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• Divine Riddles 70 – 71.

• Received Demeter in her search for Core• Divine Riddles 43 – 51 (excuse the error on p. 51).

• 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

• 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

Peloponnese

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

• 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

Lycia

• 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 = DanaeLysippe Iphinoe Iphianassa

Perseus

Alexader Jacques Chantron (1891)

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

• Apollo Belvedere

• Vatican Museum

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

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 AclaeusSthenelus

ElectryonHeleus Gorgophone

Mycenae

Troezen

Tiryns

• 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