In Greek mythology, Perses ( ; ) is the son of the Titan Crius and Eurybia, and thus brother to Astraeus and Pallas. Ancient tradition records very little of Perses other than his marriage and offspring, his role largely being genealogical, existing merely to provide a parentage for other, more important figures.

Etymology His name is derived from the Ancient Greek word perthō ( – "to sack", "to ravage", "to destroy").

Family According to the Theogony, Perses was born to Crius, one of the original twelve Titans, and Eurybia. He had two brothers, Astraeus and Pallas.Hesiod, Theogony, 375.Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1.8.

Mythology According to Timothy Gantz, Hesiod "oddly" describes Perses as "eminent among all men in wisdom." He was wed to his cousin Asteria, the daughter of Phoebe and Coeus,Hesiod, Theogony, 404. with whom he had one child, Hecate, honoured by the king of the gods Zeus above all others as the goddess of magic, crossroads, and witchcraft. In a lesser-known tradition mentioned by Musaeus, the father of Hecate was Zeus himself;Musaeus as cited by a scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius's Argonautica 3.467 Zeus kept Asteria as his mistress for some time before giving her to Perses.

He was sometimes confused with another Perses (the son of the sun-god Helios and the nymph Perse), who was made the father of Hecate in some versions.Diodorus Siculus, Historic Library 4.45.2 He might also be the same Perses who is the father of Chariclo, the wife of Chiron, in some versions.Scholia on Pindar P.4.82

Family tree

See also

Athena Perses of Colchis Ares

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.

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Volume III: Books 4.59-8, translated by C. H. Oldfather, Loeb Classical Library No. 340. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1939. . Online version at Harvard University Press. Online version by Bill Thayer.

Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.