Acrisius

King of Argos, grandson of Danaus of the fifty daughters, twin brother of Proetus and from boyhood his rival. The Argolid was divided between them: Acrisius kept Argos, Proetus took Tiryns (Apollodorus *Bibliotheca* 2.2.1–2). When Acrisius had no son and consulted the Delphic oracle about heirs, the Pythia replied that his daughter Danaë's son would kill him; he imprisoned her, without effect. Years later, with Perseus grown and returning from Seriphos with the Gorgon's head, Acrisius left Argos and went north to Larissa in Thessaly, hoping to put himself beyond the reach of the prophecy by putting distance between himself and his grandson. Perseus arrived at the same city for the funeral games of Teutamidas, threw the discus in the pentathlon, and a stray throw struck Acrisius in the foot and killed him. The oracle was fulfilled without intent; Perseus would not take the throne of the man he had killed and exchanged kingdoms with his cousin Megapenthes of Tiryns (Apollod. *Bibl.* 2.4.4; Pausanias 2.16.3; Hyginus *Fabulae* 63).

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