Daughters of the king Danae. In Greek myth, the daughters of King Danaus, for killing their husbands after death, were condemned by the gods to forever fill a bottomless barrel with water in the underworld. How are you? See what "Danaids" are in other dictionaries

Danae, Greek - daughter of the Argive king and his wife Eurydice, mother of Perseus.

She was so beautiful, and most importantly, she had such beautiful legs that Zeus himself fell in love with her and wished to have a son from her. On the other hand, Danae's father was predicted that he would die at the hands of his grandson, and therefore Acrisius imprisoned Danae in a dungeon, away from men. To get to her, Zeus showed all his ingenuity and omnipotence: he turned into golden rain, poured through the cracks in the ceiling into Danae’s underground prison and after the allotted time became the father of Perseus, the future hero.

Having learned that his grandson had been born after all, Acrisius ordered Danae and his son to be hammered into a large box and thrown into the sea. But the son of Zeus and his mother were not destined to drown. Sea waves washed the box to the island of Serif (Cyclades archipelago), where it was caught by the fisherman Dictys, brother of the Serif king Polydectes. Polydectes began to show the beautiful Danae all kinds of attentions, especially when he learned that she was the beloved of Zeus himself. Although Danae made it clear to him that she was, to put it mildly, indifferent to him, Polydectes persistently continued his advances, confident in his irresistibility. For many years he promised her all sorts of benefits, including his hand, but was invariably refused. Finally, losing patience, Polydectes was ready to resort to violence, but by this time Perseus could already stand up for his mother.


Here even Polydectes realized that he needed to get rid of Perseus. Apparently doubting the divine origin of Perseus, Polydectes provoked the young man to declare that he was capable of performing a feat that was beyond the capabilities of an ordinary mortal. Then Polydectes sent him for the head of the Gorgon Medusa, confident that an attempt to fulfill this order would cost the head of Perseus himself.

However, thanks to his courage and the help of the gods, Perseus fulfilled this assignment (more on this in the corresponding article) and returned to Serif at the right time. His mother had to hide from the persistent Polydectes in the temple of Zeus, surrounded by royal soldiers, ready to grab Danae at the first opportunity and take her to the king. While waiting for Danae to be brought, Polydectes meanwhile feasted in the palace with his friends. However, instead of Danae, he suddenly saw Perseus, who declared that he had completed his assignment. The appearance of Perseus frightened the king: he thought that Perseus had died long ago. However, he quickly came to his senses and with a mocking laugh invited Perseus to present evidence. These were his last words. Perseus turned away, took Medusa's head out of his bag - and at that same moment Polydectes and all the feasting people turned into stone.


Having given the rule of Serif to Polydectes' brother Dictys, Perseus returned with his mother to his native Argos. Acrisius hastened to escape from there as soon as he heard about their return, and Danae lived calmly and happily until her death in the castle, in the underground prison of which she spent her youth.

This is the most famous version of the myth, processed by Ovid in Metamorphoses. According to Virgil (in the Aeneid), the box with Danae and Perseus sailed not to Serif at all, but to the Italian shores, where it was caught by the Latin king Pilumnus, who later married Danae. Together they founded the city of Ardea, where their son Dawn was born, the future father of the Rutulian king Turnus.

Unfortunately, ancient images of Danae do not help us appreciate her beauty, which captivated Zeus himself. And on vases (three of them are in St. Petersburg), and on a Roman copy of a Hellenistic statue of the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC e., which has long been considered the image of Alcmene, - everywhere Danae looks no better and no worse than any other woman.

The first European artist to depict Danae was Mabus (early 16th century), but in his work she was confined to a tower with rather large windows. Correggio and Tintoretto portrayed her as a seductive beauty, most other European masters followed their example; only Burne-Jones depicted a sad captive of a metal tower in 1872. Titian wrote three “Danaes” at once, one of them (c. 1554) is located in St. Petersburg, in the Hermitage, where Rembrandt’s “Danaes” is also kept - this allows you to compare the ideas of the two great artists about Danaë.

