Cepheus

Oil on canvas, work by Pierre Mignard: The Liberation of Andromeda (La Délivrance d'Andromède1679).

Cepheus (Greek Κεφεύς; Cepheus), in Greek mythology, was the son of Belo (who in turn was the son of Poseidon) and Anquinoe. Others instead imagined him as the son of Agénor, or of the eponymous Phoenix. Cepheus was the father of Andromeda and husband of Cassiopeia. Together they ruled over the Cephens, a people who were sometimes located in Ethiopia, sometimes on the banks of the Euphrates River, and sometimes in Joppa or Yope, in Palestine or Phoenicia. The three characters form a central part of the myth of Perseus and Andromeda. On his death the throne passed to Perses, the eldest son of Perseus and Andromeda.

In one version, Cepheus is even referred to as Yásida, making him a descendant of the king of Argos, Yaso, at the time the father of Io. In the same way, his wife Cassiopeia is also referred to as Yope, thus making her the eponym of Phoenician people, as well as one of the daughters of Aeolus.

Like the rest of the main characters in this story, Cepheus gives his name to a constellation in the northern hemisphere. Likewise, the name of the lunar crater Cepheus commemorates this mythical character.

Greek myth

Because of the vanity of Queen Cassiopeia, who had said she was more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon sent a flood and the sea monster Ceto against the kingdom. The oracle of Amun predicted that the misfortunes would cease when his daughter, Andromeda, was offered as food for the monster. Cepheus chained Andromeda to a rock but before the appearance of the monster Perseus appeared, who killed the monster and freed Andromeda.