Acrisius in Greek tradition
Acrisius was killed by a discus thrown by his grandson Perseus, fulfilling an oracle that had warned he would die by his descendant’s hand. He was king of Argos, father of Danaë and twin brother of Proetus, with whom he divided the kingdom after their quarrel. Perseus buried him but exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes because he was ashamed to inherit from the man he had killed.
The quick answers
Who is Acrisius?
Acrisius is a Greek hero.What family links are recorded for Acrisius?
Father: Abas, Mother: Aglaea, Spouse: Aganippe, 2 children, 1 sibling.
Acrisius’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The myths of Acrisius
2 myths, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
The Birth of Acrisius and Proetus
Acrisius and Proetus began quarrelling before they were born. They were twin sons of Abas and Aglaia, and their hostility continued from the womb into childhood. When they grew up, each sought control of their father’s kingdom in Argos. During their war, they are said to have been the first to invent shields. Acrisius gained the advantage and drove Proetus from Argos.
Proetus fled to Lycia and reached the court of Iobates. There he married the king’s daughter and obtained support for his claim. He returned with a Lycian army and fought Acrisius. The war spread across the Argolid, but neither brother secured victory. In one account, their quarrel became still more bitter after Proetus slept with Danae, the daughter of Acrisius, and barely escaped alive.
The brothers then divided the kingdom between them. Acrisius ruled Argos and the lands around it. Proetus received Tiryns, the Heraeum, Midea, and the coast, or, in another account, Tiryns and the remaining half of the Argolid. Tiryns was fortified for Proetus by the Cyclopes. Abas’s sons therefore continued as rival rulers, with Acrisius established at Argos and Proetus at Tiryns.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-18
- 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
- 2Apollodorus, The LibraryT1
Quote
“The brothers fought for the kingdom, then divided it so that Acrisius held Argos while Proetus received Tiryns and other lands.”
Apollodorus, The Library
- 3The Greek MythsT1
Acrisius’s War with Proetus
After Abas died, his twin sons Acrisius and Proetus inherited the kingdom of Argolis. Abas had been a powerful warrior, and rebels against his royal house were said to flee when his shield was displayed. He had instructed the brothers to rule in turn. Their quarrel had begun before birth, while they were still in the womb. When they grew older, it became an open struggle for the kingdom. Some accounts say that they invented shields during this war.
Acrisius gained the advantage and drove Proetus from Argos. Proetus went to Lycia and sought refuge at the court of King Iobates. There he married the king’s daughter. The marriage is linked to an earlier dispute between the brothers, since Proetus had slept with Acrisius’s daughter Danae and had barely escaped alive. Acrisius then refused to surrender the throne when his period of rule ended. Proetus therefore prepared to recover his claim.
Proetus returned with a Lycian army to support his succession. The brothers fought a major battle, but neither side won. They then agreed, unwillingly, to divide the kingdom between them. Acrisius kept Argos and its surrounding land. Proetus took Tiryns and ruled there, while the rest of the Argolid was divided between the two brothers. One account also assigns Proetus the Heraeum, Midea, and the coast. Tiryns was fortified for him by the Cyclopes. From then on, Acrisius and Proetus made their homes in separate parts of the Argolid, Acrisius ruling in Argos and Proetus ruling in Tiryns.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-18
- 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
- 2The Greek MythsT1
- 3Apollodorus, The LibraryT1
Quote
“Acrisius and Proetus fought over their succession, but after an inconclusive battle they agreed to divide the kingdom, with Acrisius ruling Argos and Proetus ruling Tiryns.”
Apollodorus, The Library
Also appears in
The myths across MythSource where Acrisius features, each on that figure’s page.
- Hera Maddens the Proetides · on Hera
- Dictys Becomes King · on Perseus
- Perseus and Proetus · on Perseus
- Perseus Cast into the Sea · on Perseus
- Perseus Is Rescued at Seriphos · on Perseus
- The Death of Acrisius · on Perseus
- The Medusa Quest · on Perseus
- The Oracle Against Acrisius · on Perseus
- The Cyclopean Walls of Tiryns · on Proetus
- The Madness and Cure of the Proetides · on Proetus
- Zeus and Danae · on Zeus
2 works catalogued
This is the candidate catalogue for Acrisius: candidate reworks first, then references, then names used as atmosphere. Nothing here has been checked against a source yet. Only reviewed myth-to-work links are promoted in Overview.
Showing 2 of 2 works.
Film1
- Clash of the TitansRework
Game1
- Red Dead Redemption 2Name only
These are catalogue candidates, not proof that every work retells this figure. Reviewed myth-to-work links appear in Overview.
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
3 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Acrisius. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/acrisius
"Acrisius." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/acrisius.
"Acrisius." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/acrisius.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Acrisius embeds here once it publishes.