ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTU–Z

P to Peitho Pelasgians to Phaedrias Phaeo to Pitys Plataea to Polyphemos 2 Polyxena to Pyxis 2

P to Peitho

P

Rho; the upper case form of the seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet; lower case: ρ.

Paean

A Greek choral song addressed to the Immortals; used by soldiers before battles and as a song of invocation or thanksgiving at feasts.

Pains

Algea; Pain and Suffering; the children of Eris (Discord).

Paktolus
Pactolus

The river in Lydia where king Midas washed his hands to renounce the wish he had made to have everything he touched turn to gold; the river Paktolus has had golden sand ever since.

Palace of Tiryns

The ruins of a bronze-age palace on the Argolid Plain of Argolis which has extremely large and thick (25+ feet or 7.6+ meter) walls.

Palaemon

A school in ancient Greece where young boys were taught wrestling and gymnastics.

Palaemonius
Palaimonios

The son of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) and one of the Argonauts; like his father, he was crippled but none of the Argonauts demonstrated more valor or brought Iason (Jason) more fame.

Palioxis

The Spirit of Flight or Backrush, i.e. as in retreat in battle.

Palladium

An image of Athene (Athena) that was placed in her sanctuaries as a guardian for the city which possessed it; it was thought that Troy fell only after the Palladium was removed from the shrine of Athene, otherwise her protection would have been inviolate.

Pallas (1)

A name for Athene (Athena) of uncertain meaning and derivation; her name is often rendered as Pallas Athene or simply Pallas.

For more detailed information on Athene I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.

Pallas (2)

The son of Eurybia and Krios (Crios); brother to Astraios and Perses; in consort with Styx, he was the father of Zelos (Rivalry), Nike (Victory), Kratos (Power) and Bia (Force).

Pallas Athene
Pallas Athena

A common name for Athene (Athena) of uncertain meaning and derivation.

For more detailed information on Athene I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.

Pammon

One of the sons of the last king of Troy, Priam.

After Priam’s favorite son, Hektor (Hector), had been killed defending Troy, Priam berated his nine remaining sons for being wicked and worthless; Pammon was one of these sons; whether the old king spoke in desperate sorrow or from his heart is impossible to tell.

Pan

The Goat-God; the king of the mountains; the protector of shepherds and flocks who lives in the forests and byways.

Pan was depicted with the head, chest and arms of a man and with the legs, horns and ears of a goat; he plays his seven reed pipe (syrinx) and variously helps and frightens travelers; he fought with the Olympians against the Titans of Kronos and for his terrifying war cry, his name is still associated with PANic fear.

Pan was hardly mentioned in the early myths but later stories recanted several of his lusty pursuits of the nymphs Echo, Syrinx and Pitys; the unwilling nymphs were transformed into various forms to escape the relentless Goat-God; Echo was made invisible and only capable of repeating the last words spoken to her; Syrinx was turned into a reed from which Pan made a flute (pan-pipe) which was named after her; Pitys was transformed into a pine tree.

One of the most notable historical accounts of Pan was given by the historian Herodotus, where he tells the story of how, before the battle of Marathon (490 BCE), the Athenian messenger, Phidippides, encountered Pan as he was running to Sparta to seek help against the Persian invasion; the Goat-God promised Phidippides that he would help the Athenians defeat the Persians; after the resounding defeat of the Persians, the worship of Pan was introduced at the city of Athens.

Pan-Hellenic

Of or pertaining to the union of all Greeks.

Pan-Pipe

The common name for Pan’s flute.

The Pan-Pipe is more properly called a syrinx, i.e. a seven reed pipe played by the Goat-God, Pan; named after the nymph, Syrinx, who was turned into a reed so that she could escape Pan’s amorous advances.

Panaceia
Panacea

An ancient Greek goddess of Healing; mentioned in the Hippocratic Oath.

Panathenaea

A name applied to two Athenian festivals in honor of the goddess Athene (Athena).

The Lesser Panathenaea was celebrated yearly; every fourth year the festival was punctuated with greater pomp and called the Greater Panathenaea; the festival included athletic contests, musical and dramatic competitions and was concluded with a solemn procession to the Akropolis (Acropolis) where an elaborately embroidered peplos was placed on Athene’s statue.

