The Danaid

The Danaans of Argos and the House of Perseus

The Greek World

Hellas

The Peloponnese

• The Argolid/ Argolis

Inachus

• First priest-king of Argos• Chose Hera over Poseidon• Father of Phoroneus by a mortal woman• Phoroneus had a daughter, Niobe• By Zeus, Niobe had two sons, Pelasgus and Argus.

From Argos…Ocean = Tethys

Inachus = Melia

Phoroneus Aegialeus

Apis Niobe = Zeus

Argus Pelasgus

Pelasgus

• Son of Niobe and Zeus• Founder of the Pelasgian people• Received Demeter in her search for Core• His son, Triptolemus, was first to sow seeds for cultivation• His son Lycaon was king of Arcadia

Arcadia

Niobe = Zeus

Pelasgus Argus

Lycaon

• Lycaon had fifty sons• Practiced human sacrifice• Zeus turned them all into wolves

• Wolf-man legend (Pausanias viii.2.6)

• Lycaon also had a daughter, Callisto

Callisto• Daughter of Lycaon• Companion of Artemis• Swore to remain a virgin• Zeus raped Callisto - turned her into a bear• Artemis killed her for loosing her virginity• Or• Arcas killed her• Callisto became Ursa Major, Arcas Ursa Minor

Niobe = Zeus

Lycaon

Zeus = Callisto

Argus Pelasgus

Arcas

Diana and Callisto• Gaetano Gandolfi• 1780’s• Image courtesy of

Wikimedia Commons

From Argos…

Ocean = Tethys

Inachus = Melia

Phoroneus Aegialeus

Apis Niobe = Zeus

Argus Pelasgus

Io

Niobe = Zeus

Evadne = Argus Pelasgus

Ecbasus

Iassus

Io

Io• Zeus attempted to seduce Io• Hera was jealous of Io, so Zeus turned her into a

white cow• Hera gave the cow to Argus, son of Niobe• Zeus sent Hermes to kill Argus

• Hera made his eyes the tail of the peacock

• Hera sent a fly to torment Io• Io fled to Egypt, guided by Hermes

• Where she returned to a woman

Juno discovering Jupiter with IoPieter Lastman, ca. 1600

Copyright 2000 National Gallery, London

• Argus, slain by Hermes

Journey of Io

Io in Egypt• Io becomes the priestess of Isis• Gives birth to Epaphus• Epaphus m. Memphis, daughter of Nile

• Becomes king of Egypt and founds Memphis

Egyptian Connection

Zeus = Io

Epaphus = Memphis

Poseidon = Libya Lysianassa

Belus Agenor = Telephassa

Children of Libya

• Agenor migrated to Phoenicia• Egyptus had 50 sons• Danaus had 50 Daughters

• Fled to Argos, became king

Libya = Poseidon

Agenor Belus

Egyptus Danaus

The Peloponnese

• The Argolid/ Argolis

Aeschylus, Suppliant Women

• Early Greek Tragedy• Little in the way of plot• Set pieces focussing on the main theme of a well known story

• Produced in 459 BC.• Athens and Sparta are at war• Corinth and Epidaurus fight on the side of Sparta• Athens is aiding an Egyptian rebellion

The FirstPeloponnesian War

Aeschylus, Suppliant Women

• Egyptus and Danaus• Egyptus, king of Egypt• 50 Daughters each.

• Danaus and his daughters arrive in Argos• Themes:

• Line 144: invocation of Athena• Line 340ff: the king’s duty to the suppliants and opposed to his duty to

protect his city.• Lines 274 – 326, The Test.

The Danaids

• Danaus• Secured their protection in Argos• Sons of Egyptus attack the city.• Agreed to the marriage to end the war

• The Daughters• Each ordered to kill their husbands

• Hypermnestra• Refused to kill Lynceus

The Danaides by John William Waterhouse 1903

• Danaus had no sons and was succeeded by his son in law, Lynceus, son of Egyptus

• Acrisius and Proetus warred over the kingdom• First to invent shields

Danaus

Abas = Aglaia

Eurydice = Acrisius Proetus

Lacedaemon = Sparta

Hypermnestra = Lynceus

Egyptus

Proetus

• Lost the war• Fled to Lycia in Asia Minor• Married Antea (Stheneboea), the daughter of king Iobates of

Lycia• The woman who tried to wreak vengeance on Bellerophon (See

Aetolian Saga)

• Returned to Greece with a Lycian force and established Tiryns

Proetus

Tiryns:Where Hermes concealed the cattle of Apollo

• Acrisius warned about a son to overthrow him• Danae seduced by Proetus or Zeus

• Zeus came to her as a shower of gold• Acrisius cast Danae and Perseus to sea• Perseus raised by Dictys of Seriphos

Abas = Aglaia

Eurydice = Acrisius Proetus = Stheneboea

Zeus = Danae Lysippe Iphinoe IphianassaPerseus

Alexader Jacques Chantron (1891)

Seriphos

Perseus

• Polydectes, king of Seriphos• Sent Perseus to fetch the head of Medusa• Nymphs gave Perseus winged sandals, a bag and the helmet of Hades to

make him invisible• Athena gave Perseus a mirror• Hermes gave him a sickle

• Perseus cut off the head of Medusa• Looking at her only through the mirror

Perseus statue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Antonio Canova• 1806

• Apollo Belvedere• Vatican Museum• A Roman (2nd cent AD) copy of a

Greek original by Leochares (ca. 325 BC).

• Adorned the palace of Cardinal Guilano della Rovere.

• Became Pope Julius II (1503 – 1513)• Statue moved to Vatican in 1508.

Perseus chasing Medusa

Perseus at Argos

• With Medusa’s head:• Perseus travelled to Ethiopia• Met and married Andromeda• Turned Polydectes to stone• Gave Medusa’s head to Athena

• Returned to Argos:• Killed Acrisius• Became king of Tiryns• Founded Mycenae

Oops.

Perseus and Andromeda

Pierre Mignard1679

Perseus and Andromeda

Raphael1774-79

Perseus and AthenaFrom the temple of

Palatine Apollo in Rome

• Perseus succeeded at Mycenae by Electryon• Alcaeus founded Troezen• Perses established Persia

Perseus = Andromeda

Perses Mestor AclaeusSthenelusElectryonHeleus Gorgophone

Mycenae

Troezen

• Amphitryon killed Electryon• Sthenelus became king – banished Amphitryon• Amphitryon and Alcmeme went to Thebes

Perseus = Andromeda

Perses

Mestor AclaeusSthenelus

Electryon =

Heleus

Gorgophone Anaxo

Alcmene = Amphitryon

• Zeus raped Alcmene (disguised as Amphitryon)• Sthenelus’ wife, Nicippe was also pregnant.

Perseus = Andromeda

Perses

Mestor AclaeusSthenelus

Electryon =

Heleus

Gorgophone Anaxo

Alcmene = AmphitryonEurystheus

Heracles

Birth of Heracles

• Zeus:• “This day, the ruler of the race of Perseus will be born!”• Hera delayed the birth of Heracles and aided the birth of Eurystheus,

son of Sthenelus.• Eurystheus became king of the Argives