Pallas [pal'las], "maiden."
She was the daughter of Triton (not the sea god) and a friend of Athena, with whom she practiced fighting. Once while sparring, they became angry with each other; as Pallas was about to hit Athena, Zeus sent down his aegis to protect his daughter. Pallas was startled and Athena took advantage of Pallas' momentary lapse to strike and kill her. Athena regretted taking the life of her friend, so she constructed a wooden statue of Pallas and placed her aegis on it. This statue was the Palladium, which protected Troy until the Greeks removed it from the city (Apollodorus 3.12.3, Epitome 5.10; Sack of Ilium 2).

Pan, "pasturer."
This son of Hermes and god of nature and shepherds is depicted as part goat and part man. He is often associated with Dionysus. His ability to inspire terror with a shout or sudden noise gave rise to the word panic, which is based on his name. He fell in love with Syrinx, a nymph; she ran from him and was turned into a bed of reeds. The sound of the wind blowing through these reeds inspired Pan to pluck two of them and join them together with wax. This instrument is known as the panpipe, which is called syrinx in Greek (Homeric Hymn to Pan 19; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.689-712).

Pandora [pan-dor'a], "all gifts."
She was a beautiful woman (perhaps the first woman) created by the gods to punish humankind. Hephaestus fashioned her out of clay, Athena clothed her, the Graces adorned her with jewelry, the Seasons crowned her with flowers, and Hermes taught her to tell falsehoods. She was given to Epimetheus, who accepted her, because he momentarily forgot Prometheus' command never to take a gift from the gods. She opened a box or jar that the gods had given her and from this container escaped all the ills and troubles that plague humans (Hesiod, Theogony 570-612, Works and Days 47-105; Hyginus, Fabulae 142).

Paris, "leather bag," (also called Alexander or Alexandros).
The son of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba was exposed on Mount Ida at birth because Hecuba had dreamed she gave birth to a torch that consumed the city of Troy. Suckled by a bear until he was discovered by a shepherd, he grew up to be the handsomest man alive (Apollodorus 3.12.5). When Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite argued over which was the most beautiful, Hermes, at the command of Zeus, brought the three contestants to Paris: Hera promised him political power if he chose her, Athena pledged him success in battle, and Aphrodite promised Helen. Paris chose Aphrodite (Homer, Iliad 24.25-30; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.1-2; Hyginus, Fabulae 92). Paris was reunited with his parents and he went to Sparta to pick up Helen. Most versions of the story say Aphrodite caused Helen to fall in love with Paris and to go willingly with him, other accounts say he had to use force to take her back to Troy. He was not the bravest or most industrious soldier in the Trojan War, though he killed Achilles (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.5). He was killed by Philoctetes (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.8). Family Tree 42.

Pasiphaë [pa-sif'a-ee].
The daughter of Helius and Perse, she married Minos and then fell in love with the bull that Poseidon had given her husband. Daedalus constructed a hollow wooden cow in which Pasiphaë was able to copulate with the bull; her offspring with the bull was the Minotaur. Because Pasiphaë grew tired of her husband's many love affairs, she bewitched him, with the result that he ejaculated poisonous serpents (Apollodorus 3.15.1, 3.15.8). Family Tree 23.

Patroclus [pa-tro'klus] or Patroklos, "glory of the father."
The best friend of Achilles, he donned Achilles' armor and entered the battle at Troy to make the Trojans think Achilles had reentered the war. He had promised Achilles to return after frightening the Trojans into retreat; when the Trojans fled and the Greeks fought with newfound strength, Patroclus forgot his promise and pursued the Trojans, killing many of them, including Sarpedon. Hector discovered it was not Achilles, but Patroclus in Achilles' armor, who was causing the rout of his men; he killed Patroclus and stripped him of Achilles' armor (Homer, Iliad 11.599-848, 15.390-404, 16.1-18.355, 19.23-39, 23.62-107; Apollodorus 3.13.8).

