Pyrrhus (mythology) explained

In Nonnus's fifth-century AD epic poem the Dionysiaca, Pyrrhus (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Πύρρος|Púrrhos|fiery) is a minor figure who was punished by the goddess Rhea for his assault of her. His short story is only mentioned in passing.

Etymology

The Greek proper name Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Πύρρος means "fiery, red-coloured" and it is derived from the word Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: πῦρ meaning fire, flame. It was especially used to denote red hair. In Mycenaean Greek the name is attested as pu-wo (Linear B: {{script|Linb|).

Mythology

The little-known and otherwise unattested Pyrrhus was a mortal man from Phrygia who lusted after the goddess Rhea, the mother of the gods, and tried to assault her. Rhea changed him into a stone immediately for his hubris.^[1] This happened not far from the site of Niobe's own transformation into a rock after she challenged another goddess, Leto.^[2] Pyrrhus's transformation into stone is part of a wider typical theme where a man is punished for his lust that led him to assault a goddess, in this case Rhea.

See also

• Antigone of Troy
• Astynome
• Ixion
• Olenus

Bibliography

• Book: Beekes, Robert S. P. . Robert S. P. Beekes . Etymological Dictionary of Greek . Leiden, the Netherlands . . 2010 . ΙΙ . 978-90-04-17419-1 . Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series . Lucien van Beek .
• Book: Forbes Irving, Paul M. C. . Metamorphosis in Greek Myths . . 1990 . 0-19-814730-9 . Oxford, New York, Toronto . Oxford Classical Monographs.
• Book: Tales of Dionysus: The Dionysiaca of Nonnus of Panopolis . William . Levitan . Stanley . Lombardo . 978-0-472-13311-6 . . Michigan, United States . August 15, 2022 . 2022 .
• Book: Henry George . Liddell . Robert . Scott . A Greek-English Lexicon, revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie . Oxford . . 1940 . Henry Liddell . Robert Scott (philologist). Online version at Perseus.tufts project.
• Nonnus, Dionysiaca; translated by Rouse, W H D, I Books I-XV. Loeb Classical Library No. 344, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1940. Internet Archive

Notes and References

1. Web site: M. Rosemary Wright . A Dictionary of Classical Mythology: Summary of Transformations . mythandreligion.upatras.gr . January 3, 2023 . University of Patras.
2. [Nonnus]