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In Greek mythology, Perses (/ˈpɜːrsiz/ PUR-seez; Ancient Greek: Πέρσης, romanized: Pérsēs, lit. 'destroyer') is the son of the Titan Crius and Eurybia, and thus brother to Astraeus and Pallas. Ancient tradition records very little of Perses other than his marriage and offspring, his role largely being genealogical, existing merely to provide a parentage for other, more important figures.

Etymology

His name is derived from the Ancient Greek word perthō (πέρθω – "to sack", "to ravage", "to destroy").

Family

According to the Theogony, Perses was born to Crius, one of the original twelve Titans, and Eurybia. He had two brothers, Astraeus and Pallas.

Mythology

Hesiod "oddly" describes Perses as "eminent among all men in wisdom." He was wed to his cousin Asteria, the daughter of Phoebe and Coeus, with whom he had one child, Hecate, honoured by the king of the gods Zeus above all others as the goddess of magic, crossroads, and witchcraft. In a lesser-known tradition mentioned by Musaeus, the father of Hecate was Zeus himself; Zeus kept Asteria as his mistress for some time before giving her to Perses.

He might be the Perses that is the father of Chariclo, the wife of Chiron, in some versions.

He was sometimes confused with another Perses (the son of the sun-god Helios and the nymph Perse), who was made the father of Hecate in some versions.

Family tree

See also

• Athena
• Perses of Colchis
• Ares

Notes

1. Thurmann, Stephanie (October 1, 2006). "Perses". In Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth (eds.). Brill's New Pauly. Kiel: Brill Reference Online. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e915170. ISSN 1574-9347. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
2. ^ Hesiod, Theogony, 375.
3. ^ Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1.8.
4. ^ Gantz 1993, p. 26.
5. Hesiod, Theogony, 404.
6. Musaeus as cited by a scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius's Argonautica 3.467
7. Fowler 2000, pp. 32–33.
8. Diels 1907, p. 487.
9. Scholia on Pindar P.4.82
10. Diodorus Siculus, Historic Library 4.45.2

References

• Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Diels, Hermann (1907). Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker: griechisch und deutsch. Vol. 2. Berlin, Germany: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung.
• Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Volume III: Books 4.59-8, translated by C. H. Oldfather, Loeb Classical Library No. 340. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1939. ISBN 978-0-674-99375-4. Online version at Harvard University Press. Online version by Bill Thayer.
• Fowler, Robert L. (2000). Early Greek Mythography. Vol. 2: Commentary. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-814741-1.
• Gantz, Timothy (1993). Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources. Vol. 1. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-5360-9.
• Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.

External links

• PERSES on the Theoi Project
• PERSES from Mythopedia

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