Cleopatra (Danaid)

This article is about one of the Danaids. For other uses, see Cleopatra (Greek myth).

Cleopatra (Ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Kleopatra; "Glory of the father") in Greek mythology was the name of two Danaides of altogether 50 daughters of Danaus sired with different women. Each of the two Cleopatras married – like all their sisters – one of the 50 sons of Danaus’ twin brother Aegyptus. One Cleopatra, whose mother was a hamadryad (Atlantia or Phoebe), married Agenor,^[1] and the other Cleopatra, the daughter of the naiad Polyxo, married Hermus.^[2] Like all Danaides – except Hypermnestra – both Cleopatras killed their husbands on their wedding night.

Notes

1. Apollodorus, Library 2.1.5.4
2. Apollodorus, Library 2.1.5.7; but according to another tradition by Hyginus (fabulae 170) a Danaid Cleopatra was the wife of Aegyptus’ son Menalces.

References

• Samson Eitrem: Kleopatra 5). In: Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, vol XI, 1 (1921), col. 733.