Pandaros

After ten years of the Trojan War, a truce was declared between the Greeks and the Trojans and it was agreed that only Menelaos (Menelaus) and Alexandros (Paris) would fight for the possession of Helen and her dowry; the Immortals did not want the war to end that easily so Athene (Athena) disguised herself and entered the Trojan ranks where she induced Pandaros to violate the truce and shoot an arrow at Menelaos.

Pandion (1)

One of the pre-historical kings of the city of Athens; the son of Erekhtheus (Erechtheus) and the father of Aegeus, Prokne (Procne) and Philomela; the grand-father of Theseus; not to be confused with his grand-father who was also named Pandion.

Pandion (2)

The father of Erekhtheus (Erechtheus) and the son of Erikhthonios; not to be confused with his grand-son who was also named Pandion.

Pandora

The first woman; her name means All-Endowed because, at the command of Zeus, she was given gifts from various Immortals and was thus Endowed By All.

Zeus created Pandora as a gift for Epimetheus and despite warnings from his brother, Prometheus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora because she was irresistible; Pandora was the punishment to the race of men because Prometheus had given them fire.

Hephaistos (Hephaestus) molded Pandora’s body from earth into the likeness of a modest young girl; Athene (Athena) taught Pandora the skills of weaving and gave her dexterity; Aphrodite (goddess of Love) put a mist upon her head to engender longings and desire; Hermes gave her treachery and shamelessness; the Graces and Peitho (Persuasion) gave her necklaces of gold; the Seasons put a halo of flowers on Pandora’s head.

When Epimetheus accepted Pandora he unleashed all the evils on the world; the only positive influence that Pandora brought to the world of men was Hope; although women were designed as a curse to men, the only thing worse than marriage was for a man to live and die alone.

Pandrosus

An Attic goddess with a shrine on the Akropolis (Acropolis) called the Erekhtheum (Erechtheum).

Panic
Phobos

One of the sons of Ares (god of War) and Aphrodite (goddess of Love); the brother of Deimos (Fear) and Harmonia (Harmony).

Phobos was the incarnation of all-consuming Panic and he could possess entire armies and cause their defeat; when Hephaistos (Hephaestus) made a shield for Herakles (Heracles) he placed the face of Phobos in the center of the ivory and electrum shield.

Pankhaea
Panchaea

An imaginary island in the Indian Ocean which was “discovered” by the Sicilian Greek mythographer, Euhemerus; Pankhaea was reputed to be the “real” home of the Immortals and heroes of ancient myth.

Panopeia
Panopea

One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus.

Panopeus

The father of the consort of Theseus, Aigle.

Papaeus

The name for Zeus in Skythia (Scythia) which literally means Great Father.

Paphian Goddess

A name for Aphrodite as she was worshipped on the island of Cyprus as the goddess of Sensual Love.

Paphos (1)

A city in the southwestern section of the island of Cyprus; the assumed birthplace of Aphrodite and the site of a twelfth century BCE temple dedicated to the goddess of Love.

Paphos (2)

The son of Pygmalion who inherited the throne of the island of Cyprus.

Parabasis

In Greek comedy, the choral ode which is alternately serious and satiric.

The classifications into which modern scholars have divided Old Comedy are usually expressed in six elements:

  1. Prologue (setting the theme of the play),
  2. Parodos (introduction of the chorus),
  3. Agon (argumentation),
  4. Parabasis (choral ode),
  5. Episodes (resolving the Agon) and
  6. Exodos (celebratory conclusion).
Paraebios
Paraebius

When the Argonauts were on the island that was home to the wretched prophet, Phineus, they met a man named Paraebios.

Although Phineus was plagued with hunger and old age for his offenses to the Immortals, he still gave prophetic council to his neighbors; Paraebios came to Phineus because no matter what he did or how piously he behaved, his life was filled with hardship and disappointment; Phineus perceived correctly that Paraebios was being punished for the arrogance of his father; Paraebios’ father had been chopping wood in the mountains and the Hamadryad of one of the trees begged him not to destroy her tree; in his arrogance, Paraebios’ father chopped down the tree and thus killed the nymph who shared its life.

Paraebios was destined to toil without reward until he repented and atoned for his father’s despicable actions; on Phineus’ advice, Paraebios built an altar and offered prayer and sacrifice to be relieved of his inherited burden; the sin was forgiven and Paraebios honored Phineus by bringing him food even though he knew that the Harpies would steal it from Phineus’ mouth.

