Cassiopeia

The tale of Cassiopeia is a story of pride and its consequences. As queen of Aethiopia, Cassiopeia made a fateful boast, claiming that either she or her daughter Andromeda surpassed even the Nereids in beauty. These sea nymphs, daughters of the god Nereus, were renowned for their extraordinary beauty, and such a claim was considered dangerous hubris.

The boast enraged Poseidon, god of the seas, who decided to punish the kingdom of Aethiopia for their queen's vanity. Some versions say he flooded the entire country, while others tell that he sent the fearsome sea monster Cetus to ravage the coastline. Desperate to save their realm, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia sought guidance from an oracle, who delivered a terrible pronouncement: only by sacrificing their daughter Andromeda could they appease the angry sea gods.

Following this decree, the princess Andromeda was chained to a seaside rock, left to face death at the hands of Cetus. However, fate intervened in the form of Perseus, who slew the monster, rescued Andromeda, and took her as his bride.

Yet Poseidon felt Cassiopeia's punishment was incomplete. As a lasting reminder of her transgression, he placed her among the stars as a constellation. In this celestial form, she sits chained to a throne that some say resembles an instrument of torture, eternally circling the northern sky. Over time, different cultural interpretations have modified her image - some depictions show her clutching a mirror, emphasizing her vanity, while others portray her holding a palm frond, though she remains forever fixed in the heavens as a warning against the dangers of pride.