Danaïdes

For the butterfly genus, seeDanaus (genus).

The Danaides(1904), aPre-Raphaeliteinterpretation byJohn William Waterhouse

InGreek mythology,theDanaïdes(/dəˈneɪ.ɪdiːz/;Greek:Δαναΐδες), alsoDanaidesorDanaids,were the fifty daughters ofDanaus,king of Libya. In theMetamorphoses,Ovidrefers to them as the Belides after their grandfatherBelus.They were to marry the50 sonsof Danaus' twin brotherAegyptus,a mythical king ofEgypt.In the most common version of the myth, all but one of them killed their husbands on their wedding night and are condemned to spend eternity carrying water in a sieve or perforated device. In theclassical tradition,they came to represent the futility of a repetitive task that can never be completed (see alsoSisyphusandOcnus).

Mythology

The Danaïdes kill their husbands, miniature byRobinet Testard.

Danaus did not want his daughters to go ahead with the marriages. He fled with them in the first boat toArgos,which is located inGreecenear the ancient city ofMycenae.Danaus agreed to the marriage of his daughters only after Aegyptus came to Argos with his fifty sons to protect the local population, theArgives,from any battles. The daughters were ordered by their father to kill their husbands on the first night of their weddings, and this they all did except for one,Hypermnestra,who spared her husbandLynceusbecause he respected her desire to remain avirgin.Danaus was angered that his daughter refused to do as he ordered and took her to the Argives courts. Lynceus killed Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers, and he and Hypermnestra started theDanaid Dynastyof rulers in Argos. In other versions of the myth, Danaus himself united Hypermnestra and Lynceus instead.

The other 49 daughters buried the heads of their bridegrooms inLernaand paid funeral honors to their bodies in front of the city. The godsAthenaandHermespurified them at the command of Zeus. Afterward, they remarried by choosing their mates in footraces (or their father bestowed them to the victors of the athletic contest). Some accounts tell that their punishment inTartaruswas being forced to carry a jug to fill a bathtub (pithos) without a bottom (or with a leak) to wash their sins off. Because the water constantly leaked, they would forever try to fill the tub. This myth is probably connected with a ceremony concerning the worship of waters, and the Danaïdes were water-nymphs.

The Danaïds and their husbands

Apollodorus

The list in theBibliothecapreserves not only the names of brides and grooms but also those of their mothers. A lot was cast among the sons of Aegyptus to decide which of the Danaids each should marry, except for those daughters born to Memphis who were joined by their namesakes, the sons of Tyria. According toHippostratus,Danaus had all these progenies begotten by a single woman, Europa, the daughter of Nilus.

Apollodorus' List of Danaids

No.	Danaids	Mother	Aegyptus' Sons	Mother	No.	Danaids	Mother	Aegyptus' Sons	Mother
1	Hypermnestra	Elephantis	Lynceus	Argyphia	26	Chrysippe	Memphis	Chrysippus	Tyria
2	Gorgophone		Proteus		27	Autonoe	Polyxo,a naiad	Eurylochus	Caliadne,a naiad
3	Automate	Europe	Busiris		28	Theano		Phantes
4	Amymone		Enceladus		29	Electra		Peristhenes
5	Agave		Lycus		30	Cleopatra (different one)		Hermus
6	Scaea		Daiphron		31	Eurydice		Dryas
7	Hippodamia	Atlanteiaor ofPhoebe, theHamadryads	Istrus	Arabianwoman	32	Glaucippe		Potamon
8	Rhodia		Chalcodon		33	Antheleia		Cisseus
9	Cleopatra		Agenor		34	Cleodore		Lixus
10	Asteria		Chaetus		35	Evippe (different one)		Imbrus
11	Hippodamia (different one)		Diocorystes		36	Erato		Bromius
12	Glauce		Alces		37	Stygne		Polyctor
13	Hippomedusa		Alcmenor		38	Bryce		Chthonius
14	Gorge		Hippothous		39	Actaea	Pieria	Periphas	Gorgo
15	Iphimedusa		Euchenor		40	Podarce		Oeneus
16	Rhode		Hippolytus		41	Dioxippe		Aegyptus
17	Pirene	Ethiopianwoman	Agaptolemus	Phoenicianwoman	42	Adite		Menalces
18	Dorion		Cercetes		43	Ocypete		Lampus
19	Phartis		Eurydamas		44	Pylarge		Idmon
20	Mnestra		Aegius		45	Hippodice	Herse	Idas	Hephaestine
21	Evippe		Argius		46	Adiante		Daiphron (different one)
22	Anaxibia		Archelaus		47	Callidice	Crino	Pandion
23	Nelo		Menemachus		48	Oeme		Arbelus
24	Clite	Memphis	Clitus	Tyria	49	Celaeno		Hyperbius
25	Sthenele		Sthenelus		50	Hyperippe		Hippocorystes