Pegasus [peg'a-sus] or Pegasos, "of the springs."
This winged horse sprang from Medusa when Perseus beheaded her; he had been fathered by Poseidon. Bellerophon tamed him with a bridle provided by Athena. He helped Bellerophon kill the Chimaera, but when the hero tried to ride him up to Olympus, Pegasus threw him off. Pegasus continued on up to heaven, where he lived with the gods and eventually became the constellation that is still known by his name (Hesiod, Theogony 319-325; Pindar, Olympian Odes 13.60-91, Isthmian Odes 7.43-47; Apollodorus 2.3.1-2; Hyginus, Fabulae 57, Poetica Astronomica 2.1). Family Tree 1.

Peleus [pee'le-us], "muddy."
This son of Aeacus and father of Achilles left his homeland, Aegina, after killing his half brother Phocus. He went to King Eurytion of Phthia in Thessaly for purification. He accidentally killed Eurytion during the Calydonian boar hunt and went to King Acastus of Iolcus, who purified him. But when Astydamia, Acastus' wife, falsely accused him of trying to seduce her, Acastus took him hunting on Mount Pelion, buried his sword in a dung heap, and left him there asleep. Peleus awoke surrounded by wild beasts and centaurs; Chiron protected him and returned his sword, a gift from Hephaestus that made him invincible. Thetis was given to him as his wife. Eris, who was not invited to the wedding, threw the apple that led to the Judgment of Paris and ultimately the Trojan War. Peleus and Thetis settled in Phthia, where Peleus became the leader of the Myrmidons, who had left Aegina. Thetis and Peleus became the parents of Achilles (Apollodorus 3.12.6-3.13.5). Family Tree 8.

Pelias [pel'i-as], "black and blue."
He usurped the throne of Iolcus from Aeson, the father of Jason, and refused to turn the rulership over to Jason, as Pelias had promised he would when Jason returned with the Golden Fleece (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.5-16; Apollodorus 1.9.16; Hyginus, Fabulae 12, 13). Medea arranged his death by showing his daughters how she was able to rejuvenate an aged ram by butchering it and boiling the parts in a cauldron with magic herbs. She then promised to help the girls rejuvenate their father in the same way if they would first kill him and cut him into pieces, but when the girls put the pieces of their father's body into the boiling water, Medea refused to add the magic herbs (Apollodorus 1.9.27; Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.238-349; Hyginus, Fabulae 24). Family Tree 45.

Pelopia [pe-loh-pee'a], "dark-hued face."
She was the daughter of Thyestes. When she was a young woman, Thyestes raped her without realizing she was his daughter and she gave birth to Aegisthus. Later, when she discovered she had been raped by her father, she killed herself (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.10-15; Hyginus, Fabulae 87, 88). Family Tree 15.

Pelops [pee'lops], "dark-hued face."
This son of Tantalus came to Greece to seek the hand of Hippodamia, daughter of Oenomaüs, the king of Pisa (in Elis). To win her, he had to beat Oenomaüs in a chariot race from Pisa to the Isthmus of Corinth -- Oenomaüs killed those who lost this race. One version has Pelops pray to Poseidon, who helps him beat Oenomaüs. Another account says Pelops bribed Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaüs, to remove the linchpins from Oenomaüs' chariot and to replace them with wax; in return, he promised Myrtilus a night with Hippodamia and half of the kingdom. The wheels fell off Oenomaüs' chariot and he was killed. Myrtilus tried to rape Hippodamia when he saw that Pelops was not going to keep his part of the bargain; Pelops threw him off a cliff, but as he was falling to his death, Myrtilus cursed Pelops and his descendants. This curse became the source of much misfortune for Pelops' family, the House of Atreus. Pelops named the area of Greece known as the Peloponnese after himself, and he became the father of Atreus and Thyestes (Pindar, Olympian Odes 1.67-89; Apollodorus, Epitome 2.3-10; Diodorus Siculus 4.73; Pausanias 5.10.6-7, 6.21.6-11, 8.14.10-11). Family Tree 15.

