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Acrisius (Ancient Greek
Ancient greek language

#REDIRECT Ancient Greek...
: ) was a mythical
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
 king of Argos
Argos

Argos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplion, which was its historic harbour, named for Nauplius ....
, and a son of Abas
Abas, son of Lynceus

In Greek mythology, Abas was the son of Lynceus of the royal family of Argos, and Hypermnestra, the last of the Danaus. Abas himself was the twelfth king of Argos....
 and Aglaea
Aglaea

Aglaea or Agla?a is the name of five figures in Greek mythology....
 (or Ocalea
Ocalea

Ocalea may refer to the following:*Ocalea *Ocalea *Ocalea ...
, depending on the author), grandson of Lynceus
Lynceus

In Greek mythology, Lynceus in some myths is named as a descendant of Belus through Aegyptus, twin brother of Danaus. This myth when followed results in an impossible reconciliation loop....
, great-grandson of Danaus
Danaus

Danaus, or Danaos , was a Greek mythology, twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus , a mythical king of Ancient Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean Greece cities of the Peloponnesus....
. His twin brother was Proetus
Proetus

Proetus was a Greek mythology king of Tiryns. His father Abas , son of the last surviving Danaides, had ruled over Argos as well and married Ocalea....
, with whom he is said to have quarreled even in the womb of his mother. When Abas died and Acrisius had grown up, he expelled Proetus from his inheritance; but, supported by his father-in-law Iobates
Iobates

In Greek mythology, Iobates was a Lycian king, the father of Antea and Philonoe. Bellerophon was sent into exile to the land of King Iobates. Proetus, King of Tiryns, wanted Iobates to kill Bellerophon, but Iobates feared the wrath of the gods if he murdered a guest....
, the Lycia
Lycia

Lycia was a region in Anatolia in what are now the Provinces of Turkey of Antalya Province and Mugla Province on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a Roman province of the Roman Empire....
n, Proetus re­turned, and Acrisius was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by giving Tiryns
Tiryns

Tiryns is a Mycenaean civilization archaeological site in the Greece Prefectures of Greece of Argolis in the Peloponnese peninsula, some kilometres north of Nauplion....
 to him, while he retained Argos for himself.

sius's daughter, Danaë
Danaë

File:Danae gold shower Louvre CA925.jpgIn Greek mythology, Dana? was a daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Eurydice of Argos . She was the mother of Perseus by Zeus....
, was prophesied to have a son that would kill him, so Acrisius locked her in a bronze tower (or a cave) when she became fertile.






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Acrisius (Ancient Greek
Ancient greek language

#REDIRECT Ancient Greek...
: ) was a mythical
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
 king of Argos
Argos

Argos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplion, which was its historic harbour, named for Nauplius ....
, and a son of Abas
Abas, son of Lynceus

In Greek mythology, Abas was the son of Lynceus of the royal family of Argos, and Hypermnestra, the last of the Danaus. Abas himself was the twelfth king of Argos....
 and Aglaea
Aglaea

Aglaea or Agla?a is the name of five figures in Greek mythology....
 (or Ocalea
Ocalea

Ocalea may refer to the following:*Ocalea *Ocalea *Ocalea ...
, depending on the author), grandson of Lynceus
Lynceus

In Greek mythology, Lynceus in some myths is named as a descendant of Belus through Aegyptus, twin brother of Danaus. This myth when followed results in an impossible reconciliation loop....
, great-grandson of Danaus
Danaus

Danaus, or Danaos , was a Greek mythology, twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus , a mythical king of Ancient Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean Greece cities of the Peloponnesus....
. His twin brother was Proetus
Proetus

Proetus was a Greek mythology king of Tiryns. His father Abas , son of the last surviving Danaides, had ruled over Argos as well and married Ocalea....
, with whom he is said to have quarreled even in the womb of his mother. When Abas died and Acrisius had grown up, he expelled Proetus from his inheritance; but, supported by his father-in-law Iobates
Iobates

