The Twin Brothers : Danaus and Aegyptus
King Belus of Egypt and the Naiad Anchinoe had twin boys Danaus and Aegyptus. As his kingdom was vast, Belus divided his territory equally between his 2 boys.
Surprisingly the 2 now kings fathered both 50 children. Even more surprising, Aegyptus had 50 boys and Danaus 50 girls.
Aegyptus, who wanted to expand his territory thought that it would be clever to have his 50 sons marry the 50 daughters of his twin Danaus. Aegyptus, who was the first born of the twins had always been resentful of the sharing decided by their father.
The Escape to Argos
Danaus felt that these weddings were a trap and tried to escape with his daughters. With the help of Athena, Danaus imagined and constructed the first ship in history and smuggled the Danaids to Argos. But almost immediately the 50 sons of Aegyptus arrived at Argos and threatened both Danaus and Pelasgus, the King of Argos , to take the 2 kingdoms as well as the 50 daughters by force.
A Gruesome Wedding Night
Danaus resigned to the marriages and even organise a great feast to celebrate the occasion. However, he secretly gave each of his fifty daughters a dagger and an order to murder their husbands on the wedding night. Forty-nine of them obeyed: as soon as they fell asleep, they chopped the heads of forty-nine of Aegyptus’ sons and presented them to Danaus the next morning as evidence of their obedience.
“The Justice of men Should Never Punish Love “
Only his lovely eldest daughter Hypermestra had failed him by helping her new husband Lynceus to escape. There was a trial and the goddess Aphrodite, herself, came to the rescue of Hypermestra arguing that “the justice of the men should never punish love”.
Hypermestra was acquitted.
Danaus organised games in Argos to pick husbands for his daughters. All but two of Danaus’ daughters remarried : Hypermestra and the youngest one Amymone, who married the mighty god Poseidon.
Lynceus managed to be forgiven by Danaus and him and Hypermestra lived a happy marital life with children (including Acrisius and grand children Perseus).
The Doom of Eternal Punishment
There was no happy end for the other 48 daughters who were all condemned for breaking their mariage vows and slaying their husbands in the Underworld to an eternal punishment.
They have to fill for the eternity a pierced barrel with water which is of course an impossible task.