Penates [pe-nay'teez], "pantry."
These spirits of Roman households were responsible for a family's food and well-being, and later the prosperity of the entire state was tied to them. One account says the Penates were originally associated with the town of Lavinium, and when an attempt was made to move them to Alba Longa, they miraculously reappeared in Lavinium. Later Roman tradition held that the Penates were the Trojan gods given to Aeneas by the ghost of Hector on the night the Greeks sacked Troy; Aeneas then brought these gods to Italy.

Penelope [pe-nel'oh-pee], "striped duck."
She was the wife of Odysseus. She waited patiently and faithfully for her husband to return from the Trojan War. For three years she put her suitors off by saying she would choose one of them as her new husband as soon as she finished weaving a burial shroud for Laertes, her father-in-law. Each day she worked at her weaving, but at night she secretly undid what she had accomplished during the day. By the time the suitors discovered her ruse, Odysseus had returned and had begun plotting their slaughter (Homer, Odyssey 19.123-163). Family Tree 37.

Pentheus [pen'the-us], "grief."
He was son of Echion, one of the Spartoi, and king of Thebes. Agave, his mother, became a devotee of Dionysus, but Pentheus opposed him and his rites. Dionysus, in disguise, encouraged Pentheus to dress up as a maenad and infiltrate the rites of Dionysus' followers. When Pentheus went into the mountains in the garb of the bacchae, his mother and the other maenads, possessed by Dionysus, tore him apart (Euripides, Bacchae; Apollodorus 3.5.2; Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.511-733; Hyginus, Fabulae 184). Family Tree 46.

Periboea [pe-ri-bee'a] or Periboia.
She was the daughter of Alcathus, who was son of Pelops -- little more than a name to us (Apollodorus 3.12.7). Family Tree 8.

Periphetes [pe-ri-fee'teez], "notorious," also called Corynetes (Club-man)
This son of Hephaestus lived in Epidaurus, where he terrorized the community as a brigand, beating his victims to death with a club. Theseus fought with Periphetes, wrested the club from him, and killed the fiend with his own weapon; thereafter the club was one of Theseus' trademarks (Apollodorus 3.16.1; Diodorus Siculus 4.59.2; Plutarch, Theseus 8.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 38).

Pero [pee'roh].
She is mentioned as the mother of Asopus -- little more than a name to us (Apollodorus 3.12.6). Family Tree 8.

Persephone [per-sef'o-nee] (Proserpina), "she who brings destruction," also called Kore [ko'ree], "girl," or "maiden."
The daughter of Zeus and Demeter, she was kidnapped by Hades. Hecate heard Persephone call for her father and Helius saw what happened, but otherwise no one observed the kidnapping. For nine days Demeter searched the world for her daughter; on the tenth day she learned from Hecate and Helius what had become of Persephone. She avoided the assemblies of the gods, and went to Eleusis disguised as an old woman, where she became the nurse of an infant named Demophoön. When he saw that there was no other way to appease Demeter, Zeus sent Hermes to bring Persephone up from the Underworld. Before Persephone came up from the land of the dead, Hades had her eat a pomegranate seed, which committed her to spend one-third of each year in the Underworld. Demeter once again allowed crops to grow on the earth; she then went back to Eleusis and established the Eleusinian Mysteries. Persephone is the wife of Hades and the queen of the Underworld (Homeric Hymn to Demeter; Apollodorus 1.5.1-3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.359-550). Family Tree 2.

Perseus [pers'e-us], "destroyer."
This son of Zeus and Danaë, with the help of Athena, beheaded Medusa and brought the head to Polydectes. On his journey he had adventures with the Stygian nymphs, the Graeae, and Atlas; he also rescued Andromeda from a sea monster and married her. With Andromeda he became the father of Perses. He returned to his homeland of Argos and accidentally killed his grandfather, Acrisius, with a discus. He then went to Tiryns, where he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes, the king of Tiryns. The city of Mycenae, which Perseus founded near Tiryns, was ruled by his descendants. Perseus and Andromeda were turned into constellations at the end of their lives (Apollodorus 2.4.1-5; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.607-5.249; Hyginus, Fabulae 63, 64). Family Tree 34.

