ANDROMEDA AND THE SEA-MONSTER
As Perseus journeyed over land and sea on his great quest, he often
thought of the dear mother he had left in Seriphus. Now that his task
was done he longed to fly over the blue waters of the Mediterranean
to see her, to know that she was safe from the cruel King Polydectes.
But the gods had work for Perseus to do before he might return to his
island home.
Again and again the lad struggled against wind and rain, trying ever
to fly in the direction of Seriphus, but again and again he was beaten
back.
Faint and weary he grew, tired too of striving, so that he thought he
would die in the desert through which he was passing.
Then all at once it flashed across his mind that Hermes had told him
that as long as he wore the winged sandals he could not lose his way.
New courage stole into his heart as he remembered the words of the god,
and soon he found that he was being carried with the wind toward some
high mountains. Among them he caught sight of a Titan or giant named
Atlas, who had once tried to dethrone Zeus, and who for his daring had
been doomed to stand,
‘Supporting on his shoulders the vast pillar
Of Heaven and Earth, a weight of cumbrous grasp.’
The face of Atlas was pale with the mighty burden he bore, and which
he longed to lay down. As he caught sight of Perseus he thought that
perhaps the stranger would be able to help him, for he knew what
Perseus carried in his magic bag. So as he drew near Atlas cried to
him, ‘Hasten, Perseus, and let me look upon the Gorgon’s face, that I
may no longer feel this great weight upon my shoulders.’
Then in pity Perseus drew from the magic bag the head of Medusa, and
held it up before the eyes of Atlas. In a moment the giant was changed
into stone, or rather into a great rugged mountain, which ever since
that day has been known as the Atlas Mountain.
The winged sandals then bore Perseus on until he reached a dark and
desolate land. So desolate it was that it seemed to him that the gods
had forsaken it, or that it had been blighted by the sins of mortals.
In this island lived Queen Cassiopeia with her daughter Andromeda.
Cassiopeia was beautiful, but instead of thanking the gods for their
gift of beauty, she used to boast of it, saying that she was fairer
than the nymphs of the sea.
So angry were the nymphs when they heard this, that they sent a
terrible monster to the island, which laid it waste, and made it dark
and desolate as Perseus had seen.
The island folk sent to one of their temples to ask what they could do
to free their island from the presence of the sea-serpent.
‘This monster has been sent to punish Cassiopeia for her vain boast,’
was the answer. ‘Bid her sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to the
sea-serpent, then will the nymphs remove the curse from your homes.’
Andromeda was fair and good, and the people loved her well, so that
they were greatly grieved at the oracle. Yet if they did not give up
their princess their homes would be ruined, their children would perish
before their eyes.
So while the queen shut herself up in her palace to weep, the people
took the beautiful maiden down to the shore and chained her fast to a
great rock. Then slowly, sorrowfully, they went away, leaving her a
prey to the terrible monster.
As Perseus drew nearer to the sea he saw the maiden. The next moment
he was gazing in horror at the sea-serpent, as with open, hungry jaws
it approached its victim.
Quick as lightning Perseus drew his sword and swooped down toward the
monster, at the same moment holding before him the head of Medusa.
As the eyes of the serpent fell upon that awful sight, it slipped
backward, and before Perseus could use his sword, it was changed into a
rock, a great black rock. And if you go to the shore of the Levant you
may see it still, surrounded by the blue waters of the Mediterranean.