Prague once housed two famous paintings of “Danae” by Correggio and Tintoretto. However, Correggio’s “Danae” came from the Prague Castle gallery to the Borghese Gallery in Rome in a complex way (via Stockholm, London and Paris), and Titian’s “Danae” the shortest route was transported to Vienna, to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it inspired R. Strauss’s opera “The Love of Danae” (1940).

(Based mainly on the tragedy of Aeschylus “Pleading for Protection”)

The son of Zeus and Io, Epaphus, had a son Bel, and he had two sons - Egypt and Danaus. The entire country, which is irrigated by the fertile Nile, was owned by Egypt, from which the country received its name. Danau ruled in Libya. The gods gave Egypt fifty sons, and Danai fifty beautiful daughters. The Danaids captivated the sons of Egypt with their beauty, and they wanted to marry beautiful girls, but Danai and the Danaids refused them. The sons of Egypt gathered a large army and went to war against Danae. Danaus was defeated by his nephews and fled. With the help of the goddess Pallas Athena, Danai built the first fifty-oared ship and set sail on it with his daughters into the boundless, ever-noisy sea.

Danae's ship sailed for a long time on the sea waves and finally sailed to the island of Rhodes. Here Danaus stopped; He went ashore with his daughters, founded a sanctuary for his patron goddess Athena and made rich sacrifices to her. Danaus did not stay in Rhodes. Fearing persecution of the sons of Egypt, he sailed with his daughters further to the shores of Greece, to Argolis ( Region in the center of the Peloponnese) - the homeland of Io. Zeus himself guarded the ship during its dangerous voyage across the boundless sea. After a long journey, the ship landed on the fertile shores of Argolis. Here Danai and the Danaids hoped to find protection and salvation from their hated marriage with the sons of Egypt.

The Danaids came ashore. There was no one visible around. Finally, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance. It was approaching quickly. Now in the cloud of dust you can see the sparkle of shields, helmets and spears. The noise of the wheels of war chariots can be heard. This is the approaching army of the king of Argolis, Pelasgus, son of Palekhton. Notified of the ship's arrival, Pelasgus came to the seashore with his army. He did not meet an enemy there, but the elder Danae and his fifty beautiful daughters. They met him with olive branches in their hands, praying for protection. Stretching out their hands to him, with eyes full of tears, his beautiful daughters Danae beg to help them against the proud sons of Egypt. In the name of Zeus, the mighty protector of those who pray, the Danaids conjure Pelasgus not to hand them over. After all, they are not strangers in Argolid - this is the homeland of their ancestor Io.

Pelasgus still hesitates: he is afraid of war with the mighty rulers of Egypt. What should he do? But he is even more afraid of the wrath of Zeus if, by violating his laws, he pushes away those who pray to him for protection. Finally, Pelasgus advises Danaus to go to Argos himself and there put olive branches on the altars of the gods as a sign of prayer for protection. He himself decides to gather the people and ask their advice. Pelasgus promises the Danaids to make every effort to convince the citizens of Argos to protect them.

Pelasgus leaves. The Danaids await the decision of the people's assembly with trepidation. They know how indomitable the sons of Egypt are, how formidable they are in battle; they know what threatens them if the Egyptian ships land on the shores of Argolis. What should they, defenseless virgins, do if the inhabitants of Argos deprive them of shelter and help? But disaster is already close. The messenger of the sons of Egypt has already come. He threatens to take Danaid to the ship by force. He grabbed one of Danae’s daughters by the hand and ordered his slaves to grab the others as well. But here King Pelasgus appears again. He takes the Danaids under his protection, and he is not afraid that the messenger of the sons of Egypt threatens him with war.

Death brought Pelasgus and the inhabitants of Argolis the decision to protect Danaus and his daughters. Defeated in a bloody battle, Pelasgus fled to the very north of his vast possessions. True, Danaus was elected king of Argos, but in order to make peace with the sons of Egypt, he had to give them his beautiful daughters as wives.

