Pirithous

• son of Ixion, king of the Lapithae, husband of Hippodamia, and friend of Theseus. After the death of Hippodamia, he descended, in company with Theseus, to the infernal regions, to carry away Proserpine; but was, together with Theseus, seized and detained in chains. Theseus was afterwards delivered by Hercules, who vainly endeavored to save Pirithoüs also, Ov. M. 8, 302 sq.: amatorem trecentae Pirithoum cohibent catenae, Hor. C. 3, 4, 79; 4, 7, 28: Aegidae Pirithoique fides, Ov. P. 2, 6, 26.

[Peirithous.]

(Πειρίθοος). The son of Ixion (or Zeus), and Dia, and king of the Lapithae in Thessaly. Pirithoüs once invaded Attica; but when Theseus came forth to oppose him, he conceived a warm admiration for the Athenian king; and from this time a most intimate friendship sprang up between the two heroes. When Pirithoüs was celebrating his marriage with Hippodamia, the intoxicated Centaur Eurytion or Eurytus carried her off, and this act occasioned the celebrated fight between the Centaurs and Lapithae, in which the Centaurs were defeated. Theseus, who was present at the wedding of Pirithoüs, assisted him in his battle against the Centaurs. Hippodamia afterwards died, and each of the two friends resolved to wed a daughter of Zeus. With the assistance of Pirithoüs, Theseus carried off Helen from Sparta. Pirithoüs was still more ambitious, and resolved to carry off Persephoné (Proserpina), the wife of the king of the lower world. Theseus would not desert his friend in the enterprise, though he knew the risk which they ran. The two friends accordingly descended to the lower world; but they were seized by Pluto and fastened to a rock, where they both remained till Heracles visited Hades. Heracles delivered Theseus, who had made the daring attempt only to please his friend; but Pirithoüs remained forever in torment (Il. i. 263; Odyss. xi. 630, xxi. 295; Hor. Carm. iii. 4, 80).