InGreek mythology,Lynceus (/ˈlɪnsiːəs,-sjuːs/;Ancient Greek:Λυγκεύς,romanized: Lynkeús,lit. 'lynx-eyed') was a king ofArgos, succeedingDanaus on the throne.
Lynceus was named as a grandson ofBelus through his fatherAegyptus, who was the twin brother ofDanaus, father of fifty daughters calledDanaïdes. He had forty-ninesiblings and out of them had five full brothers namelyProteus,Busiris,EnceladusLycus andDaiphron through their motherArgyphia, a woman of royal blood.[1]
ByHypermnestra, Lynceus became the father of Abas,[2] who succeeded him as king.
Lynceus's father, Aegyptus, commanded that his sons should marry the Danaïdes, but Danaus, together with his daughters, fled toArgos where KingPelasgus ruled. Then Lynceus and his brothers and father arrived to take the Danaïdes. Danaus gave them to spare the Argives the pain of a battle. However, he instructed his daughters to kill their husbands on their wedding night. Forty-nine followed through, but one,Hypermnestra refused because Lynceus honored her wish to remain a virgin. Danaus was angry with his disobedient daughter and threw her to the Argive courts, butAphrodite intervened and saved her. Lynceus later killed Danaus as revenge for the death of his brothers. Lynceus and Hypermnestra then began a dynasty of Argive kings (theDanaid Dynasty) beginning withAbas. In some versions of the legend, the Danaïdes, minus Hypermnestra (or sometimes alternatelyAmymone), were punished inTartarus by being forced to carry water through a jug with holes, or a sieve, so the water always leaked out.[3][4][5]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Argos | Succeeded by |