Paraloi

One of the two political faction established by Solon in an attempt to reorganize the economic foundation of the government in Attika (Attica).

The Paraloi, i.e. men of the shore, were commercial fishermen and sailors; the other group, the Pediakoi, i.e. men of the plains, were owners of large tracts of land; these artificial groupings excluded the poorer people who had no organized political base until 561 BCE when the tyrant, Pisistratus, introduced a third class of voting citizens, the Diakrioi, i.e. men of the hills, and, with their support, Pisistratus took control of the government.

Paralos (1)
Paralus

The Paralos and Salaminia were ceremonial warships used by the Athenians for special occasions such as envoys to the oracle at Delphi and the conveyance of high ranking Athenian statesmen; only Athenian citizens were allowed to serve on these ships.

During one engagement of the Peloponnesian War (circa 405 BCE) the Paralos was almost captured by the Spartans near the city of Sestos on the Hellespont; the Spartans were commanded by one general, Lysander, and the Athenians were under the command of several generals; this situation made it easy for the Spartans to maneuver effectively while the Athenians tended to be less coordinated.

The Athenians were on the European side of the Hellespont and the Spartans were on the Asian side; day after day, the Athenian fleet would sail out to engage the Spartans but the Spartans would not meet the challenge and stayed in port; finally, the Athenians sailed out one morning and when the Spartans refused to fight, returned to their beachhead and dispersed; the Spartans attacked and caught the Athenians off guard; the Paralos and eight other ships managed to escape but the Spartans captured 171 triremes and 3,000 soldiers.

Paralos (2)
Paralus

One of the legitimate sons of the Athenian archon, Perikles (Pericles); he and his brother, Xanthippus were the victims of a plague that ravaged Athens circa 430 BCE.

Parasang

A Persian unit of measure frequently encountered in Greek literature; equal to approximately 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).

Parasitos

A parasite; a frequent character in Greek comedies portrayed as an unwelcome dinner guest.

Paratakeni
Parataceni

One of the six tribes that comprised the original Medes; the other five tribes were: Arizanti, Budii, Busae, Magi, and Strukhates (Struchates).

Parerga

A term meaning Incidentals and generally used to describe events which took place during the completion of the Labors of Herakles (Heracles) and incidental to the actual Labor.

The Incidentals might include:

  1. The attack of the giant crab while Herakles was fighting the Hydra;
  2. The accidental deaths of the Centaurs, Kheiron (Chiron) and Pholos;
  3. Saving the Trojan princess, Hesione, from the skull-faced ketos, i.e. sea-monster;
  4. The fight with the sea god, Nereus;
  5. The fight with the Giant, Antaios;
  6. Killing the Egyptian king, Busiris;
  7. Freeing Prometheus from his bonds; and
  8. Supporting the heavens for Prometheus’ brother, Atlas.

For more detailed information on Herakles I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.

Paris
Alexandros

One of the primary characters in The Iliad where he is generally called Alexandros and occasionally Paris; the Latin form of his name is Alexander.

The Latin form of his name is Alexander; he was a descendant of the royal family of the city of Troy and one of the fifty sons of the last rulers of Troy, king Priam and queen Hekabe (Hecabe).

When Alexandros was visiting the city of Sparta he encountered the beautiful wife of king Menelaos (Menelaus) and the two of them, enflamed by a spell cast by the goddess of Love, Aphrodite, took her valuable possessions and fled to Troy; his refusal to surrender Helen was the cause of the Trojan War and the eventual destruction of Troy.

Prior to his infatuation with Helen, Paris was placed in the unfortunate position of being the judge in what is commonly called The Judgment of Paris; at the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis, the goddess Eris (Discord) threw down a golden apple which was inscribed “for the most beautiful one”; Athene (Athena), Hera and Aphrodite all assumed that the Apple of Discord was for them; as judge, Paris was forced to choose one of the three goddesses; he chose Aphrodite and thus earned her affection and likewise the wrath of Athene and Hera.

The name Alexandros literally means Defending Men.

Parmenides

(circa 515-450 BCE) A Greek philosopher from Elea, Italy; founder of the Eleatic School of philosophy which investigated the phenomenal world, especially with reference to the phenomena of change; he is one of the few philosophers whose works actually survive.

Parmys

(circa 521-486 BCE) The daughter of Smerdis and the niece of Kambyses (Cambyses); one of the wives of Darius I, the third king of the Persian Empire.

