Hypermnestra

Hypermnestra is a figure from Greek mythology, one of the fifty daughters of King Danaus of Argos. Her story is part of the larger myth of the Danaids. Her father, Danaus, had fled from Egypt to escape his brother Aegyptus, who wished to marry his fifty sons to Danaus's fifty daughters. Upon arriving in Argos, Aegyptus pursued his brother, and Danaus, fearing that Aegyptus would force the marriages, agreed to the union on the condition that his daughters would wed Aegyptus's sons.

However, Danaus secretly instructed his daughters to each take a dagger and kill their husbands on their wedding night. All the Danaids obeyed their father's command except for Hypermnestra. She was in love with her husband, Lynceus, and could not bring herself to kill him. Instead, she helped him escape by hiding him and then warning him of the impending danger.

For her disobedience, Hypermnestra was brought to trial. Accounts vary on her fate, with some suggesting she was acquitted due to her love for Lynceus, while others state she was imprisoned or punished by her father. Lynceus, however, survived and eventually returned to Argos, where he and Hypermnestra became the ancestors of a royal line. Hypermnestra is often remembered as the only Danaid who chose love over obedience to her father, thus preserving a lineage.