Rivalry of twins Acrisius and Proetus were said to have quarrelled even in the womb of their mother and when Abas died and Acrisius had grown up, he expelled Proetus from his inheritance. On his exile, Proetus was supported by his father-in-law
Iobates, the
Lycian, Proetus returned, and Acrisius was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by giving
Tiryns to him, while he retained Argos for himself. In one version of the myth, there is no mention of the dispute between the two brothers but they divided the kingdom, Acrisius remained where he was at Argos and Proetus took over the
Heraeum,
Mideia, Tiryns, and the Argive coast region.
Death Disappointed by his lack of luck in having a son, Acrisius consults the
Oracle at
Delphi, who warns him that he will one day be killed by his daughter's son. Danaë is childless and to keep her so, he imprisons her in a bronze chamber open to the sky in the courtyard of his palace.
Zeus impregnates her in the form of a golden shower (some accounts say it is her uncle, Proetus, who impregnates her). Danaë becomes pregnant with Perseus. Acrisius puts the child and Danaë in a chest and throws it into the sea. Zeus asks
Poseidon to calm the water; he does and Danaë and Perseus survive, washing up on the island of
Seriphos. A fisherman named
Dictys, brother of King
Polydectes, finds the pair and takes care of them. Perseus grows up to be a hero, killing
Medusa and rescuing
Andromeda. Perseus and Danaë return to Argos with Andromeda, but King Acrisius has gone to
Larissa. When Perseus arrives in Larissa, he participates in funeral games and accidentally strikes Acrisius on the head with a
discus, killing him and fulfilling the prophecy.
Founder of Delphic amphictyony According to the
Scholiast on
Euripides, Acrisius was the founder of the
Delphic
amphictyony. Strabo believes that this amphictyony existed before the time of Acrisius, and that he was only the first who regulated the affairs of the amphictyons, fixed the towns which were to take part in the council, gave to each its vote, and settled the jurisdiction of the amphictyons. == Argive genealogy chart ==