The sons of Egypt celebrated their wedding with the Danaids magnificently. They did not know what fate this marriage would bring them. The noisy wedding feast ended; the wedding hymns fell silent; the wedding torches went out; the darkness of the night enveloped Argos. Deep silence reigned in the sleepy city. Suddenly, in the silence, a heavy dying groan was heard, here is another one, another and another. The terrible atrocity was committed under the cover of darkness by the Danaids. With the daggers given to them by Danai, they pierced their husbands as soon as sleep closed their eyes. Thus perished the sons of Egypt. Only one of them, the beautiful Lynceus, was saved. Danae's young daughter, Hypermnestra, took pity on him. She was unable to pierce her husband's chest with a dagger. She woke him up and secretly took him out of the palace.

Danaus became furious when he learned that Hypermnestra had disobeyed his command. Danaus put his daughter in heavy chains and threw him into prison. The court of elders of Argos gathered to judge Hypermnestra for disobedience to her father. Danaus wanted to put his daughter to death. But the goddess of love herself, golden Aphrodite, appeared at the trial. She protected Hypermnestra and saved her from cruel execution. The compassionate, loving daughter of Danae became the wife of Lynceus. The gods blessed this marriage with numerous offspring of great heroes. Hercules himself, the immortal hero of Greece, belonged to the family of Lynceus.

Zeus did not want the other Danaids to die. At the command of Zeus, Athena and Hermes cleansed the Danaids from the filth of the shed blood. King Danai organized great games in honor of the Olympian gods. The winners of these games received Danae's daughters as wives as a reward.

But the Danaids still did not escape punishment for the crime committed. They carry it after their death in the dark kingdom of Hades. The Danaids must fill a huge vessel that has no bottom with water. They carry water forever, scooping it up from an underground river and pouring it into a vessel. It seems that the vessel is already full, but water flows out of it, and again it is empty. The Danaids get to work again, again carry water and pour it into a vessel without a bottom. So their fruitless work continues endlessly.

DANAIDS

50 daughters of King Danae, who, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (one Hypermnestra disobeyed, saving her husband Lynceus and becoming the ancestor of the Argive kings). As punishment, the Danaids had to fill a bottomless barrel with water forever in Hades. In a figurative sense - “barrel of Danaids”, “work of Danaids” - useless and endless labor. One of them is Amimona.

// Armand SULLY-PRUDHOMA: Danaids // N.A. Kuhn: DANAIDS

Myths Ancient Greece, dictionary-reference book. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what DANAIDS are in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

