InGreek mythology,Acrisius (/əˈkraɪsiəs/;Ancient Greek: Ἀκρίσιος means 'ill-judgment'[1]) was a king ofArgos. He was the grandfather of the famous Greek demi-godPerseus.
Acrisius was the son ofAbas[2] andAglaea[3] (orOcalea, depending on the author), grandson ofLynceus, great-grandson ofAegyptus. He was the twin brother ofProetus[4] and the half brother ofLyrcus.[5] Acrisius was the husband ofEurydice[6] or Aganippe[7] and thus grandfather of the heroPerseus through their daughterDanae. His other daughter wasEvarete, wife of KingOenomaus ofPisa inElis.[8]
Acrisius and Proetus were said to have quarrelled even in the womb of their mother and when Abas died and Acrisius had grown up, he expelled Proetus from his inheritance. On his exile, Proetus was supported by his father-in-lawIobates, theLycian, Proetus returned, and Acrisius was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by givingTiryns to him, while he retained Argos for himself.
In one version of the myth, there is no mention of the dispute between the two brothers but they divided the kingdom, Acrisius remained where he was at Argos and Proetus took over the Heraeum,Mideia, Tiryns, and the Argive coast region.[9]
Disappointed by his lack of luck in having a son, Acrisius consults theOracle atDelphi, who warns him that he will one day be killed by his daughter’s son. Danaë is childless and to keep her so, he imprisons her in a bronze chamber open to the sky in the courtyard of his palace.Zeus impregnates her in the form of a golden shower (some accounts say it is her uncle, Proetus, who impregnates her).[10] Danaë becomes pregnant with Perseus. Acrisius puts the child and Danaë in a chest and throws it into the sea. Zeus asksPoseidon to calm the water; he does and Danaë and Perseus survive, washing up on the island ofSeriphos. A fisherman namedDictys, brother of KingPolydectes, finds the pair and takes care of them.[11]
Perseus grows up to be a hero, killingMedusa and rescuingAndromeda. Perseus and Danaë return to Argos with Andromeda, but King Acrisius has gone toLarissa. When Perseus arrives in Larissa, he participates in funeral games and accidentally strikes Acrisius on the head with adiscus, killing him and fulfilling the prophecy.[12]
According to theScholiast onEuripides,[13] Acrisius was the founder of theDelphicamphictyony. Strabo believes that this amphictyony existed before the time of Acrisius,[14] 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.[15]
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| Preceded by | King of Argos | Succeeded by |
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Acrisius".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
