Danaë

In Greek mythology, Danaë (/ˈdæn.i.iː/^[1] or /ˈdæn.ə.iː/ DAN-ə-ee, as personal name also /dəˈnaɪ/ də-NY, Greek: Δανάη Ancient: [daˈna.ɛː] Modern: [ðaˈna.i]) was the daughter, and only child of King Acrisius of Argos and his wife Queen Eurydice. She was the mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age.

Disappointed by his lack of male heirs, King Acrisius asked the oracle of Delphi if this would change. The oracle announced to him that he would never have a son, but his daughter would, and that he would be killed by his daughter's son. At the time, Danae was childless and, meaning to keep her so, King Acrisius shut her up in a bronze chamber to be constructed under the court of his palace (other versions say she was imprisoned in a tall brass tower with a single richly adorned chamber, but with no doors or windows, just a sky-light as the source of light and air). She was buried in this tomb, never to see the light again. However, Zeus, the king of the gods, desired her, and came to her in the form of golden rain which streamed in through the roof of the subterranean chamber and down into her womb. Soon after, their child Perseus was born.

Unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods or the Furies by killing his offspring and grandchild, King Acrisius cast Danaë and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. The sea was calmed by Poseidon and, at the request of Zeus, the pair survived. They were washed ashore on the island of Seriphos, where they were taken in by Dictys – the brother of King Polydectes – who raised Perseus to manhood. The King was charmed by Danaë, but she had no interest in him. Consequently, he agreed not to marry her only if her son would bring him the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Using Athena's shield, Hermes's winged sandals and Hades' helmet of invisibility, Perseus was able to evade Medusa's gaze and decapitate her.

Later, after Perseus brought back Medusa's head and rescued Andromeda, the oracle's prophecy came true. He started for Argos, but learning of the prophecy, instead went to Larissa, where athletic games were being held. By chance, an aging Acrisius was there and Perseus accidentally struck him on the head with his javelin (or discus), fulfilling the prophecy.

Gallery

• Danaë in art
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  Rembrandt's Danaë, c. 1636.

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  Danae by Alexandre Jacques Chantron, 1891.

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  Gustav Klimt's Danaë, 1907.

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  Danaë with Eros, 1544. This painting by Titian shows the youthful figure of Eros alongside Danaë. 120 cm × 172 cm. National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples

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  Correggio's Danaë, 1531–1532.

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  Léon Comerre's Danaë and the Shower of Gold, 1908.

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  Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller Danaë and the Shower of Gold, 1787

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  Danaë by Orazio Gentileschi

See also

• Danaë (disambiguation)#Art
• Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke
• Danae-class cruiser
• The asteroid 61 Danaë, named after her
• Danae - Literary character from the Elenium and the Tamuli series by David Eddings

References

Sources

• Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). "Danae" , Acri'sius

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danae.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Danae.

• Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (ca. 100 images of Danae)