Danaids

in Greek mythology, the 50 daughters of Danaus, son of the Egyptian king Belus. In an attempt to escape the pursuit of the 50 sons of Aegyptus, the brother of Danaus. the Danaids and their father fled to Argos, where they were overtaken by Aegyptus’ sons who demanded that Danaus give his daughters to them in marriage. Bowing to force, Danaus agreed to the marriage of his daughters, but ordered them to kill their husbands on their wedding night. All of the Danaids except one, who became the progenitrix of the kings of Argos, carried out their father’s command. According to one version of the myth, the Daxiaids had to atone for their crime by eternally filling a bottomless jar with water in the underworld. This is the origin of the expressions “a Danaid jar” and “labor of the Danaids,” which signify useless and unending labor.