  • DANAIDS
    (Danaides, ?????????). Fifty daughters of King Danaus. See Danaus...
  • DANAIDS
    IN Greek mythology 50 daughters of King Danae, who fled with their father from persecution cousins Aegyptiades, who sought the love of the Danaids...
  • DANAIDS in the Dictionary-Reference Book of Who's Who in the Ancient World:
    , Danaus Legends about them are of Eastern or Egyptian origin. Danaus was the son of King Bel of Egypt, the father of fifty daughters. He has...
  • DANAIDS in the Lexicon of Sex:
    in Greek mythology of the 50 daughters of King Danae, who, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night. Only one of...
  • DANAIDS in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  • DANAIDS in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
    in ancient Greek mythology of the 50 daughters of Danaus, the son of the Egyptian king Bel. Fleeing from the persecution of the 50 sons of Egypt (brother Danaus), D. together ...
  • DANAIDS V Encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Euphron:
    Danaë's daughters...
  • DANAIDS in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  • DANAIDS
    in Greek mythology, 50 daughters of King Danaus, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (Hypermnestra, who became the ancestor of the Argives, disobeyed...
  • DANAIDS in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
    genus. pl. Danaid, units Danaid, s, f., soul., s capital letter In ancient Greek mythology: 50 daughters of the Argive king Danaus killed...
  • DANAIDS in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
    DANAIDS, in Greek. mythology of the 50 daughters of King Danae, who, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (one Hypermnestra disobeyed, ...
  • DANAIDS in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
    ? Danaë's daughters...
  • DANAIDS in the New Dictionary of Foreign Words:
    (gr. danaldes) 1) in ancient Greek mythology - 50 daughters of the Argive king Danaus, who killed their husbands and were condemned for this...
  • DANAIDS in the Dictionary of Foreign Expressions:
    [gr. danaldes] 1. in ancient Greek mythology - 50 daughters of the Argive king Danae, who killed their husbands and were condemned by the gods for this...
  • DANAIDS in Lopatin’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
    Dana`ids, -`id (myth.; b`ochka…
  • DANAIDS in the Spelling Dictionary:
    Dana`ids, -`id (myth.; b`ochka ...
  • DANAIDS in Modern explanatory dictionary, TSB:
    in Greek mythology, 50 daughters of King Danaus, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (one Hypermnestra disobeyed, becoming...
  • PELASGIAN
    (Pelazg) - the ancestor of the Pelasgian tribe (the first inhabitants of Greece). Son of Zeus and Niobe, brother of Argos. According to other myths, he is the first person...
  • EGYPT in the Dictionary-Reference Book of Myths of Ancient Greece:
    (Egypt, Egypt) - son of Bel (son of Poseidon and Libya) and Ankhinoe, brother of Danaus, Kepheus and Phineus. Eponym of Egypt. Father 50...
  • DANAI in the Dictionary-Reference Book of Myths of Ancient Greece:
    - first the king of Libya, then he received royal power in Argos from Gelanor, the forefather of the Danaans. The son of King Bel of Egypt (son of god...
  • DANAI in the Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities:
    (Danaus, ??????). The son of the Egyptian king Bel, brother of Egypt (see Egypt). Danaus fled to Argos with his 50 daughters. By …
  • EGYPT in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
    In Greek mythology, the son of Bel, brother of Danaus and eponym of Egypt. The father of 50 sons is Aegyptiades, who took wives by force...
  • HYPERMNESTRA in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
    In Greek mythology, one of the Danaids (daughters of Danaus). She was the only one who disobeyed her father and did not kill her husband on their wedding night...
In the spring of 2002, a young Russian woman, Tatyana Sapunova, driving along one of the busiest highways in the Moscow region - the Kyiv highway, saw on the side of the road

poster calling for the murder of Jews. Hundreds of cars passed him, but only Tatyana Sapunova stopped and tried to tear off the shameful poster. However, the poster turned out to be mined, and the woman was seriously injured by the explosion, but, fortunately, survived. Later, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, she was awarded the Order of Courage. Some media called the installation of the poster a fascist attack. How do you explain why Tatyana Sapunova did not drive past the poster? Express your assessment of: a) the actions and positions of those who installed the poster; b) those who calmly passed by; c) those who were responsible for order on this section of the road; d) statements made in the media.

HELP PLEASE)))

you need to analyze this document based on these questions: 1) what is the author of the text’s attitude towards globalization? 2) how do you understand words-opportunities to draw

then the best that exists on both banks.? 3) why is Russia’s position one of the sources of its prosperity? 4) What is the connection between the proposed text and the content of the paragraph?
Today Russia is a bridge between two oceans, two centers of economic power. By the will of fate, we saddled the path “from the British to the Japanese,” just as in the old days the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” We have received a bridge between two civilizations, and we already have the opportunity to draw from the best that is on both banks - if we have enough intelligence, as our ancestors got it, who took a book from the Byzantines, and a sword from the Varangians. This is a circumstance given to us by nature and history; it can become one of the most important sources of our prosperity and stabilization. And our niche in the world community. The fact is that not only we need this bridge - everyone needs it. Not only Russia, but also the European peninsula, the developing Pacific region, and even America. The whole planet needs this bridge! This is where our niche, destined by fate, lies - the north of the Eurasian supercontinent. This niche does not divide, but connects peoples, does not oppose anyone and does not threaten anyone. Our great national goal is not the assertion of our ambitions in Europe, not the implementation of Eurasian doctrines and utopias in the spirit as preached by the Eurasians of the 20s of the 20th century, but the transformation of the north of the Eurasian supercontinent, this bridge between the oceans and different civilizations, into a super-strong, reliable working structure.

