in Antiquity, a coin somewhat more than an obolus, which used to be put into the mouths of the dead, to pay their passage across the river Acheron.

in fabulous history, was the daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos, by Eurycleia. She was confined in a brazen tower by her father, who had been told by an oracle that his daughter's son would put him to death. But his endeavours to prevent Danae from becoming a mother proved fruitless; and Jupiter, who was enamoured of her, introduced himself into her bed by changing himself into a golden shower. From his embraces Danae had a son, with whom she was exposed on the sea by her father. But the wind drove the bark which carried her to the coasts of the island of Seriphis, where she was saved by some fishermen, and carried to Polydectes, king of the place, whose brother, Dictys, educated the child, called Perseus, and treated the mother tenderly. Polydectes fell in love with Danae; but as he was afraid of her son, he sent him to conquer the Gorgons, pretending that he wished Medusa's head to adorn the nuptials which he was about to celebrate with Hippodamia, the daughter of Oenomaus. When Perseus, however, had victoriously finished his expedition, he retired to Argos with Danae, to the house of Acrisius, whom he inadvertently killed. Some suppose that it was Proetus, the brother of Acrisius, who introduced himself to Danae in the brazen tower; and instead of a golden shower, it was maintained that the keepers of Danae were bribed by the gold of her seducer. Virgil mentions that Danae came to Italy with some fugitives of Argos, and that she founded a city called Ardea.