Aegiptus

Aegiptus is a figure from Greek mythology, primarily known through the myth of his daughters, the Danaids. He was the twin brother of Danaus, and the father of fifty sons. Aegiptus reigned as king of Egypt, while his brother Danaus ruled Libya.

The central conflict involving Aegiptus revolves around his sons' desire to marry Danaus's daughters. Aegiptus, wishing to unite his lineage with his brother's, ordered his fifty sons to travel to Argos, where Danaus and his daughters resided, and demand their hands in marriage. Danaus, however, fiercely opposed this union, foreseeing a dire outcome.

To thwart his brother's plan, Danaus devised a treacherous scheme. He instructed each of his fifty daughters, the Danaids, to marry one of Aegiptus's sons. On their wedding night, however, each Danaid was to kill her new husband. With the exception of Hypermnestra, who spared her husband Lynceus because he respected her virginity, all the Danaids carried out their father's command.

The myth of Aegiptus and his sons serves as a tragic tale of familial conflict, betrayal, and the consequences of ambition. It highlights themes of paternal authority, feminine agency, and the often violent nature of power struggles in ancient Greek narratives. The story is most famously recounted in the works of ancient Greek playwrights and poets, notably Euripides.