The Danaïdes were the fifty daughters of Danaus. Danaus' twin brother Aegyptus was also the father of fifty offspring, only his wife gave birth to sons. There was a great argument over whose children would inherit their kingdom until Aegyptus ordered that the Danaïdes should marry each of his sons. After much opposition to Aegyptus' command, Danaus finally agreed to the marriages but told each of his daughters in secret to murder their husbands on their wedding nights. They all succeeded, with the exception of one. After their deaths, they were condemmed in Hades for all eternity to continuously try to fill a vessel that would leak the water as soon as it was poured into it.