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[German version] (Πορφυρίων/ Porphyríōn). King of the Attic deme of Athmonon (Paus. 1,14,7), later identified with the king of the  Giants (Pind. Pyth. 8,12 ff.). Son of Athamas and Gaea or of Erebus and Nyx (Hyg. Fab. praef. 1). An enemy of Zeus (Aristoph. Av. 1251). P. is incited by Zeus to lust for Hera. When he tried to assault her, Zeus struck him with his lightning bolt and Heracles hit him with an arrow (Apollod. 1,36). According to Pindar (l.c.) P. was defeated by Apollo.…

[German version] (Ποδάργη/ Podárgē, 'the swift of foot'). One of the  Harpies; mother of Achilles' horses Balius and Xanthus (Hom. Il. 19,400). Zephyrus impregnates P. while she is grazing by the river Oceanus (Hom. Il. 16,150f.; Eust. ad Hom. Il. 16,150f., p. 1050,58ff.). P. is also the mother of Phlogeus and Harpagus (Stesich. PMGF fr. 178), the horses of the Dioscuri. A horse of Erechtheus that was also called P. has Boreas and a Harpy as parents (Nonn. Dion. 37,157); here the maternal name transfers to the daughter. According to one version Areion too is the offspring of a Harpy and Zephyrus (Quint. Smyrn. 4,569ff.). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Πολυφόντη/ Polyphóntē…

(Φέρουσα/ Phérousa). [German version] [1] Daughter of Nereus and Doris Daughter of Nereus and Doris [I 1] (Hom. Il. 18,43 = Hes. Theog. 248; Apollod. 1,11; Hyg. Fab. praef. 8); her name is telling: the one who takes voyagers to their destination (schol. Hes. Theog. 248). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel) [German version] [2] One of the Horae One of the Horae (Hyg. Fab. 183,4). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Πόρκις/ Pórkis and Χαρίβοια/ Charíboia). The two snakes that kill Laocoon [1] and his son (Tzetz. on Lycoph. 344; 347) or sons (only schol. Marcian. on Lycoph. 347). In Serv. Aen. 2,211, however, the names occur in the forms Curifis and Periboea. For the traditions and problems of the nomenclature cf. [1]. The two snakes are from Calydna. Apollo's epithet Calydneus (Steph. Byz. s. v. Κάλυδνα) also suggests a connexion with snakes. It is debatable, on the basis of the proportions between the two snakes and …

[German version] (Πορθάων/ Portháōn, 'the destroyer', also Πορθεύς/ Portheús: Hom. Il. 14,115 and Latin Parthaon: Ov. Met. 8,542; 9,12; Hyg. Fab. 175; Stat. Theb. 1,670; 2,726). Son of Agenor [3] and  Epicaste (Apollod. 1,59), husband of Euryte, king in Pleuron and Calydon. Father of Oeneus, Agrius and Melas (only these in Hom. l.c., hence great-grandfather of  Diomedes [1]). Also father of Alcathous, Leucopeus, Sterope (Apollod. 1,63) and Laocoon [2] (Hyg. Fab. 14,17; Apoll. Rhod. 1,191). Significant only as the father of Oeneus. Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Πόρος/ Póros). Personification of ways and means and of riches. Son of Metis. After the gods' banquet for Aphrodite's birthday, P. lies drunk in Zeus' garden; Penia (poverty) approaches him and wishes to have a child with him. The product of this union is Eros [1]  (Pl. Symp. 203b; Lydus Mens. 4,154). In a Christian context (Euseb. Praep. ev. 12,11), Zeus' garden is a symbol for Paradise, Penia for the evil serpent and P. for man himself.…

[German version] (Πελασγός/ Pelasgós, Latin Pelasgus). Progenitor and namesake of the Pelasgi, with different regional myths in Arcadia, Argos and Thessaly. The Arcadian P. (1), son of Zeus and Niobe, husband of Meliboea or the nymph Cyllene and father of Lycaon (Apollod. 3,96), is the first inhabitant of the land. As its king he creates the cultural foundations (Paus. 8,1,4) and establishes a temple to Zeus (Hyg. Fab. 225; here P. is conside…

(Πέρσης; Pérsēs). [German version] …

(Πείσανδρος/ Peísandros). …

(Περιμήδη/ Perimḗdē). [German version] [1] Sister of Amphitryon Sister of Amphitryon, wife of Licymnius [1]. …

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(Φυλονόη/ Phylonóē, also Φιλονόη/ Philonóē). [German version] [1] Wife of Bellerophon Wife of Bellerophon, after her father Iobates regarded him as innocent (Apollod. 2,33). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel) [German version] [2] Daughter of Tyndareos and Leda Daughter of Tyndareos and Le…

[German version] (Πόνος/ Pónos). Personification of toil and stress, similar to the Latin Labor. Son of Erebus and Nyx (Soph. Trach. 29; Cic. Nat. D. 3,17,44) or Eris with no indication of the father (Hes. Theog. 226). As son of Eris, P. is placed first in the ranks of evil by Hesiod. However, he also has a positive aspect, in that he ends debauchery and sees to a virtuous life (Lucian. Timon 31-33). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Ποίας/ Poías). Father of Philoctetes (Hom. Od. 3,190), son of Thaumacus, husband of Demonassa [2]; one of the Argonauts (Apollod. 1,112; 141), he kills the Cretan Talos. His son is the ruler of the regions of Meliboea, Methone, Olizon and Thaumacia on the Magnesia peninsula (Hom. Il. 2,716). P. sets fire to Heracles [1]' funeral pyre on the Oete river; for this he receives Heracles' bow, which he bequeaths on to his son (Apollod. 2,160). Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Πυρηνεύς/ Pyrēneús). Mythical king from Daulis in Phocia, who invites the Muses to his palace, ostensibly to offer them shelter from a storm. When he is about to violate them there, they esca…

[German version] (Πολυφείδης/ Polypheídēs). Seer in Greek mythology. Son of Mantius, grandson of Melampus [1], father of Theoclymenus. After an argument with his father, he moves from Argos to Hyperesia in Achaea (Hom. Od. 15,249) and begins soothsaying to all. After the death of his nephew Amphiaraus (cf. stemma Hom. Od. 15,225 ff.; 242 ff.) he was the most important Greek seer. The older P. can easily be a successor to the younger Amphiaraus, as the latter dies young (Hom. Od. 15,246 f.). Pherecydes (FGrH 3 F 116) describes him as the husband of Aechme, daughter of one Haemon, living at Eleusis. Thurmann, Stephanie (Kiel)

[German version] (Ποίμανδρος/ Poímandros). Son of Chaeresileus and Stratonice (Paus. 9,20,1), P. was said to have founded the Boeotian city of Poemandria (Plut. Quaest. Graec. 37), also referred to as Tanagra (Steph. Byz. s.v. Ποιμανδρία; Schol. Lycophr. 326). Polycrithus, architect of the new foundation, mocked the city walls by jumping over them. P…