Pirithous
Family: Greek · Role: mythological hero · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 2
In Book 1, Pirithous is said to have carried off Antiope with Theseus. The two were later taken prisoner while on an expedition “marriage-hunting.” They agreed to go to Lacedæmon and afterwards to Thesprotia, and Theseus went with Pirithous to Thesprotia as Helen was taken to Lacedæmon. Pirithous and Theseus also appear with Œdipus and Adrastus in a hero-chapel. Later, Theseus went to help Pirithous in his ambitious attempt to wed Proserpine.
At Pirithous’s marriage, Eurytion tried to carry off his wife, Cæneus came to the rescue, and Theseus fought the Centaurs. One account identifies Pirithous as the son of Zeus, and Polypœtes is named as his son. In Book 10, Charon reluctantly admitted the living Pirithous and Theseus into his boat, meant for the dead. The friendship between Pirithous and Theseus is also noted, and Odysseus is described as wishing to see them in Hades.
Relationship record
Life events
- Pirithous and Theseus agreed to go to Lacedæmon and later to Thesprotia.(Book 1 · Chapter 18)
- With: Theseus
- “the place where they say Pirithous and Theseus agreed to go to Lacedæmon, and afterwards to Thesprotia.”
- Theseus and Pirithous went to Thesprotia; after Aphidna fell, Helen was taken to Lacedæmon.(Book 2 · Chapter 22 · 📍 Lacedæmon)
- At Pirithous’s marriage, Eurytion abducted his wife and defenders attacked the Centaurs.(Book 5 · Chapter 10 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Eurytion Cæneus Theseus
- “the fight between the Lapithæ and the Centaurs at the marriage of Pirithous. Pirithous is in the centre, and on one side of him is Eurytion trying to carry off Pirithous’ wife and Cæneus coming to the rescue, and on the other side Theseus laying about among the Centaurs with his battle-axe”
- Charon admitted the living Theseus and Pirithous into the boat reserved for the dead.(Book 10 · Chapter 28 · 📍 Acheron)
Book 1 · Chapter 2
- with Antiope (Pirithous carried Antiope off.) “Pindar says that this Antiope was carried off by Pirithous and Theseus”
Book 1 · Chapter 17
- with Theseus (Theseus and Pirithous undertake the expedition together.) “and himself and Pirithous were taken prisoners, (for Pirithous also came on the expedition marriage-hunting)”
Book 1 · Chapter 18
- with Theseus (They agreed to undertake a journey together.) “And not far from the temple of Serapis is the place where they say Pirithous and Theseus agreed to go to Lacedæmon, and afterwards to Thesprotia.”
Book 1 · Chapter 30
- with Theseus (Pirithous and Theseus were jointly associated with the hero-chapel.) “a hero-chapel of Pirithous and Theseus and Œdipus and Adrastus”
- with Œdipus (Pirithous and Œdipus were jointly associated with the hero-chapel.) “a hero-chapel of Pirithous and Theseus and Œdipus and Adrastus”
- with Adrastus (Pirithous and Adrastus were jointly associated with the hero-chapel.) “a hero-chapel of Pirithous and Theseus and Œdipus and Adrastus”
Book 1 · Chapter 41
- courtship with Proserpine (Pirithous attempted to wed Proserpine.) “till he went away to help Pirithous in his ambitious attempt to wed Proserpine”
- with Theseus (Theseus helped Pirithous.) “till he went away to help Pirithous in his ambitious attempt to wed Proserpine”
Book 2 · Chapter 22
- with Theseus (interaction) “when Theseus went with Pirithous to Thesprotia”
Book 3 · Chapter 18
- with Theseus (interaction) “Pirithous and Theseus carrying off Helen”
- with Helen (interaction) “Pirithous and Theseus carrying off Helen”
Book 3 · Chapter 24
- with Odysseus (interaction) “and has described Odysseus as discoursing about what he had seen in Hades and other things, and how he wished to see Theseus and Pirithous”
Book 5 · Chapter 10
- parent: Zeus “Alcamenes has engraved this story, I imagine, because he learnt from the lines of Homer that Pirithous was the son of Zeus,”
- with Eurytion (Eurytion attempts to abduct Pirithous' unnamed wife.) “Eurytion trying to carry off Pirithous’ wife and Cæneus coming to the rescue”
Book 10 · Chapter 26
- child: Polypœtes “Polypœtes, the son of Pirithous”
Book 10 · Chapter 28
- with Theseus (They are named together as the subjects of a description.) “Polygnotus has followed (I think) here the description, in the poem called the Minyad, about Theseus and Pirithous.”
- with Charon (Charon admits Pirithous into his boat.) “Polygnotus has followed (I think) here the description, in the poem called the Minyad, about Theseus and Pirithous. ‘Unwillingly did old Charon admit these living persons into his boat meant for the use of the dead.’”
Book 10 · Chapter 29
- friends with Theseus “The friendship between Theseus and Pirithous has been alluded to by Homer both in the Iliad and Odyssey.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.