We work with statistical data. Get acquainted with data on population growth on planet Earth. 1820 -1 billion population, 1927 - 2 billion,

1960 - 3 billion, 1974 - 5 billion, 1999 - 6 billion, 2011 - 7 billion. A. What conclusions can be drawn from the statistical data? B. Think about what factors previously held back population growth. Q. Do you think the growth of the planet's population is a positive or negative phenomenon for the development of humanity? D. Presumably, in what ways can the population of the Earth be regulated.

Social studies assignment. Spring 2002 young Russian woman Tatyana Sapunova, driving along one of the busiest highways in the Moscow region - Kievsky

highway, I saw a poster on the side of the road calling for the murder of Jews. Hundreds of cars passed him, but only Tatyana Sapunova stopped and tried to tear off the shameful poster. However, the poster was mined, and the woman was seriously injured by the explosion, but, fortunately, survived. Later, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, she was awarded the Order of Courage. Some media called the installation of the poster a fascist attack.
How do you explain why Tatyana Sapunova did not drive past the poster? Give your rating:
A) the actions and positions of those who installed the poster; B) those who calmly passed by; C) those who were responsible for order on this section of the road; D) statements made in the media.

Freedom is a strange thing. Everyone can easily find it if only he knows how to limit himself and find himself. And what do we need the excess for?

freedom, which we are unable to use?

<..» Если кто-либо имеет достаточно свободы, чтобы вести здоровый образ жизни и заниматься своим peмecлом, то это достаточно, а столько свободы имеет каждый. И потом все мы свободны только на известных условиях, которые мы должны выполнять. Бюргер так же свободен, как аристократ, если он умеет оставаться в тех границах, которые указаны ему богом и сословием, в котором он poдился. Аристократ так же свободен, как правящий князь, потому что если он при дворе соблюдает немногие придворные церемонии, то может чувствовать себя равным государю. Не то делает нас свободными, что мы ничего не признаем над собою, но именно то, что мы умеем уважать стоящее над нами. Потому что такое уважение возвышает нас самих; нашим признанием мы показываем, что носим внутри себя то, что выше нас, и тем самым достойны быть ему равными. Я во время моих путешествий часто сталкивался с северонемецкими купцами, которые думали, что они становятся равными мне, если бесцеремонно рассаживаются со мною за одним столом; но это не делало нас равными; наоборот, если бы они знали мне цeну и должным образом относились ко мне, то это подняло бы их до меня.

Questions and tasks for the document

1. Why does Goethe call freedom a “strange thing”? What is so strange about it?
2. How, according to the author, can a person gain freedom?
3. What restrictions on freedom are acceptable, in the author’s opinion? How do you feel about the author's reasoning?
4. What are the differences between the interpretations of freedom in the text of the paragraph and in this document?

Danaids Danaids

(Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

DANAIDS

(Δαναϊδες), in Greek mythology the 50 daughters of the king Danae, who fled with their father from the persecution of their cousins ​​Aegyptiades, who sought D.’s love, to Argos. Here the Aegyptiades overtook them, and Danaus, submitting to force, was forced to agree to the marriage, distributing the brides by lot among the grooms. He gave daggers to his daughters and demanded that D. stab their sleeping husbands on their wedding night. All D. obeyed, except Hypermnestra. After this, Danaus organized gymnastic competitions and gave his daughters as a reward to the winners (Apollod. II 1, 4-5). Later D. and their father were killed by Hypermnestra's husband Lyncaeus, avenging their brothers. In Hades, D. suffers eternal punishment by filling a leaky vessel with water (Hyg. Fab. 168).
A. t.-g.