Hyginus

Hyginus' listis partially corrupt, and some of the names are nearly illegible. Nevertheless, this catalog has almost nothing in common with that of Pseudo-Apollodorus. Names with the (†) symbol mean corrupted entries but annotations from various editors were provided to rationalize their possible names.

Hyginus' List of Danaids

No.	Danaïdes	Aegyptus' Sons	No.	Danaïdes	Aegyptus' Sons
1	Idea†	Antimachus	26	Autodice	Clytus
2	Philomela	Panthius	27	Polyxena	Aegyptus
3	Scylla	Proteus	28	Hecabe	Dryas
4	Phicomone†	Plexippus	29	Acamantis or Achamantis †	Echomius †
5	Evippe	?	30	Arsalte †	Ephialtes
6	?	?	31	Monuste †	Eurysthenes †
7	?	Agenor	32	Amymone	Midamus †
8	Demoditas	?	33	Helice	Evideas †
9	?	Chrysippus	34	Amoeme or Oeme	Polydector
10	Hyale†	Perius	35	Polybe	Itonomus †
11	Trite	Enceladus	36	Helicta †	Cassus
12	Damone†	Amyntor	37	Electra	Hyperantus †
13	Hippothoe(possibly Hypothoe)	Obrimus(possibly Bromius)	38	Eubule	Demarchus
14	Myrmidone	Mineus†(possiblyOeneus)	39	Daplidice †	Pugnon †
15	Eurydice	Canthus	40	Hero	Andromachus
16	Cleo	Asterius	41	Europome †	Atlites or Athletes †
17	Arcania†	Xanthus	42	Pyrantis †	Plexippus
18	Cleopatra	Metalces	43	Critomedia	Antipaphus
19	Philea †	Philinas	44	Pirene	Dolichus
20	Hyparete	Protheon	45	Eupheme or Eupheno †	Hyperbius
21	Chrysothemis	Asterides †	46	Themistagora	Podasimus
22	Pyrante	Athamas	47	Celaeno	Aristonoos †
23	Armo †	asbus †	48	Itea †	Antiochus
24	Glaucippe	Niavius †	49	Erato †	Eudaemon
25	Demophile	Pamphilus	50	Hypermnestra	Lynceus

Ellis

A third list was provided by the English antiquarian,Henry Ellis,which was derived from Hyginus. The names of the Danaïdes were complete but with new entries and some alterations in the spellings.It can be observed that the names Armoaste and Danaes (Danais) were an addition to complete the list, while Scea (Scaea) and Autonomes (Automate), which were borrowed from Apollodorus' accounts were also added.

