden, whose country this is, tell me your name! Tell me, why are you chained to the rock here?
Andromeda explained whose guilt she had to suffer for. The beautiful maiden does not want the hero to think that she is atoning for her own guilt. Andromeda had not yet finished her story when the depths of the sea began to gurgle, and a monster appeared among the raging waves. It raised its head high with its huge mouth open. Andromeda screamed loudly in horror. Mad with grief, Kepheus and Cassiopeia ran to the shore. They cry bitterly, hugging their daughter. There is no salvation for her!
Then the son of Zeus, Perseus, spoke:
“You will still have a lot of time to shed tears, there will be little time just to save your daughter.” I am the son of Zeus, Perseus, who killed the gorgon Medusa entwined with snakes. Give me your daughter Andromeda as my wife, and I will save her.
Kepheus and Cassiopeia happily agreed. They were ready to do anything to save their daughter. Kepheus even promised him the entire kingdom as a dowry, if only he would save Andromeda. The monster is already close. It quickly approaches the rock, cutting through the waves with its wide chest, like a ship that rushes through the waves, as if on wings, from the strokes of the oars of mighty young rowers. The monster was no further than the flight of an arrow when Perseus flew high into the air. His shadow fell into the sea, and the monster rushed with fury at the hero’s shadow. Perseus boldly rushed from above at the monster and plunged his curved sword deep into his back. Feeling a serious wound, the monster rose high in the waves; it beats in the sea, like a boar surrounded by a pack of dogs barking furiously; first it plunges deep into the water, then it floats up again. The monster madly hits the water with its fish tail, and thousands of splashes fly up to the very tops of the coastal cliffs. The sea was covered with foam. Opening its mouth, the monster rushes at Perseus, but with the speed of a seagull he takes off in his winged sandals. He delivers blow after blow. Blood and water gushed from the mouth of the monster, struck to death. The wings of Perseus's sandals are wet, they can barely hold the hero in the air. The mighty son of Danai quickly rushed to the rock that protruded from the sea, grabbed it with his left hand and plunged his sword three times into the monster’s wide chest. The terrible battle is over. Joyful screams rush from the shore. Everyone praises the mighty hero. The shackles were removed from the beautiful Andromeda, and, celebrating the victory, Perseus leads his bride to the palace of her father Kepheus.