(Source: “Myths of the Peoples of the World.”)

Danaids

50 daughters of King Danae, who, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (one Hypermnestra disobeyed, saving her husband Lynceus and becoming the ancestor of the Argive kings). As punishment, the Danaids had to fill a bottomless barrel with water forever in Hades. In a figurative sense - “barrel of Danaids”, “work of Danaids” - useless and endless labor. One of them is Amimona.

// Armand SULLY-PRUDHOMA: Danaids // N.A. Kuhn: DANAIDS

(Source: “Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary-reference book.” EdwART, 2009.)

DANAIDS

The son of Zeus and Io, Epaphus, had a son Bel, and he had two sons - Egypt and Danaus. The entire country, which is irrigated by the fertile Nile, was owned by Egypt, from which this country received its name. Danau ruled in Libya. The gods gave Egypt fifty sons. I give fifty beautiful daughters. The Danaids captivated the sons of Egypt with their beauty, and they wanted to marry beautiful girls, but Danai and the Danaids refused them. The sons of Egypt gathered a large army and went to war against Danae. Danaus was defeated by his nephews, and he had to lose his kingdom and flee. With the help of the goddess Pallas Athena, Danai built the first fifty-oared ship and set sail on it with his daughters into the endless, ever-noisy sea.

Danae's ship sailed for a long time on the sea waves and finally sailed to the island of Rhodes. Here Danaus stopped; he went ashore with his daughters, founded a sanctuary to his patron goddess Athena and made rich sacrifices to her. Danaus did not stay in Rhodes. Fearing persecution of the sons of Egypt, he sailed with his daughters further to the shores of Greece, to Argolis (1) - the homeland of his ancestor Io. Zeus himself guarded the ship during its dangerous voyage across the boundless sea. After a long journey, the ship landed on the fertile shores of Argolis. Here Danai and the Danaids hoped to find protection and salvation from their hated marriage with the sons of Egypt,

Under the guise of begging for protection with olive branches in their hands, the Danaids came ashore. No one was visible on the shore. Finally, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance. It was approaching quickly. Now in the cloud of dust you can see the sparkle of shields, helmets and spears. The noise of the wheels of war chariots can be heard. This is the approaching army of the king of Argolis, Pelasgus, son of Palekhton. Notified of the ship's arrival, Pelasgus came to the seashore with his army. He did not meet an enemy there, but the elder Danae and his fifty beautiful daughters. They met him with branches in their hands, praying for protection. Stretching out their hands to him, with eyes full of tears, his beautiful daughters Danae beg to help them against the proud sons of Egypt. In the name of Zeus, the mighty protector of those who pray, the Danaids of Pelasgus conjure not to hand them over. After all, they are not strangers in Argolid - this is the homeland of their ancestor Io.

Pelasgus still hesitates - he is afraid of the war with the mighty rulers of Egypt. What should he do? But he is even more afraid of the wrath of Zeus if, by violating his laws, he pushes away those who pray to him in the name of the Thunderer for protection. Finally, Pelasgus advises Danaus to go to Argos himself and there put olive branches on the altar of the gods as a sign of a plea for protection. He himself decides to gather the people and ask their advice. Pelasgus promises the Danaids to make every effort to convince the citizens of Argos to protect them.

Pelasgus leaves. The Danaids await the decision of the national assembly with trepidation. They know how indomitable the sons of Egypt are, how formidable they are in battle; they know what threatens them if the Egyptian ships land on the shores of Argolis. What should they, defenseless virgins, do if the inhabitants of Argos deprive them of shelter and help? Misfortune is near. The messenger of the sons of Egypt has already come. He threatens to take the Danae to the ship by force; he grabbed one of Danae’s daughters by the hand and orders his slaves to seize the others as well. But here King Pelasgus appears again. He takes the Danaids under his protection, and he is not afraid that the messenger of the sons of Egypt threatens him with war.

