In Greek mythology, Danae was the daughter of Acrisius (pronounced uh-KREE-see-us), the king of Argos. An oracle, or person through which the gods communicated with humans, told Acrisius that Danae’s son would someday kill him. To prevent the prediction from coming true, Acrisius had his daughter imprisoned in a bronze tower so she could not marry. There the god Zeus, smitten by her beauty, went to her in a shower of gold, and she became pregnant with a son, the hero Perseus (pronounced PUR-see-uhs). When Acrisius learned of the baby’s birth, he ordered Danae and her son locked inside a chest and set adrift at sea.
The chest reached the island of Seriphos, where it was discovered by a fisherman named Dictys (pronounced DIK-tis), whose brother Poly-dectes (pronounced pol-ee-DEK-teez) was king. Dictys helped Danae raise her son on the island. When Perseus was grown, Polydectes fell in love with Danae, but she did not love him in return. Believing that he could pressure Danae into marrying him if her son were absent, Polydectes sent Perseus on a quest for the head of the gorgon Medusa, whose gaze could turn men into stone. Some sources say that Danae went into hiding during Perseus’s absence, while others state that Polydectes locked her away. In any event, Danae resisted Polydectes’ advances.
When Perseus returned, he saved Danae by turning Polydectes to stone with the head of Medusa. Dictys became king, and Danae and Perseus returned to Argos. According to some writers, she went on to found the city of Ardea in Italy. The original prophecy was fulfilled when Perseus accidentally killed Acrisius with a stray discus—a heavy disc thrown for sport—during some athletic games.
World History
