Perieres

Perieres
King of Messene
Spouse Gorgophone
Issue Aphareus
Leucippus
Icarius
Tyndareus
Father Cynortas
Mother Enarete

In Greek mythology, Perieres (Ancient Greek: Περιήρης) was King of Messene, an ancient polis in southern Peloponnese. His parentage and offspring varies across ancient authors; in most sources, however, he was a son of Aeolus and Enarete,[1] and husband of Gorgophone, daughter of the famous Perseus.

According to John Tzetzes, Perieres was a son of Cynortas, King of Sparta, and father of Oebalus, who, in turn, became by Gorgophone father of Tyndareus and Icarius.[2]

The Bibliotheca mentions two different versions of Perieres' lineage, without deciding between them: he could be a son of Cynortas, husband of Gorgophone and father of Tyndareus, Icarius, Aphareus and Leucippus, or 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.[3]

Finally, according to Pausanias, Gorgophone, the daughter of Perseus, was one of the first women who married twice.[4] 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[5][6]).

References

  1. E.g. the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women fr. 10(a).
  2. John Tzetzes on Lycophron, 511
  3. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke, III, 10.
  4. Pausanias, Description of Greece, 2. 15-28
  5. Scholiast on Euripides, Orestes 457
  6. Scholiast on Homer, Iliad II.2.581

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