Danaïdes


In Greek mythology, the Danaïdes, also Danaides or Danaids, were the fifty daughters of Danaus. In the Metamorphoses, Ovid refers to them as the Belides after their grandfather Belus. They were to marry the 50 sons of Danaus' twin brother Aegyptus, a mythical king of Egypt. 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 the classical tradition, they came to represent the futility of a repetitive task that can never be completed.

Mythology

Danaus did not want his daughters to go ahead with the marriages and he fled with them in the first boat to Argos, which is located in Greece near the ancient city of Mycenae.
Danaus agreed to the marriage of his daughters only after Aegyptus came to Argos with his fifty sons in order to protect the local population, the Argives, 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 with the exception of one, Hypermnestra, who spared her husband Lynceus because he respected her desire to remain a virgin. 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 the Danaid Dynasty of rulers in Argos.
The other 49 daughters remarried by choosing their mates in footraces. Some accounts tell that their punishment in Tartarus was being forced to carry a jug to fill a bathtub without a bottom to wash their sins off. Because the water was always leaking, they would forever try to fill the tub. Probably this myth is connected with a ceremony having to do with the worship of waters, and the Danaïdes were water-nymphs.

The Danaïds and their husbands

Apollodorus

The list in the Bibliotheca preserves 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 to Hippostratus, Danaus had all these progeny begotten by a single woman, Europa, the daughter of Nilus.
No.DanaidsMotherAegyptus' SonsMotherNo.DanaidsMotherAegyptus' SonsMother
1HypermnestraElephantisLynceusArgyphia26ChrysippeMemphisChrysippusTyria
2GorgophoneElephantisProteusArgyphia27AutonoePolyxo, a naiadEurylochusCaliadne, a naiad
3AutomateEuropeBusirisArgyphia28TheanoPolyxo, a naiadPhantesCaliadne, a naiad
4AmymoneEuropeEnceladusArgyphia29ElectraPolyxo, a naiadPeristhenesCaliadne, a naiad
5AgaveEuropeLycusArgyphia30Cleopatra Polyxo, a naiadHermusCaliadne, a naiad
6ScaeaEuropeDaiphronArgyphia31EurydicePolyxo, a naiadDryasCaliadne, a naiad
7HippodamiaAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		IstrusArabian woman32GlaucippePolyxo, a naiadPotamonCaliadne, a naiad
8RhodiaAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		ChalcodonArabian woman33AntheleiaPolyxo, a naiadCisseusCaliadne, a naiad
9CleopatraAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		AgenorArabian woman34CleodorePolyxo, a naiadLixusCaliadne, a naiad
10AsteriaAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		ChaetusArabian woman35Evippe Polyxo, a naiadImbrusCaliadne, a naiad
11Hippodamia Atlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		DiocorystesArabian woman36EratoPolyxo, a naiadBromiusCaliadne, a naiad
12GlauceAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		AlcesArabian woman37StygnePolyxo, a naiadPolyctorCaliadne, a naiad
13HippomedusaAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		AlcmenorArabian woman38BrycePolyxo, a naiadChthoniusCaliadne, a naiad
14GorgeAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		HippothousArabian woman39ActaeaPieriaPeriphasGorgo
15IphimedusaAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		EuchenorArabian woman40PodarcePieriaOeneusGorgo
16RhodeAtlanteia or of Phoebe,
the Hamadryads		HippolytusArabian woman41DioxippePieriaAegyptusGorgo
17PireneEthiopian womanAgaptolemusPhoenician woman42AditePieriaMenalcesGorgo
18DorionEthiopian womanCercetesPhoenician woman43OcypetePieriaLampusGorgo
19PhartisEthiopian womanEurydamasPhoenician woman44PylargePieriaIdmonGorgo
20MnestraEthiopian womanAegiusPhoenician woman45HippodiceHerseIdasHephaestine
21EvippeEthiopian womanArgiusPhoenician woman46AdianteHerseDaiphron Hephaestine
22AnaxibiaEthiopian womanArchelausPhoenician woman47CallidiceCrinoPandionHephaestine
23NeloEthiopian womanMenemachusPhoenician woman48OemeCrinoArbelusHephaestine
24CliteMemphisClitusTyria49CelaenoCrinoHyperbiusHephaestine
25StheneleMemphisSthenelusTyria50HyperippeCrinoHippocorystesHephaestine

Hyginus

Hyginus' list is partially corrupt and some of the names are nearly illegible. Nevertheless, it is evident that this catalogue has almost nothing in common with that of Pseudo-Apollodorus. Names with symbol means corrupted entries but annotations from various editors were provided to rationalize their possible names.
No.DanaïdesAegyptus' SonsNo.DanaïdesAegyptus' Sons
1Idea † Antimachus26AutodiceClytus
2PhilomelaPanthius 27PolyxenaAegyptus
3ScyllaProteus28HecabeDryas
4Phicomone † Plexippus29Acamantis or Achamantis †Echomius †
5Evippe?30Arsalte †Ephialtes
6??31Monuste †Eurysthenes †
7?Agenor32AmymoneMidamus †
8Demoditas ?33HeliceEvideas †
9? Chrysippus34Amoeme or OemePolydector
10Hyale †Perius 35PolybeItonomus †
11Trite Enceladus36Helicta †Cassus
12Damone † Amyntor37ElectraHyperantus †
13Hippothoe Obrimus 38EubuleDemarchus
14MyrmidoneMineus † (possibly Oeneus39Daplidice †Pugnon †
15EurydiceCanthus40HeroAndromachus
16CleoAsterius41Europome †Atlites or Athletes †
17Arcania †Xanthus42Pyrantis †Plexippus
18CleopatraMetalces43CritomediaAntipaphus
19Philea †Philinas44PireneDolichus
20HypareteProtheon45Eupheme or Eupheno †Hyperbius
21ChrysothemisAsterides †46ThemistagoraPodasimus
22PyranteAthamas47CelaenoAristonoos †
23Armo †asbus †48Itea †Antiochus
24GlaucippeNiavius †49Erato †Eudaemon
25DemophilePamphilus50HypermnestraLynceus

Ellis

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

Other Danaïdes

Several minor female characters, mentioned in various accounts unrelated to the main myth of Danaus and the Danaïdes, are also referred to as daughters of Danaus. These include:
The Daughters of Danaus is also the title of an 1894 novel by Mona Caird, also dealing with imposed marriage although, in this case, it is a single marriage instead of 50, and in 19th-century Great Britain.
Magda Szabó's 1964 novel, A Danaida, 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 Danaïdes is an essay by the French-Canadian author Henri Paul Jacquesthe applying the Freudian concept of psychoanalysis to the study of the punishment imposed on the Danaïdes after they committed their crimes.
In Monday Begins on Saturday, it is mentioned that the Danaïdes had their case reviewed in modern times, and, due to mitigating circumstances, had their punishment changed to laying down and then immediately demolishing asphalt.