Perses

Perses was a Titan, a son of Crius and Eurybia and a brother of Astraeus and Pallas. Hesiod praises him as outstanding in knowledge, and he is the husband of Asteria and the father of the goddess Hecate. Several other figures in Greek myth bear the same name, among them a brother of Aeetes in Colchis and a son of Perseus.

Family

Hesiod names Crius among the sons of Uranus and Gaea (Theogony 134). Eurybia lay with Crius and bore Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses, “who also was eminent among all men in knowledge” (Theogony 375–377). Apollodorus lists the same three sons (Library 1.2.2). Astraeus became the father of the winds and of the Morning Star by Eos, the Dawn (Theogony 378–382).

Perses and Asteria

According to Hesiod, Phoebe came to the bed of Coeus and bore Leto and Asteria. Perses once led Asteria to his great house to be his wife, and she conceived and bore Hecate (Theogony 404–411). Hesiod says that Zeus honoured Hecate above all, giving her a share of earth, sea, and starry heaven, and that she is the most honoured of the deathless gods (Theogony 411–415). Apollodorus likewise says that Hecate was born to Perses and Asteria (Library 1.2.4), and Apollonius of Rhodes calls Hecate Perseis, “daughter of Perses” (Argonautica 3.478, 3.1035, and 4.1020). Hesiod names no other child of Perses and tells no story of him beyond his marriage; the only quality he gives him is knowledge.

Other Figures Named Perses

The name belongs to several other figures, who should not be confused with the Titan.

• The brother of Aeetes: Diodorus says Helios had two sons, Aeetes and Perses; Aeetes was king of Colchis and Perses king of the Tauric Chersonese, and both were cruel (Library of History 4.45.1). Apollodorus says that Medea came to Colchis unknown and found that Aeetes had been deposed by his brother Perses; she killed Perses and restored the kingdom to her father (Library 1.9.28). Diodorus says that Medea’s son Medus killed Perses (Library of History 4.56.1). Diodorus also gives this Perses a daughter Hecate who surpassed her father in boldness (Library of History 4.45.2).
• The son of Perseus: Perses was born to Perseus and Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus, and was left behind with Cepheus. Herodotus says the Persians took their name from him (Histories 7.61.3; Apollodorus, Library 2.4.5).
• The brother of Hesiod, to whom the Works and Days is addressed (Works and Days 10 and 397).

The Oceanid Perse, or Perseis, is another figure with a similar name. She bore Circe and King Aeetes to Helios (Hesiod, Theogony 956–957), and Apollodorus calls Aeetes the son of the Sun and Perseis (Library 1.9.1).

Perses Sources

Hesiod, Theogony 134, 375–382, 404–415, and 956–957, and Works and Days 10 and 397; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2, 1.2.4, 1.9.1, 1.9.28, and 2.4.5; Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.45.1–2 and 4.56.1; Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 3.478, 3.1035, and 4.1020; Herodotus, Histories 7.61.3.

See Also: Titans, Crius, Eurybia, Hecate, Asteria, Astraeus, Aeetes, Medea