The Danaids sculptures at the Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

The Danaids, Villa dei Papiri, Herculaneum

Sculpture – Bronze (Height 155 cm) 1st century BC

These bronze statues, each in a different pose, were long regarded as dancers.

Danaïde, Villa dei Papiri, Herculaneum, Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

Danaïde, Herculaneum But they have recently been recognised as water-bearers and thus as Danaids who had been condemned to the underworld and whose punishment consisted of eternally filling leaky jars to thereby wash away their sins.

Hence the expression ‘filling the Danaids’ barrel’ to describe a never-ending task.

It should be noted that the king of Argos, Danaos, had fifty daughters who were supposed to marry their cousins, but an oracle warned Danaos that the sons of his brother Egyptos would kill his daughters after their wedding.

Danaos then warned his daughters, who decided to kill their husbands on their wedding night before they could carry out their plan.

To this end, Danaos gave a dagger to each of his daughters so that they could then stab their husbands in the heart whilst they slept.

This is what they did, except for one, Hypermnestra, who spared her husband Lynceus and helped him escape.

Lynceus would later return to avenge his brothers by killing the Danaids, except for his wife Hypermnestra, with whom he would then reign over Argos.

Danaïde, Herculaneum