Editing Pirithous (section)

== Biography ==
Pirithous was a son of "heavenly" [[Dia (mythology)|Dia]], fathered either by [[Ixion]]<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' 2.741, 14.17; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''Bibliotheca'' 1.8.2; [[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] ad Homer, p. 101.1</ref> or by [[Zeus]].<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 14.317; [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#155 155]; Grimal, s.v. Pirithous, p. 374.</ref> He married [[Hippodamia (wife of Pirithous)|Hippodamia]], daughter of [[Atrax (mythology)|Atrax]] or [[Butes]], at whose wedding the famous [[Centauromachy|Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs]] occurred. By his wife, he became the father of [[Polypoetes]],<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 2.740 & 12.129</ref> one of the Greek leaders during the [[Trojan War]]. Pirithous was also the close friend of the hero [[Theseus]].

=== Early years ===
According to Homer, [[Dia (mythology)|Dia]] had sex with [[Zeus]], who was disguised as a stallion, and gave birth to Pirithous; a [[folk etymology]] derived Pirithous' name from ''peritheein'' ({{Langx|grc|περιθεῖν|label=none|lit=to run around}}), because that was what Zeus did to seduce Dia.

His best friend was [[Theseus]]. In the ''[[Iliad]]'' I, Nestor numbers Pirithous and Theseus "of heroic fame" among an earlier generation of heroes of his youth, "the strongest men that Earth has bred, the strongest men against the strongest enemies, a savage mountain-dwelling tribe whom they utterly destroyed." No trace of such an oral tradition, which Homer's listeners would have recognized in Nestor's allusion, survived in literary epic.

In disjointed episodes that have survived, Pirithous had heard rumors about Theseus' courage and strength in battle but he wanted proof. He rustled Theseus' herd of cattle from [[Marathon, Greece|Marathon]], and Theseus set out to pursue him. Pirithous took up arms and the pair met, then became so impressed with each other's gracefulness, beauty and courage they took an oath of friendship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/theseus.html|title=PLUTARCH, THESEUS|website=classics.mit.edu|language=en|access-date=2022-09-11}}</ref> They were among the company of heroes that hunted the [[Calydonian Boar]], another mythic theme that was already well known to Homer's listeners.