Birth of Perseus II

Now we pause our story to visit the fair land of Joppa, Ethiopia. Here is the kingdom of the Ethiopian is ruled by King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia wasn't exactly the smart woman (Sarah Palin of the Ancient Greece), and boasted that she and Andromeda, her daughter, were more beautiful than the Nereids. This didn't make the Nereids too happy and they complained about the insult to their lord, Poseidon, Lord of the Sea. Poseidon wasn't very pleased about the lack of respect shown his subjects, and sent a flood and a female sea-monster to wreck havoc on the country. Cepheus consulted the Oracle of Zeus, who told him to sacrifice a young woman. For a while he sacrificed the daughters of others, but eventually the time came when Andromeda, his own daughter was chosen. He didn't want to consign his daughter to death, but he didn't have much choice, because the monster was returning. Therefore, he left her chained to a rock jutting from the sea; she was naked but for some jewels. Now, Andromeda was already engaged to a noble named Agenor, but Agenor was a pussy, and never even tried to stand up for his fiancĂ©.
Male representation of  Princess Andromeda
So, Perseus is flying across the world. He made a couple of stops, made some sacrifices, but as he rounded the coast of Philistia he saw this beautiful naked woman chained to a cliff. Hmmmmm. Real hard to imagine what must have gone through his head (lol). The young hero noticed an anxious looking royal couple near the rock, and swooped down for a brief chat. They explained the situation to him, and Perseus responded that he would rescue her if they would give him Andromeda's hand in marriage and allow her to return to Greece with him. They agreed and he took to the air, dove into the sea, and beheaded the monster as it came for the maiden (some stories say he turn the creature to stone).
Upon returning to land he made sacrifices to Hermes, Athena, and Zeus for their help is killing Medusa, and, on Andromeda's insistence (for she loved Perseus as much as he loved her) had the wedding immediately. The post-wedding party was crashed by her ex, Agenor claiming Andromeda for himself. Perseus put up a good fight on his own, but in the end was forced to use Medusa's head and turn them all to stone.
Perseus and Andromeda hurried back to Seriphos and found that the treacherous King Polydectes had indeed gone after Danae, and that she and Dictys were hiding in a temple. Perseus went straight to the palace and proclaimed he had brought his wedding gift. Perseus, shielding his eyes, pulled out the head and turned  the wicked king and his court to stone (there is still a circle of stones in Seriphos). After that he gave Medusa's head to Athena, saying that he couldn't deal with the responsibility, and returned the other gifts to Hermes who, in turn, returned them to their rightful owners. Dictys took over the throne.
Perseus, Andromeda and Danae( Perseus even recruited First Cyclopes to help him) decided it was time to return to Argos. Acrisius, hearing of their return, fled to Pelasgian Larissa. Unfortunately, while he was there, the King of Larissa invited Perseus to the funeral games being held, and Perseus' discus was carried out of its path and struck Acrisius, killing him. Perseus returned to Argos and buried his grandfather, but could not feel right about ruling there, so he and his cousin (the son of Proetus) switched kingdoms and Perseus began ruling Tiryns and Midea and founded his capital city, Mycenae.

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