Danae in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Danae

6 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Danae, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Danae was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Queen Eurydice, in Greek mythology.Acrisius was disappointed that he had no sons to give his th... For the story in one place, read our article on Danae.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 150–239The shield of Heracles: war, Lapiths and Centaurs, the harbour, Perseus (150-239)The shield's decoration continues with Pursuit, Flight, Tumult and Panic, deadly Fate dragging a dead man, twelve snake heads, and boars and lions glaring at one another. Other scenes show the Lapiths fighting the Centaurs, Ares in his golden chariot with Athena, the gods on Olympus where Apollo plays the lyre and the Muses sing, and a harbour with dolphins and a fisherman. Perseus, wearing the cap of Hades and carrying the Gorgon's head, flies above the shield while the Gorgons pursue him, and beyond him men fight for and against a town.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.4.1–5Perseus: Danae, Medusa and AndromedaAn oracle tells Acrisius that his daughter's son will kill him, so he shuts Danae in a brazen chamber, but she bears Perseus to Zeus and is cast into the sea with him in a chest. On Seriphus, Polydectes sends Perseus to fetch the Gorgon's head; with help from Hermes and Athena he gets the nymphs' gear from the Phorcides and beheads Medusa, from whom Pegasus and Chrysaor spring. He rescues Andromeda from a sea monster, turns Polydectes to stone, and accidentally kills Acrisius with a discus at Larissa, so fulfilling the oracle. The section ends with Perseus's descendants and the birth of Eurystheus.

Sophocles (1)

Sophocles, Antigone 944–987Fourth stasimon: those shut in stoneThe Chorus sing of others who were shut away: Danae, held in a brass-bound chamber although she was of a noble line and carried the seed of Zeus, the Edonian king, son of Dryas, shut in a rocky prison by Dionysus for mocking the god, and the two sons of Phineus, blinded by their father's savage wife. They say that fate is mysterious and cannot be escaped by wealth or by war.

Nonnus of Panopolis (3)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 8.178–332Book 8: Hera as Semele's nurseHera takes the shape of an old nurse and comes to Semele's chamber. She asks which god has been her lover and says that if it is Zeus she should ask him to come with thunder, as he does to Hera. Semele, stung, prays to Zeus for a bridal of lightning and complains that she has never seen his true form.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 47.496–593Book 47: An Argive taunts Dionysos; Hera arms PerseusAn Argive mocks Dionysos, setting Perseus the Gorgon-slayer against him and urging him to go back to Thebes. Hera, taking the shape of the seer Melampus, urges Perseus to defend Argos, and Argos's heroes muster. Dionysos arms his Bacchants and Satyrs and protects himself with a gem against the Gorgon's gaze.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 25.80–193Book 25: The feats of Perseus and Minos set against those of DionysosThe poet continues the comparison with Perseus, setting his sea-monster, Polydectes and Andromeda against Dionysos' defeat of the Giants. He contrasts Minos' conquest of Megara, won through Scylla's love, with a victory won by hard fighting, and turns to Heracles, whose Nemean lion was matched by the boy Dionysos with his team of lions.