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In Greek and Roman mythology Pyrene (Ancient Greek: Πυρήνη, romanized: Purḗnē) is an Iberian princess whose tragic fate gave the Pyrenees their name. Pyrene was a victim of Heracles, who visited her country during one of his Twelve Labours. Her myth survives in the writings of Silius Italicus, a Roman author of the first century AD.

Mythology

Pyrene was a very beautiful princess, daughter of king Bebryx or Bebrycius of the Bebryces, an ancient people living on both sides of the Pyrenees which divided Spain from Gaul. One day the hero Heracles arrived in their court on his way to obtain the flock of Geryon. After Heracles got thoroughly drunk with wine, Pyrene was "robbed of her maidenhood" by him who then left to resume his mission. Months passed and Pyrene eventually gave birth to a serpent. In fear and terror of her father's reaction and wrath, she fled the court and hid in the woods in the Pyrenees. There she shed bitter tears over her ravisher Heracles and repeated his promises to the trees, mourning her treatment. But she drew the attention of wild beasts, who proceded to tear her apart from limb to limb.

In the meantime Heracles was done with the flock, and passed through Spain once more to return home. He stumbled upon Pyrene's mangled remains, a sight which caused him great grief. His cries when he located her head made the very mountain range shake, which therefore took the name of the unfortunate maiden. Then, as last tribute, he buried her remains deep into the earth as he wept.

In culture

Pliny the Elder considered the stories of Heracles in the Pyrenees to be products of imagination and story-telling.

See also

• Procris
• Leucone
• Actaeon
• Auge

References

1. See James Duff's notes.
2. Grimal 1987, s.v. Pyrene 1.
3. Murray 1833, p. 588.
4. Silius Italicus,Punica 3.415-33
5. Bell 1790, p. 203.
6. Barceló, Pedro (October 1, 2006). "Pyrenees". In Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth (eds.). Brill's New Pauly. Translated by Christine F. Salazar. Potsdam: Brill Reference Online. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e1015450. ISSN 1574-9347. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
7. Bell 1991, s.v. Pyrene (2).
8. Silius Italicus,Punica 3.434-41
9. Pliny the Elder, Natural History 3.3

Bibliography

• Bell, John (1790). Bell's New Pantheon. Kessinger Publishing.
• Bell, Robert E. (1991). Women of Classical Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary. ABC-Clio. ISBN 9780874365818.
• Grimal, Pierre (1987). The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-13209-0.
• Murray, ed. (1833). A Classical Manual. London, UK: John Murray.
• Pliny the Elder, Natural History, translation by John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855. Online text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Silius Italicus, Punica with an English translation by James Duff, volume II. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. The Loeb Classical Library. 1927. Online text available online at Internet Archive.

• Princesses in Greek mythology
• Women of Heracles
• Mythological rape victims
• Legendary Spanish people
• Gaulish people
• Pyrenees