Cepheus

Cepheus

In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the name of two kings in Aethiopia, grandfather and grandson. The better known Cepheus is the son of Agenor and grandson of the other Cepheus. He was married to Cassiopeia, with whom he had a beautiful daughter, Andromeda. At some point, his wife committed hubris by boasting that she and her daughter were more beautiful than the daughters of the sea god Nereus, the Nereids. This triggered the wrath of god Poseidon, who either flooded the lands of Aethiopia or sent a terrible sea creature called Cetus to ravage the coasts of the area. Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted an oracle on what they should do, and they were advised to sacrifice their daughter to Cetus in order to appease the god. They chained Andromeda to a rock close to the sea, but as Cetus drew close, the hero Perseus arrived in time to save her and kill the monster.

See Also: Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Cetus

Cepheus Q&A

Who was Cepheus?

In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the name of two kings in Aethiopia, grandfather and grandson. The better known Cepheus is the son of Agenor and grandson of the other Cepheus.

Link/Cite Cepheus Page

You can freely use the content on this page for non-commercial reasons (homework, lessons, school essays or college projects, free online courses) as long as you cite this page as the source.

Written by: The Editors of GreekMythology.com. GreekMythology.com editors write, review and revise subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge based on their working experience or advanced studies.

For MLA style citation use: GreekMythology.com, The Editors of Website. "Cepheus". GreekMythology.com Website, 15 Mar. 2015, https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Cepheus/cepheus.html. Accessed 19 March 2024.