Aegyptus
Also known as: Aegyptos / Ægyptos / Ægyptus · Family: Egyptian · Role: brother of Danaos · First appears: Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 1
Aegyptus, also known as Aegyptos, Ægyptos, or Ægyptus, is an Egyptian and the brother of Danaus, with both identified as sons of Belos. His ancient kinship reaches through Io, from whom their line sprang, and Epaphus, whose descendants ruled near the mouths of the Neilos.
In Argos, Aegyptus sought marriages between his sons and Danaus’s daughters, but they rejected the matches as unholy and fled; Aegyptus’s sons followed them in pursuit and sought to enslave them. Danaus and the suppliants remained in Argos, where the king chose to risk war rather than surrender them. Aegyptus and Danaus are later presented as enemies, with Danaus said to have suffered punishment at Aegyptus’s hands.
Relationship record
Life events
- Aegyptos sought marriage with Danaos's daughters for his sons, but they rejected the matches.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 1)
- With: Danaus
- “Ægyptos sought the daughters of Danaos in marriage for his sons. And they, looking on the marriage as unholy, and hating those who wooed them”
- Aegyptos's sons pursued Danaos's daughters to Argos.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 1 · 📍 Argos)
- “And thither the sons of Ægyptos followed them in hot pursuit.”
- Danaos and Aegyptos are identified as Belos's two sons.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 3)
- The Danaos-led suppliants flee to Argos to escape forced marriages to Aegyptos's sons.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 3 · 📍 Argos)
- With: Danaus
- “Who would have said that this unlooked-for flight Would bring to Argos race once native here, Driving them forth in hate of wedlock's couch?”
- Aegyptos's sons seek to enslave the suppliants.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 3)
- “That I serve not Ægyptos' sons as slave.”
- The king chooses to risk war rather than surrender the suppliants to Aegyptos's sons.(Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 3)
- “Fierce war we needs must risk Either with these (pointing to the Gods) or those.”
Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 1
- parent: Belos “there were two brothers, Danaos and Ægyptos, the sons of Belos”
- siblings with Danaus “there were two brothers, Danaos and Ægyptos, the sons of Belos”
- elder kin: Io “And they, looking on the marriage as unholy, and hating those who wooed them, took flight and came to Argos, where Pelasgos then ruled as king, as to the land whence Io, from whom they sprang, had come.”
- elder kin: Epaphus “When Io, after many wanderings, had found refuge in Egypt, and having been touched by Zeus, had given birth to Epaphos, it came to pass that he and his descendants ruled over the region of Canôpos, near one of the seven mouths of Neilos. And in the fifth generation there were two brothers, Danaos and Ægyptos, the sons of Belos”
Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 3
- parent: Belos “Sire of my sire here, Belos, with two sons. King. Tell me then now the name of yonder sage. Chor. Danaos, whose brother boasts of fifty sons. King. Tell me his name, too, with ungrudging speech. Chor. Ægyptos: knowing now our ancient stock,”
Aeschylus, The Suppliants — Scene 4
- with Danaus (The text states kinship between Danaos and the Aegyptid side but does not specify the exact degree.) “And if for thee against Ægyptos' sons, Thy kindred, I before my city's walls In conflict stand,”
Euripides, Orestes — Scene 6
- enemies with Danaus “where they say Danaus first collected the people to a common council, when he suffered punishment at the hands of Ægyptus.”
- with Danaus (Aegyptus inflicted punishment on Danaus.) “where they say Danaus first collected the people to a common council, when he suffered punishment at the hands of Ægyptus.”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.