Danaë, The daughter of Acristus, king of Argiues, vnto whon (being closed in a strong tower) Iupiter came in the forme of a showre of golden raine in at the house toppe, and gat on hir Perseus, who was afterwarde a valiaunte knight. Hee gaue the name first to the country and people of Persia. By this fable is signiffed, that Iupiter sent treasure priuilie vnto Danaë, and also to them that had the keping of hir, wherwith they being corrupted, sussred Inpiter to enter into the tower, and accomplish his pleasure. The fable declareth the force of money, and giftes in assaulting of chastitie.
Danaus, Ging of Argines, of whom the countrey of Achaia, was after named Danaa, and al the Grecians Danai. He begot 50. daughters: which of their graundfathers name were called Belides, and of their father Danaides. They all in one night killed their husbandes, the sonnes of their vucle Aegyptus, sauing onlie Hyperinnestra, which saued hir husbãd Lynceus. Vide Belides.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
Dănăē, ēs, f., *dana/h, daughter of Acrisius, and mother of Perseus by Zeus, who visited her in the form of a shower of gold, when she was shut up in a tower by her father, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 37; Hor. Od. 3, 16, 1 sq.; Serv. Verg. A. 7, 372; Hyg. Fab. 63; Lact. 1, 11, 18; Prop. 2, 20, 12 (3, 13, 12 M.); 2, 32, 59 (3, 30, 59 M.); Ov. Met. 4, 610; id. Tr. 2, 401; Verg. A. 7, 410 al.—Hence, II. Dănăēĭus, a, um, adj., *danah/i+os, pertaining to Danae, descended from Danae: heros, i. e.
Perseus
, Ov. M. 5, 1; called also volucer Danaeius, Stat. Th. 10, 892; Persis (so named after Perses, the son of Perseus, and ancestor of the Persians), Ov. A. A. 1, 225.
Dănăus, i, m., *danao/s, son of Belus, and twin-brother of Aegyptus: he was the father of fifty daughters; he emigrated from Egypt into Greece, and there founded Argos; was slain by Lynceus, after a reign of fifty years, Hyg. Fab. 168; 170; Serv. Verg. A. 10, 497; Cic. Parad. 6, 1, 44; cf. under no. II. B.—Danai porticus, at Rome, dedicated by Augustus to the Palatine Apollo (726 A. U. C.), famed for its statues of Danaus and his daughters, Ov. Am. 2, 2, 4; cf. Prop. 2, 31, 4 (3, 29, 4 M.); Tibul. 1, 3, 79; Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 60.—II. Derivv. A. Dănăus, a, um, adj. (belonging to Danaus; hence, in the poets, meton.), Greek, Grecian: classes, Ov. M. 13, 92; cf. rates, Prop. 3, 22, 34 (4, 22, 34 M.): flammae, Ov. M. 14, 467: ignis, id. Her. 8, 14: miles, id. ib. 24: manus, id. R. Am. 66: res, id. M. 13, 59. Esp. freq., A.Subst. plur.: Dănăi, ōrum, m., the Danai, for the Greeks (esp. freq. of the Greeks before Troy), Cic. Tusc. 4, 23, 52; id. Fin. 2, 6, 18; Prop. 3, 8, 31 (4, 7, 31 M.); Verg. A. 2, 5 et saep.—Gen. plur.: Danaum, Lucr. 1, 87; Prop. 2, 26, 38 (3, 22, 18 M.); 3, 9, 40 (4, 8, 40 M.); Verg. A. 1, 30 et saep.—B. Dănăĭdes, um, f., *danai+/(des, the daughters of Danaus, the Danaides, who, with the exception of Hypermnestra, murdered their husbands at their father's command, Hyg. Fab. 170; 255; Sen. Herc. Fur. 757. The classical poets substitute Danai proles, Tib. 1, 3, 79; cf. Prop. 2, 31, 4 (3, 29, 4 M.): Danai puellae, Hor. Od. 3, 11, 23: Danai genus infame, id. ib. 2, 14, 18.—C. Dănăĭdae, ārum, m., *danai+/dai = Danai (v. no. II. A.), the Greeks, Sen. Troad. 611.
