Editing Mycenae (section)

===Perseid dynasty===
{{main|Perseids (mythology)}}
[[File:Pompejanischer Maler des 1. Jahrhunderts 001.jpg|thumb|[[Perseus]], from [[Pompeii]]]]

Classical Greek myths assert that Mycenae was founded by [[Perseus]], grandson of king [[Acrisius]] of [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], son of Acrisius's daughter, [[Danaë]] and the god [[Zeus]]. Having killed his grandfather by accident, Perseus could not, or would not, inherit the throne of Argos. Instead he arranged an exchange of realms with his cousin, [[Megapenthes]], and became king of [[Tiryns]], Megapenthes taking Argos. After that, he founded Mycenae and ruled the kingdoms jointly from there.

Perseus married [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]] and had many sons. His son, [[Electryon]], became the second of the dynasty, but the succession was disputed by the [[Taphos|Taphians]] under [[Pterelaos]], another Perseid, who assaulted Mycenae, lost, and retreated with the cattle. The cattle were recovered by [[Amphitryon]], a grandson of Perseus, but he killed his uncle by accident with a club in an unruly cattle incident and had to go into exile.

The throne went to [[Sthenelus]], third in the dynasty, a son of Perseus. He set the stage for future greatness by marrying [[Nicippe]], a daughter of King [[Pelops]] of [[Ancient Elis|Elis]], the most powerful state of the region and the times. With her he had a son, [[Eurystheus]], the fourth and last of the Perseid dynasty. When a son of [[Heracles]], [[Hyllus]], killed Sthenelus, Eurystheus became noted for his enmity to Heracles and for his ruthless persecution of the [[Heracleidae]], the descendants of Heracles.

This is the first we hear in legend of those noted sons, who became a symbol of the [[Dorians]]. Heracles had been a Perseid. After his death, Eurystheus determined to annihilate these rivals for the throne of Mycenae, but they took refuge in Athens, and in the course of war, Eurystheus and all his sons were killed. The Perseid dynasty came to an end and the people of Mycenae placed Eurystheus's maternal uncle, [[Atreus]], a Pelopid, on the throne.