Comparison of Hyginus' and Ellis' List of Danaids

Hyginus		Ellis	Hyginus		Ellis	Hyginus		Ellis	Hyginus		Ellis	Hyginus		Ellis
1	Mideaor Idea	Idea	11	Trite	Trite	21	Chrysothemis	Chrysothemis	31	Monuste	Monuste	41	Europome	Europomene
2	Philomela	Philomela	12	Damone	Damone	22	Pyrante	Heranta	32	Amymone	Amimone	42	Pyrantis	Chrysanta
3	Scylla	Scillo	13	Hippothoe	Hippothoe	23	?	Armoaste	33	Helice	Helice	43	Critomedia	Critomedia
4	(Am)Phicomone	Phicomene	14	Myrmidone	Mirmidone	24	Glaucippe	Glaucippe	34	Oeme	Amaome	44	Pirene	Pyrene
5	Evippe	Euippe	15	Eurydice	Euridice	25	Demophile	Demophile	35	Polybe	Polybe	45	Eupheme	Eupheno
6	?	Danaes	16	Cleo	Chleo	26	Autodice	Autodice	36	Helicta	Helicte	46	Themistagora	Themistagora
7	?	Scea	17	Arcadia or Arcania	Vrania	27	Polyxena	Polyxena	37	Electra	Electra	47	Celaeno	Paleno
8	Demoditas	Demoditas	18	Cleopatra	Cleopatra	28	Hecabe	Hecate	38	Eubule	Eubule	48	Itea	Itea
9	?	Autonomes	19	Phila or Philae	Phylea	29	Acamantis	Achamantis	39	Daplidice	Daphildice	49	Erato	Erato
10	Hyale	Hyale	20	Hipparete	Hypareta	30	Arsalte	Arsalte	40	Hero	Hero	50	Hypermnestra	Hypermnestra

Other Danaïdes

Several minor female characters mentioned in various accounts unrelated to the central myth of Danaus and the Danaïdes are also referred to as daughters of Danaus. These include:

• Archedice, along with her sister Helice and two others, chosen by lot by the rest, had founded the temple of LindianAthenewhere they made offerings onLindosinRhodes.
• Anaxithea,mother ofOlenusbyZeus.
• Amphimedusa,mother ofErythrasbyPoseidon
• Eurythoe,one of the possible mothers ofOenomausbyAres;alternatively, mother ofHippodamiabyOenomaus
• Hippe,who, like her sister Amymone, gave her name to a freshwater source
• Hippodamia, mother ofOlenusbyZeus.(Maybe the same as the above Anaxithea)
• Isonoeor Isione orHesione,mother ofOrchomenusorChrysesby Zeus.
• Kamira
• Phaethusa,one of the possible mothers ofMyrtilusbyHermes
• Phylodameia,mother ofPharisby Hermes
• Physadeia,who, like her sister Amymone, gave her name to a freshwater source
• Polydora,nymph-mother ofDryops (Oeta)by the river godSpercheus
• Side,mythicaleponymof a town inLaconia

Modern literature

John William Waterhouse,The Danaïdes(1906),Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums Collection

The Daughters of Danausis also the title of an 1894 novel byMona Caird,also dealing with imposed marriage although, in this case, it is a single marriage instead of 50, and in 19th-century Great Britain.

In 1910,the Hungarian poetMihály Babitspublished his poemThe Danaids,translated into English by Peter Zollmanand István Tótfalusi.

Magda Szabó's1964 novel,A Danaida(The Danaid), is about a woman who lives selfishly for two-thirds of her life without realizing that even she can change the course of history.

Le châtiment des Danaïdesis an essay by the French-Canadian authorHenri Paul Jacquestheapplying the Freudian concept of psychoanalysis to studying the punishment imposed on the Danaïdes after they committed their crimes.

InMonday Begins on Saturday,it is mentioned that the Danaïdes had their case reviewed in modern times, and, due to mitigating circumstances (the marriage being forced), had their punishment changed to laying down and then immediately demolishingasphalt.

See also

• Names of the Greeks(Danaans)
• Las Danaides,Alameda Central, Mexico City

References

• Antoninus Liberalis,The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalistranslated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992).Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Apollodorus,The Librarywith an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website.
• Callimachus.Hymns,translated by Alexander William Mair (1875–1928). London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1921.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Clement of Alexandria,RecognitionsfromAnte-NiceneLibrary Volume 8,translated by Smith, Rev. Thomas. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh. 1867.Online version at theio.com.
• Hyginus,Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginustranslated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• John Tzetzes,Book of Histories,Books VII-VIII translated by Vasiliki Dogani from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826.Online version at theio.com.
• Pausanias,Description of Greecewith an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.ISBN0-674-99328-4.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias,Graeciae Descriptio.3 vols.Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.