DANAE, diin'-21.1, daughter of KingAcrisius of Argos and Eurydice, was confined in a brazen tower by her father to avoid fulfilment of an oracle, that her son would destroy him ; but Jupiter wooed her in a shower of gold, and she bore him a son, Perseus (q. v.). Her father exposed her and the babe on the sea ; the vessel drifted to Seriphos, and some fisher men conveyed Danae and her son to King Polydectes, whose brother Dictys reared l'er seus. Polydectes fell in love with Danae, but, being afraid of Perseus, sent him to conquer the Gorgiines (q. v.), to get Medusa's head to adorn his approaching nuptials with Hippo damia, daughter of CEnomaus. When Perseus returned successful, he retired with Danae to Argos, and inadvertently killed Acrisius. According to Virgil, Danae came to Italy with Argive fugitives, and founded Ardea.
DANAt, the Greeks indiscriminately, but especially the Argives, from King Danaus.
DANAtDES, da-d -1-diS the fifty daughters of King Danaus (q. v.) Of Argos, by whose orders they each, excepting Hypermnestra, slew their cousins, the fifty sons of lEgyitus, on the first night of their marriage with them ; each, as a proof of obedience, presented Danaus with the head of her murdered bride groom. Hypermnestra, who had spared her husband Lynceus, was, through the influence of the people, pardoned by her father, and dedicated a temple to Persuasion. The Danaides were compelled to fill, in Tartarus, with water, a vessel full of holes, from which the water ran out as soon as poured in ; and thus their labour was eternal : but, according to another tradition, they were purified of the murder by Mercury and Minerva by Jupiter's order.