A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

ANDROMEDA,

the Daughter of Ce∣pheus, King of Aethiopia, and Cassiope, who was so rash and presumptuous to dispute with Juno and the Nereides for Beauty; to punish this Sauciness, her Daughter was condemn'd to be expos'd naked upon a Rock to be devour'd by a Sea-monster, but she was rescu'd by Perseus, (who flew through the Air with the Wings which Mi∣nerva lent him to fight against the Gorgons, and who, by the help of the Buckler of that God∣dess, wherein he saw the Image of Medusa as in a Looking-glass, had taken her by the Hair and cut off her Head, and then escap'd, while her Sisters were asleep,) for as he was on his Return on the Coasts of Aethiopia, he saw An∣dromeda just ready to be devour'd by the Mon∣ster, and being mov'd with Love as well as Pity for the Misfortune of such a fair Unfor∣tunate, turn'd the Monster into stone by shew∣ing it the Head of Medusa, after he had stun'd it with a Blow of his Sword; then loosing the Virgin, who was ty'd half naked to the Rock, he help'd her to get down the steep Precipice, and carry'd her back to her Father, who, to reward him, gave her to him in Marriage.

Lucian gives us a further Description of this History, in his Commendation of an House; Behold, says he, Perseus, who slew a Sea-monster and rescu'd Andromeda: Consider how in a small space the Painter has well express'd the Fear and Modesty of this young Fair one, who all naked view'd the Combat from an high Rock. Consider the terrible

Looks of the Monster, who come to devour her, and the amorous Courage of the Hero. See how he held up his Buckler against the Monster, which turned him into stone by the force of Medusa's Look, whilst he gave him a full Blow upon his Head with a Back∣sword.

The History of Andromeda may be compar'd to that of Iphigenia. Andromeda being expos'd to a Sea-monster, to expiate for the Pride of her Mo∣ther, who prefer'd her own Beauty before that of the Nymphs, she was deliver'd from it by Perseus, who marry'd her after he had slain the Monster. This Perseus is nothing else but an Horseman, accor∣ding to the signification of the Hebrew word Pha∣ras, Equus. The place where Andromeda was ex∣pos'd is Joppa, or Japha, upon the Coasts of Phoenicia, as Pliny says, In quo vinculorum Andro∣medae vestigia ostendunt.

The same Author assures us, that the prodi∣gious Bones of this Fish to which Andromeda was expos'd, were carry'd by Scaurus of Joppa to Rome; Belluae, cui dicebatur fuisse exposita Andro∣mede, ossae Romae apportata ex oppido Judaeae Joppe, ostendit inter reliqua miracula in aedilitate suâ M. Scanrus. 'Tis evident that it was some Whale, taken at Joppa, whose Skeleton Scaurus shew'd at Rome; and that he might make his new Story more plausible, he set it off with the old Fable of Andromeda. Vossius is of opinion that this Sea-monster to whom Andromeda was ex∣pos'd, and from whom Perseus deliver'd her, was nothing else but a Ship, or the Captain of a Ship, who had such a Monster for his Flag, and courted Andromeda, to marry her.