Acrisius
Acrisius, Acrisius, a king of Argos
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- King of Argos, son of Abas, and father of Danaë; unintentionally killed by his grandson, Perseus, Ov. M. 4, 608 sq.; Verg. A. 7, 372; Hor. C. 3, 16, 5 al.
(Ἀκρίσιος), a son of Abas, king of Argos and of Ocaleia. He was grandson of Lynceus and great-grandson of Danaus. His twin-brother was Proetus, with whom he is said to have quarrelled 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, the Lycian, Proetus returned, and Acrisius was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by giving up to him Tiryns, while he retained Argos for himself. An oracle had declared that Danae, the daughter of Acrisius, would give birth to a son, who would kill his grandfither. For this reason he kept Danae shut up in a subterraneous apartment, or in a brazen tower. But here she became mother of Perseus, notwithstanding the precautions of her father, according to some accounts by her uncle Proetus, and according to others by Zeus, who visited her in the form of a shower of gold. Acrisins ordered mother and child to be exposed on the wide sea in a chest; but the chest floated towards the island of Seriphus, where both were rescued by Dictys, the brother of king Polydectes. (Apollod. 2.2.1, 4.1; Paus. 2.16.2, 25.6, 3.13.6; Hyg. Fab. 63.) As to the manner in which the oracle was subsequently fulfilled in the case of Acrisius, see Perseus. According to the Scholiast on Euripides (Eur. Orest. 1087), Acrisius was the founder of the Delphic amphictyony. Strabo (ix. p.420) 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. (Comp. Libanius, Orat. vol. 3.472, ed. Reiske.) [L.S]
- a king of Argos, V., O.
(Ἀκρίσιος). The son of Abas, king of Argos, by Ocalia, daughter of Mantineus. He was born at the same birth as Proetus, with whom it is said that he quarrelled even in his mother's womb. After many dissensions, Proetus was driven from Argos. Acrisius had Danaë by Eurydicé, daughter of Lacedaemon; and an oracle having declared that he should lose his life by the hand of his grandson, he endeavoured to frustrate the prediction by the imprisonment of his daughter, in order to prevent her becoming a mother. (See Danaë.) His efforts failed of success, and he was eventually killed by Perseus, son of Danaë and Zeus. Acrisius, it seems, had been attracted to Larissa by the reports which had reached him of the prowess of Perseus. At Larissa, Perseus, wishing to show his skill in throwing a quoit, killed an old man who proved to be his grandfather, whom he knew not, and thus the oracle was fulfilled.