Piras (mythology)


In Greek mythology, Piras was a king of Argos, otherwise also known as Piren, Peiren, Peiras , Peirasus and Piranthus.

Family

Piras was the son of Argus and Evadne, daughter of river god Strymon while his brothers were, Ecbasus, Tiryns, Epidaurus, Criasus and according to some, Phorbas also. Piras's wife was Callirrhoe who mothered his sons, Argus, Arestorides and Triopas. According to Hesiod and Acusilaus, Peiren was Io's father while Eusebius mentioned Callithyia as the daughter of Peiranthus. Io may be therefore identical to Callithyia as suggested by Hesychius of Alexandria.

Reign

Peiras was credited with the founding of the first temple of Hera in Argolis and appointed his own daughter Callithyia as the priestess. Of the statues of Hera, which Pausanias saw in the Heraeum near Mycenae, the most ancient was one made of the wild pear-tree from the wood about Tiryns, which Peirasus was said to have dedicated for the sanctuary. The Argives, when they took that city, transferred the carved image of the goddess to the Heraeum. The account of Pausanias and the mythographers, however, does not represent Peirasus as the artist of this image, as some modern writers suppose, but as the king who dedicated it.
Peiras succeeded his father Argus while his son Triopas in turn followed him on the throne.