The Cetus was a ferocious sea monster, created by Poseidon, god of the sea, to avenge an insult to the Greek gods. The Cetus ravaged the city of Joppa, killing everything in its path. The monster was finally defeated, and the kingdom saved, by the hero Perseus.
Three of a Kind: According to legend, the Cetus had front legs like a dog, a bloated body like a whale or dolphin and a serpent-like tail that was split at the end.
Double Threat: Although it was created by the god of the sea and lived in the water, the Cetus was amphibious. It could survive on land as well as water.
Watch What You Say[]
Andromeda, daughter of king Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, was the princess of Joppa. Her mother was very boastful and once bragged that Andromeda was more beautiful than any goddess or sea nymph. When Poseidon heard of this insult, he sent the Cetus to destroy the queen's land and people. After consulting with an oracle, the king found out that the only way to stop the Cetus was to sacrifice his daughter to the monster.
Look at the Bones! Roman scholars claimed they saw the skeleton of the Cetus in Rome. It measured 40 feet long and had vertebrae that were 6 feet around. Modern scholars think that the bones were probably the remains of a beached whale.
Help from Above[]
Perseus was returning from his battle with the gorgon Medusa when he came across Andromeda chained to a rock awaiting her fate. He was riding the winged horse Pegasus and carrying the head of the gorgon in a cloak, because any living creature that saw the face of Medusa was immediately turned to stone. When the Cetus came for Andromeda, Perseus rode up to the monster and held Medusa's head up to its eyes. The Cetus turned to stone, and broke into pieces and fell back into the sea.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- Unlike most Monsters of the Mind cards, who use their "Legendary Origin" section to describe the type and region their myth/legend originates from, the Cetus's "Legendary Origin" instead gives it's in-mythos origin.
- The Cetus is mentioned on the Gorgons card, describing the story summarized in "Help From Above".
- Poseidon's name is misspelled as "Posiedon" on the trading card.
- Cetus is one of the only cards to not have a captioned image on the top left of the back of its knowledge card.