Let them measure their strength against mine! But tell me, maiden, who you are, and what dark fate brought you here.' And she answered, weeping-- 'I am the daughter of Cepheus, King of Iopa, and my mother is Cassiopoeia of the beautiful tresses, and they called me Andromeda, as long as life was mine.

And I stand bound here, hapless that I am, for the sea-monster's food, to atone for my mother's sin.

For she boasted of me once that I was fairer than Atergatis, Queen of the Fishes; so she in her wrath sent the sea-floods, and her brother the Fire King sent the earthquakes, and wasted all the land, and after the floods a monster bred of the slime, who devours all living things.

And now he must devour me, guiltless though I am--me who never harmed a living thing, nor saw a fish upon the shore but I gave it life, and threw it back into the sea; for in our land we eat no fish, for fear of Atergatis their queen.

Yet the priests say that nothing but my blood can atone for a sin which I never committed.' But Perseus laughed, and said, 'A sea-monster?
I have fought with worse than him: I would have faced Immortals for your sake; how much more a beast of the sea ?' Then Andromeda looked up at him, and new hope was kindled in her breast, so proud and fair did he stand, with one hand round her, and in the other the glittering sword.