Eurydice (daughter of Lacedaemon)

For other uses, see Eurydice (mythology).

In Greek mythology, Eurydice (/jʊəˈrɪdɪsi/; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη, romanized: Eurudikē, lit. 'wide justice', derived from ευρυς eurys "wide" and δικη dike "justice") was a Spartan princess who later on became the queen of Argos. She is the mother of Danaë, the mother of the Argive hero Perseus.

Sculpture at the Tropical Agronomy Garden - Perseus holding the head of Medusa

Mythology

Eurydice was the daughter of King Lacedaemon and Queen Sparta, the legendary founders of Sparta and thus sister to Amyclas.^[1]

Later on, Eurydice married King Acrisius of Argos and became the mother of Danaë who begot the celebrated hero Perseus. Her other daughter was possibly Evarete, wife of Oenomaus, king of Pisa in Elis.^[2] In some accounts, the wife of Acrisius was called Aganippe.^[3]

Euripides' Danaë

Eurydice's largest role in surviving accounts is in Euripides' fragmentary play, Danaë, an ancient tragedy dealing with the aftermath of Acrisius' prophecy that his daughter should remain a virgin, or her son would kill Acrisius, resulting in Acrisius imprisoning his daughter in a chamber.^[4] Zeus, in the form of gold, visited and impregnated the princess. Extant fragments do not reveal what the queen's name in Euripides was, but focus on Acrisius and the joy of having children, leading to the hypothesis that Danaë lied to her father about the newborn Perseus being his own son, a conspiracy which necessarily had to include the queen, for she knew she had not been pregnant.^[5]

An ancient summary of the play was published for the first time in 2016, confirming the theory that Eurydice discovered Danaë's situation, faked a pregnancy and when the girl gave birth, she presented Perseus as her and Acrisius' son.^[6][4] Eurydice's exact motivation is not clear, be it love for her daughter or the wish to avoid the scandal of an unmarried maiden having a child outside wedlock.^[7] Following Acrisius' joy at having a male heir at last, Eurydice asked her husband to finally free Danaë, to which Acrisius agreed.^[7] However, the servant that led Danaë from her chamber discovered evidence of a childbirth having taken place there, and notified Acrisius. Like in the other versions of Danaë's tale, Acrisius shut mother and son into a chest and threw it into the sea.^[8] It is not clear what punishment he imposed on Eurydice, if any at all; it is possible Acrisius thought Danaë and Perseus' fates was enough punishment for her.^[9]

Argive genealogy

Argive genealogy in Greek mythology

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Inachus Melia Zeus Io Phoroneus Epaphus Memphis Libya Poseidon Belus Achiroë Agenor Telephassa Danaus Elephantis Aegyptus Cadmus Cilix Europa Phoenix Mantineus Hypermnestra Lynceus Harmonia Zeus Polydorus Sparta Lacedaemon Ocalea Abas Agave Sarpedon Rhadamanthus Autonoë Eurydice Acrisius Ino Minos Zeus Danaë Semele Zeus Perseus Dionysus

Colour key:   Male   Female   Deity