Perieres of Messenia

In Greek mythology, Perieres (Ancient Greek: Περιήρης) was King of Messene, an ancient polis in southern Peloponnese.

Biography[]

Perieres' parentage and offspring vary across ancient authors; in most sources, however, he was a son of Aeolus^[1] and Enarete,^[2] and husband of Gorgophone, daughter of the famous Perseus. In some accounts, he was called the son of Dioplethes, son of King Myrmidon^[3] of Phthia by Peisidice (daughter of Aeolus) possibly.

The Bibliotheca mentions two different versions of Perieres' lineage, without deciding between them: (1) he could be a son of Cynortas, husband of Gorgophone and father of Tyndareus, Icarius, Aphareus and Leucippus,^[4] or (2) he could be a son of Aeolus and father of only two sons by Gorgophone, Aphareus and Leucippus. In this case Tyndareus and Icarius, along with Hippocoon and Arene, would be sons of Oebalus, son of another Perieres, son of Cynortas, their mother being the nymph Bateia.^[5] In addition, Polydora and Borus were also called his children.^[6]

According to Pausanias, Gorgophone, the daughter of Perseus, was one of the first women who married twice.^[7] She first married Perieres, King of Messene, son of Aeolus, and had by him sons Leucippus and Aphareus. After Perieres' death she married Oebalus, king of Sparta, son of Cynortas, and had by him Tyndareus, Icarius and Arene.

Finally, in Pausanias’ account, Hippocoon was Oebalus’ eldest natural son, his mother being Batea (or, according to scholiasts on Euripides and Homer, Hippocoon’s mother was called Nicostrate^[8]). According to scholia on Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica, he was the father of a certain Deidameia,^[9] who was the mother of Iphiclus (one of the Argonauts), Althaea and Leda by Thestius, son of Ares and Demonice. Pisus, son of Aphareus and founder of Pisa in Elis, in some versions of the myth, was one of Perieres' children.

According to Hesiod, Halirrhotius was also called the son of Perieres.^[10]

Notes[]

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.
• Hesiod, Catalogue of Women from Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914. Online version at theio.com
• Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

External links[]

• For a detailed account of different Perieres' offspring, see Theoi.com, Notes to Apollodorus 3c, 188.

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