Michael JackI'm reading "Lemprière's Dictionary" (1991) by Lawrence Norfolk, again.
I knew that John Lemprière was an actual figure, but today I discovered that the dictionary is available on Project Gutenberg.
The story of Danae plays an important role in the novel. From the dictionary:
"Dănae, the daughter of Acrisius king of Argos by Eurydice. She was confined in a brazen tower by her father, who had been told by an oracle that his daughter’s son would put him to death. His endeavours to prevent Danae from becoming a mother proved fruitless; and Jupiter, who was enamoured of her, introduced himself to her bed, by changing himself into a golden shower. From his embraces Danae had a son, with whom she was exposed on the sea by her father. The wind drove the bark which carried her to the coasts of the island of Seriphus, where she was saved by some fishermen, and carried to Polydectes king of the place, whose brother called Dictys educated the child called Perseus, and tenderly treated the mother. Polydectes fell in love with her; but as he was afraid of her son, he sent him to conquer the Gorgons, pretending that he wished Medusa’s head to adorn the nuptials which he was going to celebrate with Hippodamia the daughter of Œnomaus. When Perseus had victoriously finished his expedition, he retired to Argos with Danae, to the house of Acrisius, whom he inadvertently killed. Some suppose that it was Prœtus the brother of Acrisius who introduced himself to Danae in the brazen tower; and instead of a golden shower, it was maintained that the keepers of Danae were bribed by the gold of her seducer. Virgil mentions that Danae came to Italy with some fugitives of Argos, and that she founded a city called Ardea."
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