In Greek mythology, Iobates was a Lycian king, the father of Antea and Philonoe. Bellerophon was sent into exile to the land of King Iobates. Proetus, King of Tiryns, wanted Iobates to kill Bellerophon, but Iobates feared the wrath of the gods if he murdered a guest....
, the Lycia
Lycia

Lycia was a region in Anatolia in what are now the Provinces of Turkey of Antalya Province and Mugla Province on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a Roman province of the Roman Empire....
n, Proetus re­turned, and Acrisius was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by giving Tiryns
Tiryns

Tiryns is a Mycenaean civilization archaeological site in the Greece Prefectures of Greece of Argolis in the Peloponnese peninsula, some kilometres north of Nauplion....
 to him, while he retained Argos for himself.

Acrisius and Perseus

Acrisius's daughter, Danaë
Danaë

File:Danae gold shower Louvre CA925.jpgIn Greek mythology, Dana? was a daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Eurydice of Argos . She was the mother of Perseus by Zeus....
, was prophesied to have a son that would kill him, so Acrisius locked her in a bronze tower (or a cave) when she became fertile. Zeus
Zeus

Zeus in Greek mythology is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky father and List of thunder gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull , and oak....
 had intercourse with her in the form of a shower of gold (some accounts say it is her uncle, Proteus, who impregnates her). Danaë became pregnant with Perseus
Perseus

Perseus , the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Mycenae there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths in the cult of the Twelve Olympians....
. Acrisius put the child and Danaë in a chest and threw it in the sea. Zeus asked Poseidon
Poseidon

In Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea and, as "Earth-Shaker," of earthquakes. The name of the god Nethuns in Etruscan mythology was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon....
 to calm the water; he did and Danaë and Perseus survived, washing up on the island of Seriphos. A fisherman named Dictys
Dictys

Dictys was a name attributed to four men in Greek mythology.*Dictys was a fisherman and brother of King Polydectes of Seriphos, both being the sons of Magnes by a naiad....
, brother of king Polydectes
Polydectes

In Greek mythology, King Polydectes was the ruler of the island of Seriphos, son of Magnes and an unnamed naiad. Polydectes fell in love with Dana? when she and her son Perseus were saved by his brother Dictys ....
, found the pair and took care of them.

Perseus
Perseus

Perseus , the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Mycenae there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths in the cult of the Twelve Olympians....
 grew up to be a hero, killing Medusa and rescuing Andromeda
Andromeda (mythology)

Andromeda was a woman from Greek mythology who, as divine punishment for her mother's bragging, was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster....
. Perseus and Danaë returned to Argos but King Acrisius had gone to Larissa
Larissa

Larissa is a city and the capital of the Thessaly Peripheries of Greece of Greece, and capital of the Larissa Prefecture. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by rail with the port of Volos and with Thessaloniki and Athens....
. When Perseus arrived in Larissa, he participated in some funeral games and accidentally struck Acrisius in the head with a discus
Discus

Discus may refer to:*Distilled Spirits Council of the United States , the national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States...
, killing him and accomplishing the prophecy.

Founder of Delphic amphictyony

According to the Scholiast on Euripides
Euripides

Euripides was the last of the three great tragedy of classical Athens . Ancient scholars thought that Euripides had written ninety-five plays, although four of those were probably written by Critias....
, Acrisius was the founder of the Delphi
Delphi

Delphi is an archaeology site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. Delphi was the site of the Pythia, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, when it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python , a deity who lived there and protecte...
c amphictyony
Amphictyonic League

In the Archaic period in Greece, an amphictyony or Amphictyonic League was an association of ancient Greek tribes formed in the dim past, before the rise of the Greek polis....
. Strabo believes that this amphictyony existed before the time of Acrisius, and that he was only the first who regulated the affairs of the amphictyons, fixed the towns which were to take part in the council, gave to each its vote, and set­tled the jurisdiction of the amphictyons.

Sources