Pirithous' Wedding Aftermath

In Greek mythology, Pirithous was the King of the Lapiths of Larissa in Thessaly and the best friend of Theseus, a legendary hero. During Pirithous' wedding to Hippodamia, daughter of Atrax or Butes, the famous Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs occurred. The Lapiths won the battle, known as Centauromachy, a favourite motif of Greek art. After the battle, Pirithous and Hippodamia had a son, Polypoetes, who became one of the Greek leaders during the Trojan War. However, Hippodamia died shortly after giving birth, and Pirithous went to visit his friend Theseus in Athens.

Pirithous and Theseus abduct Helen of Sparta

After the Battle of Pirithous' Wedding, Pirithous and Theseus decided to kidnap two daughters of Zeus. Pirithous and Theseus had become close friends after Pirithous, curious about Theseus' reputation for courage and strength, stole his cattle. When Theseus pursued him, the two met in combat and were so impressed with each other that they became sworn friends.

Theseus, who had been unlucky in love with Ariadne, Antiope, and Phaedra, decided to pursue Helen of Sparta, who was just 10 or 13 years old. Pirithous chose Persephone, wife of Hades, a much more dangerous prize. Theseus objected to this choice, but he was bound by his oaths, so he agreed. They left Helen with Theseus' mother, Aethra, in Aphidnae and travelled to the Underworld.

In the Underworld, Pirithous and Theseus sat on a rock to rest and found they were unable to stand when the Furies appeared before them. Heracles freed Theseus, but when he tried to free Pirithous, the earth shook. Pirithous had committed a grave crime by trying to kidnap a god's wife. According to a scholium on Aristophanes, in a lost play by Euripides, Hades had Pirithous fed to Cerberus for his impiety.

By the time Theseus returned to Athens, Helen's twin brothers Castor and Pollux had taken Helen back to Sparta. They had also taken Aethra and Pirithous' sister, Physadeia, as captives. They became handmaidens of Helen and later followed her to Troy.

They leave Helen with Theseus' mother, Aethra

In Greek mythology, Aethra was a Troezenian princess and the daughter of King Pittheus. She was also the mother of Theseus and Clymene.

After Theseus and his friend Pirithous kidnapped Helen of Sparta, they left her in the care of Aethra. Pirithous chose to kidnap Persephone, the wife of Hades, while Theseus kidnapped Helen, who was only 13 years old at the time. They left Helen with Aethra at Aphidnae, and travelled to the Underworld.

However, their plan went awry when they were trapped by Hades, who pretended to offer them hospitality. As soon as they sat down to rest, they found themselves unable to stand up, and the Furies appeared before them. Although Heracles eventually freed Theseus, he was unable to rescue Pirithous, who remained trapped forever.

In the meantime, Helen's brothers Castor and Pollux, also known as the Dioscuri, invaded Athens and took Helen back to Sparta. They also captured Aethra and made her a slave of Helen, with whom she travelled to Troy. Eventually, Aethra was freed by Agamemnon, and she returned to Greece.

They travel to the Underworld to kidnap Persephone

After the death of his wife, Hippodamia, Pirithous, the King of the Lapiths, travelled to Athens to meet his close friend, Theseus. Phaedra, Theseus' wife, had also died, and so the pair decided to find new wives for themselves. They agreed that only daughters of Zeus would be worthy of their stature.

Pirithous and Theseus first travelled to Sparta, where they abducted Helen, the young daughter of Zeus and Leda. They took her back to Athens, leaving her in the town of Aphidnae with Theseus' mother, Aethra.

The second daughter of Zeus they targeted was Persephone, the goddess daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and wife of Hades. This was a more dangerous prospect, as Persephone was already married to a god. Nevertheless, Pirithous and Theseus descended into the Underworld. It is unclear whether they intended to abduct Persephone or simply ask Hades to give up his wife.

Pirithous and Theseus safely navigated the dangers of the Underworld and were welcomed by Hades himself, who presented them with a banquet and invited them to sit on some stone seats. As they did so, the stone came alive, imprisoning the pair. The Erinyes, the Furies, were sent to torture them.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, and there Pirithous and Theseus remained imprisoned, until Heracles, a cousin of Theseus, descended into the Underworld on his final labour—to bring back Cerberus. Heracles broke the stone bindings trapping Theseus, but when he tried to free Pirithous, the earth shook. Pirithous had committed a grave hubris by attempting to kidnap a god's wife.

According to a scholium on Aristophanes, in a lost play by Euripides, Hades fed Pirithous to Cerberus as punishment for his impiety. In another version of the story, Heracles is able to rescue Pirithous, but nothing more is mentioned of him afterwards.

They are imprisoned by Hades and tortured by the Furies

After the Battle of Pirithous' Wedding, Pirithous and his friend Theseus decided to kidnap two daughters of Zeus. Pirithous chose Persephone, wife of Hades, while Theseus kidnapped Helen of Sparta. When they entered the Underworld, they sat on a rock to rest and found themselves unable to stand when they saw the Furies approaching.

The Furies, also known as the Erinyes or Eumenides, are chthonic goddesses of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. They are spirits of vengeance who serve the god Hades as his torturers in the Underworld, punishing the crimes of the wicked. They are often referred to as the Kindly Ones, to remain safe from their wrath.

In the Underworld, Pirithous and Theseus were imprisoned by the Furies, who were sent by Hades to torture them. Heracles eventually came to their rescue, but when he tried to free Pirithous, the earth shook, indicating that Pirithous' crime of trying to kidnap a god's wife was too great. Pirithous was left bound in the Underworld forever, while Theseus returned to the earth's surface.

The Furies are described as having snakes in their hair, wearing black, and dripping hatred from their eyes. They are commonly associated with night and darkness and are often identified with spirits of fertility. They are known by various names, including Alecto ("The Angry"), Megaera ("The Grudging"), and Tisiphone ("The Avenger").

Heracles frees Theseus but Pirithous remains trapped

In Greek mythology, Pirithous was the King of the Lapiths of Larissa in Thessaly and a close friend of the hero Theseus. Pirithous and Theseus decided to kidnap two daughters of Zeus. Pirithous chose Persephone, wife of Hades, while Theseus kidnapped Helen of Sparta.

While in the Underworld, the two men sat on a rock to rest and found they were unable to stand when they saw the Furies coming for them. The Greek hero Heracles freed Theseus, but when he tried to free Pirithous, the earth started shaking. Pirithous had committed a grave crime by trying to kidnap a god's wife. According to a scholium on Aristophanes, in a lost play by Euripides, Hades had Pirithous fed to Cerberus as punishment for his impiety.

There are alternative versions of the myth, however. In one, Heracles successfully frees Pirithous as well as Theseus, but nothing more is mentioned of Pirithous afterwards. Another version has it that Pirithous and Theseus travelled not to the Underworld, but to Epirus, the land of the Molossians and Thesprotians, where there lived a king named Aidoneus, another name for Hades. When Aidoneus discovered their intention to kidnap his daughter, Core, he cast Theseus into prison and sent Pirithous out to face his dog, Cerberus, who promptly killed him.

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