Parnassus

Mount Parnassus; a mountain in central Greece north of the Gulf of Korinth (Corinth) and near Delphi; 8,070 feet (2,460 meters) in height; now called Liakoura.

Parodos

In Greek comedy, the introduction of the chorus.

The classifications into which modern scholars have divided Old Comedy are usually expressed in six elements:

  1. Prologue (setting the theme of the play),
  2. Parodos (introduction of the chorus),
  3. Agon (argumentation),
  4. Parabasis (choral ode),
  5. Episodes (resolving the Agon) and
  6. Exodos (celebratory conclusion).
Paros

A Greek island of the Kyklades (Cyclades) in the southern Aegean Sea; noted for its white marble; 77 square miles (199 square kilometers) in area.

Approximate east longitude 25.12 and north latitude 37.08.

Parthenia
Parthenios

An epithet of Athene (Athena) meaning Virgin.

Parthenios
Parthenius

A river god; one of the many sons of Tethys and Okeanos (Ocean); the name might mean Virgin.

Zeus gave the Rivers, Apollon and the Okeanids the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.

Parthenon

The Temple of the Maiden (Athene (Athena) Parthenios) on the Akropolis (Acropolis) in the city of Athens.

The Parthenon was completed circa 438 BCE by the builders Iktinus (Ictinus) and Kallikrates (Callicrates); the structure was decorated by Phidias and is regarded as one of the finest examples of Doric architecture.

Parthenopaeus

A son of Hippomenes and Atalanta; he was one of the Seven Against Thebes who failed to capture Thebes and place Polynikes (Polynices) on the throne; his son, Promakhos (Promachus), was part of the expedition, called the Epigoni, which captured Thebes ten years after his father’s failed attempt.

Parysatis

The wife of Darius II of Persia and the mother of Kyrus (Cyrus) the Younger and Artaxerxes.

When Darius died in 404 BCE, Artaxerxes II took the throne and had Kyrus arrested under suspicion of instigating a revolt and trying to take the throne for himself; Kyrus was only able to escape his brother’s wrath through the intervention of Parysatis.

Pasiphae

The daughter of the Okeanid, Perse, and Helios (the Sun); the wife of king Minos and mother of Androgeus and Phaedra; after her husband Minos offended Poseidon (lord of the Sea), Pasiphae was punished by giving birth to the bull-man known as the Minotaur.

Pasithea

One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus.

Pasithoe

An Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys.

Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.

Passalus

One of the Monkey-Men known as the Kerkopes (Cercopes); Passalus and his brother, Akmon (Acmon), have the unique distinction of making Herakles (Heracles) laugh.

As Herakles was sleeping under a tree, the two brothers stole his bow; Herakles caught them and tied them upside-down to a pole which he carried over his shoulder; the Kerkopes were not only unrepentant for their crime but highly amused by their plight and, as they dangled behind Herakles, they began making disparaging comments about Herakles’ hairy posterior; Herakles, who was so accustomed to sorrow and brutality, couldn’t resist the infectious good humor of the Kerkopes and set them free.

This story is one of the fragmentary remains of the Epic Cycle; for the complete translations of the Epic Cycle I recommend the Loeb Classical Library volume 57, ISBN 0674990633; you can sometimes find this book at the library or you can order it from the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com.

Patmos

One of the Dodekanese (Dodecanese) Islands located off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor south of the island of Samos; with an area of 13 square miles (34 square kilometers).

Approximate east longitude 26.33 and north latitude 37.20.

Patrae (1)
Patrai

A seaport on the northern coast of the Peloponnesian Peninsula on the Gulf of Patrae.

Approximate east longitude 21.44 and north latitude 38.15.

Patrae (2)
Patrai

The Gulf of Patrae; an inlet of the Ionian Sea on the Peloponnesian Peninsula; with an area of approximately 10 x 25 miles (16 x 40 kilometers).

Patroklos
Patroclus

The son of Menoetius and the lifelong companion of Akhilleus (Achilles).

At the siege of the city of Troy, Akhilleus would not fight because of his dispute with the Greek commander, Agamemnon; Patroklos begged Akhilleus to enter the battle but Akhilleus was beyond sympathy; when the Trojans had breached the Greek defenses and began to burn the ships, Patroklos asked if he could don Akhilleus’ armor and lead the Greek troops in a counter-attack; Akhilleus reluctantly agreed but he warned Patroklos to rout the Trojans and then turn back, he was not to press the attack too deep into the Trojan territory.