Death brought Pelasgus and the inhabitants of Argolis the decision to protect Danaus and his daughters. Defeated in a bloody battle, Pelasgus was forced to flee to the very north of his vast possessions. True, Danaus was elected king of Argos, but in order to buy peace from the sons of Egypt, he still had to give them his beautiful daughters as wives.

The sons of Egypt celebrated their wedding with the Danaids magnificently. They did not know what fate this marriage would bring them. The noisy wedding feast ended; the wedding hymns fell silent, the wedding torches went out; the darkness of the night enveloped Argos. Deep silence reigned in the sleepy city. Suddenly, in the silence, a heavy dying groan was heard, here is another one, another and another. The terrible atrocity was committed by the Danaids under the cover of darkness. With the daggers given to them by their father Danai, they pierced their husbands as soon as sleep closed their eyes. Thus the sons of Egypt died a terrible death. Only one of them, the beautiful Lynceus, was saved. Danae's young daughter, Hypermnestra, took pity on him. She was unable to pierce her husband's chest with a dagger. She woke him up and secretly took him out of the palace.

Danaus became furious when he learned that Hypermnestra had disobeyed his command. Danaus put his daughter in heavy chains and threw him into prison. The court of elders of Argos gathered to judge Hypermnestra for disobedience to her father. Danaus wanted to put his daughter to death. But the goddess of love herself, golden Aphrodite, appeared at the trial. She protected Hypermnestra and saved her from cruel execution. The compassionate, loving daughter of Danae became the wife of Lynceus. The gods blessed this marriage with numerous offspring of great heroes. Hercules himself, the immortal hero of Greece, belonged to the family of Lynceus.

Zeus did not want the other Danaids to die either. At the command of Zeus, Athena and Hermes cleansed the Danaids from the filth of the shed blood. King Danai organized great games in honor of the Olympian gods. The winners of these games received Danae's daughters as wives as a reward.

But the Danaids still did not escape punishment for the crime committed. They carry it after their death in the dark kingdom of Hades. The Danaids must fill a huge vessel with water that has no bottom. They carry water forever, scooping it up from an underground river and pouring it into a vessel. It seems that the vessel is already full, but water flows out of it, and again it is empty. The Danaids get to work again, again carry water and pour it into a vessel without a bottom. So their fruitless work continues endlessly.

(1) Region in the northwestern Peloponnese.

(Source: “Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece.” N.A. Kun.)


See what “Danaids” are in other dictionaries:

    50 daughters of Danaus, ruler of Libya. Danae was prophesied that he would die by the hand of one of his sons-in-law; so he persuaded his daughters to kill the suitors. For this crime they were condemned in the next world to constantly fill the bottomless water... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    Danaids- naid, pl. danaides pl. 1. From the derivative name of the daughters of the Argive king Danaus, who were doomed to fill a bottomless barrel with water in Hades as punishment for the murder of their husbands. Finally I noticed that I had taken up Danaid's work; fell silent and... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

    Modern encyclopedia

    In Greek mythology, 50 daughters of King Danaus, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (one Hypermnestra disobeyed, who became the ancestor of the Argive kings). As punishment, the Danaids had to fill a bottomless barrel with water forever in Hades... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Danaids- DANAIDS, in Greek mythology, 50 daughters of King Danaus, who, at the behest of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night (Hypermnestra, who became the ancestress of the Argive kings, disobeyed). As punishment, the Danaids in Hades forever fill a bottomless barrel with water. In a figurative way... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

    This term has other meanings, see Danaids (meanings) ... Wikipedia

    Eid; pl. [Greek Danaides] ◊ Barrel Danaides. About useless, never-ending work (from the myth about the daughters of the Argive king Danaus, doomed to fill a bottomless barrel in Hades as punishment for the murder of their husbands). * * * Danaids in Greek mythology... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Danaids- in Greek mythology there are 50 daughters of Danaus from Egypt. They had to marry their uncle's sons against their will and the will of their father. D. fled with his father to Argos. Danaus and the king of Argos Pelasgus resisted the young men who pursued them.... ... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.