Definitions for "Danaus"
the type genus of the Danaidae, including the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus.
type genus of the Danaidae: monarch butterflies
Danaus, or Danaos ("sleeper") was a Greek mythological character, twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend (or re-foundation legend) of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus. In Homer's Iliad, "Danaans" ("tribe of Danaus") and "Argives" commonly designate the Greek forces opposed to the Trojans.