Patroklos, wearing Akhilleus’ armor, charged into the Trojan defenses and was emboldened by his success; ignoring the warning of Akhilleus, Patroklos pressed the attack farther and farther into the Trojan lines until he was well ahead of the main body of the Greek army; at this point Apollon entered the battle and knocked the helmet from Patroklos’ head and loosened the corselet which protected his mid-section; the Trojan hero, Hektor (Hector), put on Akhilleus’ helmet and killed Patroklos; the fight for the body of Patroklos and the armor of Akhilleus was one of the most bloody scenes in The Iliad.

When Akhilleus saw the dead body of his life-long companion he went into a rage that resulted in the death of Hektor and the eventual destruction of Troy; Akhilleus would not bury Patroklos’ body until the “shade” of Patroklos appeared to him on the beach and begged to be put to rest; Akhilleus built a large pyre and sanctified it with the sacrifice of large numbers of beasts and the dead bodies of slain Trojan youths; Akhilleus also sponsored athletic games in Patroklos’ honor; the death of Patroklos was the turning point of the Trojan War and the rage of Akhilleus was the bloody force that finally toppled the walls of Troy.

Pausanias (1)

(fl. 160 CE) The Greek geographer and traveler who has left us with a first-hand account of many of the wonders of the ancient world.

Pausanias was from Lydia in Asia Minor; in his book Description of Greece he has provided us with a detailed account of Greek religion, art, history and topography; his careful depiction of many of the myths and legends of ancient Greece are invaluable to our study of this period of history.

Pausanias (2)

The nineteenth Agiadai king of the city of Sparta who ruled from 409-395 BCE.

Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Agis I and the other was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon (respectively known as the Agiadai and the Eurypontidai).

Beginning with Leonidas I (the sixteenth Agiadai king who ruled from 490-480 BCE) the names and dates for the Spartan kings became a part of the historical record and are generally accepted as factual; prior to Leonidas I the dates for the Spartan kings are extrapolated back from historical times to approximate the time periods in which each king ruled.

Paxos

The smallest of the Ionian Islands located in the Ionian Sea off the northwestern coast of mainland Greece just south of the island of Kerkyra (Corcyra); 7 square miles (18 square kilometers) in size; now called Paxoi or Paxi.

Approximate east longitude 20.12 and north latitude 39.12.

Peace (1)

Eirene; the personification of the goddess, Peace; the daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Eirene is one of the Horae, i.e. the goddesses of the Seasons; the Horae are the personifications of the cycle of death and rebirth and sometimes credited with social order; her sisters are Dike (Justice) and Eunomia (Order).

Peace (2)

Eirene; a comic play by the Athenian poet, Aristophanes, produced in 421 BCE at the Great Dionysia where it won second prize.

When this play was presented, the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) had been going on for ten years and the need for peace was becoming urgent; shortly after the production of Peace, Athens and Sparta managed to negotiate a treaty which gave the war ravaged Greeks a five year reprieve from the brutal and unrelenting war.

The story revolves around a common man named Trygaios who has had enough of the war and decides to take his complaint directly to Zeus; he does not intend to pray or sacrifice in order to get Zeus’ attention, he intends to go to Mount Olympos (Olympus) and confront Zeus face to face.

Mounting a flying dung-beetle named Pegasos (Pegasus), Trygaios files to Mount Olympos and is greeted by Hermes; the majority of the gods and goddesses have fled the sacred mountain; Ares (god of War) seems to be in charge of the mountain and he’s urgently looking for a pestle for his mortar so he can grind more Greek cities into dust; he is dismayed to find that the Athenian Kleon (Cleon) and the Spartan Brasides have been killed in the war because they were the best pestles he had.

The goddess Eirene (Peace) has been buried in a pit and Trygaios urges the chorus (who represent the various people of Greece) to help him dig her out; the city-folk in the chorus work at cross purposes but the country-folk work together and free Eirene from captivity; there follows a very interesting and highly symbolic scene where Eirene will not speak directly to the chorus but whispers to Hermes and he relates her messages; it seems that the Greeks have called upon Eirene too often with false promises and betrayed her trust; she does not feel that they will give her true homage and therefore will not favor them with her life sustaining voice.

