Pieria (pī-er´i-a).—A district of Macedonia, in the north of Greece; celebrated as one of the earliest seats of the worship of the Muses, who are hence called Pierides (pī-er´id-ēz). Hence the following lines:—
“A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.”
Pope’s Essay on Criticism.
Pirene (pī-rē´nē).—A noted fountain at Corinth, at which Bellerophon caught Pegasus.
Pirithous (pī-rith´o-us).—Son of Ixion, whom he succeeded as king of the Lapithæ; famous for his friendship with Theseus. When Pirithous was invading Attica he was opposed by Theseus, king of Athens, for whom he soon conceived feelings of admiration, which afterwards deepened into a lasting friendship. At the marriage of Pirithous with Hippodamia (hip-po-da-mī´a) the bride was seized by a drunken Centaur, and thus arose the celebrated fight between the Centaurs and [Lapithæ] (q.v.), in which, with the assistance of Theseus, Pirithous and the Lapithæ came off victorious. On the death of Hippodamia, Pirithous conceived the bold project of carrying off Proserpine, wife of Pluto. Accordingly the two friends descended into the lower world, but were seized by Pluto and chained to a rock, where they both remained till Hercules visited that region. Hercules then delivered Theseus, who was suffering punishment merely on account of his friendship for Pirithous; but the latter he left to his fate.
Pleiades (plē´ya-dēz).—The seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione (plē´yo-nē).—They were the virgin companions of Diana, and when pursued by Orion were changed into doves and placed among the stars.
Pluto (plū´tō).—The god of the nether world; originally called Hades (hā´dēz), the name Pluto (lit. “wealth”) being applied to him because corn, the wealth of early times, was sent from beneath the earth as his gift. He was the son of Saturn and Rhea, brother of Jupiter and Neptune, and the husband of Proserpine. He possessed a celebrated helmet, which rendered the wearer invisible, and which [Perseus] (q.v.) borrowed when he went to slay the Gorgon Medusa. Black sheep were sacrificed to him. Pluto was also called Dis (dīs) and Orcus (or´-kus).
Plutus (plū´tus).—The god of wealth; represented as blind.
Pluvius (plū´vi-us)—lit. “rain-bringing” (Lat.).—A surname of Jupiter, to whom sacrifices were offered in times of drought. See “[Jupiter].”
Pollux.—See “[Castor].”
Polyhymnia.—See “[Musæ].”