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to stop in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia he found that the kingdom of King Cepheus was being ravaged by a sea creature, the Ceto, as punishment from Poseidon. Queen Cassiopeia had claimed that she was more beautiful than the god's offspring, the Nereids. To placate the sea monster Cepheus was forced to offer his daughter, Andromeda, as a sacrifice. Thus it was fastened to a rock that Perseus first cast eyes on the beautiful Andromeda. Perseus made use of Medusa's head as a weapon turning Ceto to stone, setting Andromeda free, and claiming her as his bride.

At the subsequent wedding feast, Perseus was once again forced to use the head of the Gorgon. Phineus, a formed suitor of Andromeda, wanted the princess for himself, he though and his followers were turned to stone by the gaze of the decapitated Medusa.

The magic wallet though seems to have been damaged and as Perseus and Adnromeda continued their way back to Seriphos, Medusa's blood leaked out. The drops of bloods landed on the deserts of Northern Africa, creating the poisonous snakes that now inhabit the area. Blood also dripped into the Red Sea where it created the coral found there today.

Eventually though Perseus arrived back at Seriphos, where he found his mother was being abused by Polydectes, either in a forced marriage or in servitude. Perseus made one last use of the head of Medusa, and entering the court of Polydectes turned all those present into stone. Stone boulders remain on the island; these are identified as being the remains of the court's inhabitants.

With his quest now completed Perseus returned the sandals, sword and helmet to Hermes. The head of Medusa though was given to Athena, who placed it on her own shield to act as a protective element in her future battles.

With one quest over though, the story of Perseus was not at an end. Perseus went on to found the city of Mycenae, and there is some historical evidence to suggest that there was a Greek called Perseus who did just this, although there was probably more to it than the myth about the dropping of his cap on the city site. Perseus and Andromeda made the city there home, although it may have existed before hand. The walls were built up and it became a fortified city on the Peloponnesian peninsula, and one of the most important city states of the whole of Greece, long before Sparta and Athens reached their peaks.

Perseus and Andromeda went on to have seven sons and two daughters. The sons were; Perses, who became ancestor of all Persian emperors;

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