Trygaios persuades Eirene to allow her handmaiden to return to Athens with him so that he can show the Council that Eirene will help them if they will give up their hateful ways; when Trygaios is once again on the earth’s surface he faces the audience and tells them that they looked very small and wicked when he flew above them on his dung-beetle and, now that he’s closer, they seem even more so.

A sacrifice is made to Eirene and the tradesmen start to approach Trygaios; the sickle-maker is jubilant because business is booming with the farmers working in their fields again; the craftsmen who made war implements are distraught because their products are now worthless; Trygaios suggests that shields be used as commodes and that helmets have handles attached so they can be used as wine pitchers; in the end, all seems to be as it should be with all the people of Greece reclaiming their peaceful traditions.

Aristophanes’ plays are sometimes difficult to appreciate because he was a very contemporary poet, i.e. he was writing for the Athenian audience of his day; he would use puns, parody regional accents and speak directly to the audience in ways that force modern translators to seek out the contextual meaning rather than the literal meaning of the poet’s words; for that reason, I suggest that if you find a translation that is difficult to enjoy, please don’t blame Aristophanes, simply look for a translation that you can enjoy; when trying to find a readable translator, I suggest Patric Dickinson; you may find his books at your local library in the 882 section but his books are out of print and sometimes difficult to find.

Pedasos

One of the twin sons of Boukolion and the nymph, Abarbare; Pedasos and his brother, Aisepos, were killed by the Greek soldier, Euryalos, while defending the city of Troy.

Pediakoi

One of the two political factions established by Solon in an attempt to reorganize the economic foundation of the government in Attika (Attica).

The Pediakoi, i.e. men of the plains, were owners of large tracts of land; the other group, the Paraloi, i.e. men of the shore, were commercial fishermen and sailors; these artificial groupings excluded the poorer people who had no organized political base but in 561 BCE the tyrant, Pisistratus, introduced a third class of voting citizens, the Diakrioi, i.e. men of the hills, and took control of the government.

Pediment

A wide gable at the base of the roof that juts out over the facade of a building.

Pegasos
Pegasus

The famous winged horse which was created from the blood of the Gorgon, Medusa.

Pegasos opened the spring of Hippokrene (Hippocrene) with a stroke of his hoof and carried Bellerophontes (Bellerophon) in his battle with the Khimera (Chimera); since he was born “near the springs of Ocean” (springs = pegas), his name became Pegasos; he resides on Mount Olympos (Olympus) and carries the thunder and lighting for Zeus.

Peirithoos
Peirithous

The son of Zeus and, possibly, Dia.

In The Iliad (book 14, line 318) Peirithoos is simply said to be the son of Zeus and a woman who is said to be the wife of Ixion but she is not named.

Peisandros

He and his brother, Hippolokhos (Hippolochos) were killed at the siege of Troy by Agamemnon.

Antimakhos (Antimachus), Peisandros’ and Hippolokhos’ father, was an advisor to king Priam of Troy and wanted to kill Odysseus and Menelaos (Menelaus) when they came to negotiate an end to the war; when Agamemnon found the two brothers on the battlefield, he killed them without mercy to avenge their father’s temerity.

Peisistratos
Peisistratus

One of the sons of Nestor and Eurydike (Eurydice).

Peison

One of the Thirty Tyrants elected to rule the city of Athens after the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).

Having lost the war to the Spartans, the citizens of Athens elected thirty men to lead the new post-war government; these men became known as the Thirty Tyrants; the short lived government they comprised was an oligarchy.

The tyrants immediately began to prosecute Athenians who had been Spartan informers and collaborators during the long, hard war; the punishment of the guilty seemed appropriate to the common citizens and aristocrats alike but it soon became clear that the executions and banishments were going beyond the bounds of necessity or prudence; open hostilities soon developed between members of the Thirty and their authority and rule came to an end after one year.

Peitho

Persuasion; an Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys; her name means, To Prevail.

When Zeus supervised the creation of the first mortal woman, Pandora, Peitho and the Graces put golden necklaces around her neck.

Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.

P to Peitho

P to Peitho Pelasgians to Phaedrias Phaeo to Pitys Plataea to Polyphemos 2 Polyxena to Pyxis 2

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTU–Z


Home • Essays • People, Places & Things • The Immortals
Greek Myths Bookshop • Fun Fact Quiz • Search/Browse • Links • About