Phaeacians [fee-ay'shi-anz] or Phaiakians.
They were a seafaring people who helped both Jason and Odysseus. Aeëtes' men caught up to Jason and Medea at Phaeacia, the island home of the Phaeacians, so the Phaeacians arranged for the two to be married (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.982-1222; Apollodorus 1.9.25; Hyginus, Fabulae 23). They entertained Odysseus hospitably, gave him many gifts, and conveyed him safely to Ithaca (Homer, Odyssey 5.382-13.124). While the Phaeacians were returning to their own island after taking Odysseus home, Poseidon became angry that they had once again shown their disregard for him by conveying a mortal over his domain. He turned their ship into a huge rock and threw up a mountain around the island, so the Phaeacians could no longer be masters of the sea (Homer, Odyssey 13.125-187).

Phaedra [fee'dra] or Phaidra.
This daughter of Minos, king of Crete, married Theseus and became the mother of Demophon and Acamas, but she fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son with Antiope (or Hippolyta). She accused him of seducing her and then killed herself. Theseus had Poseidon kill Hippolytus (Euripides, Hippolytus; Seneca, Phaedra; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.18-19; Diodorus Siculus 4.62; Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.497-546; Virgil, Aeneid 7.761-782; Hyginus, Fabulae 47). Family Tree 23.

Phaëthon [fay'e-thon], "shine."
This son of Helius (Apollo in some accounts) and Clymene (Rhode or Prote in some accounts) drove his father's chariot recklessly until Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.597-611; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.750-2.380; Hyginus, Fabulae 152A, 154).

Philoctetes [fi-lok-tee'teez] or Philoktetes, "lover of possessions."
This son of Poeas inherited the bow and arrows of Heracles from his father, who had lit the funeral pyre for the hero (Apollodorus 2.7.7). Some sources say Philoctetes himself lit the pyre and received the bow and arrows directly from Heracles (Diodorus Siculus 4.38.3-8; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.229-238; Hyginus, Fabulae 36). On the way to the Trojan War, Philoctetes led the Greeks to the isle of Chryse (Tenedos in Apollodorus), where he was bitten by a poisonous snake; his wound gave off such a stench that the Greeks left him behind on the island of Lemnos. In the last year of the war, the Greeks needed the bow and arrows of Heracles, so Odysseus and Diomedes sailed back to Lemnos to get Philoctetes. Podalirius and Machaon, sons of Asclepius, healed the wound; Philoctetes then killed Paris (Homer, Iliad 2.716-728; Sophocles, Philoctetes; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.27, 5.8; Hyginus, Fabulae 102). Family Tree 52.

Philomela [fil-oh-mee'la].
She was the daughter of Pandion and Zeuxippe. When she visited her sister, Procne, Tereus, her brother-in-law, raped her, secluded her in a remote outpost, and cut her tongue off. In a tapestry that she smuggled to her sister, Procne, Philomela depicted the crime against her. Procne freed her from the outpost and together they cooked Itys and served him to Tereus; when Tereus chased Procne and Philomela, they were all turned into birds (Apollodorus 3.14.8; Pausanias 1.5.4, 1.41.8-9, 10.4.8-9; Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.424-674; Hyginus, Fabulae 45). Family Tree 39.

Phineus [feyen'e-us], "sea bird."
The king of Salmydessus, he was a blind prophet whom Jason and the Argonauts encountered on their way to get the Golden Fleece. Harpies snatched away most of his food and befouled the rest. Zetes and Calaïs, the winged sons of Boreas, the North Wind, chased the Harpies away; in return, Phineus foretold the rest of the Argonauts' journey and warned them of many dangers that lay ahead, and he told them how to get through the Symplegades (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.178-536; Apollodorus 1.9.21-22; Hyginus, Fabulae 19; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4.423-636).

Phoebe [fee'bee] or Phoibe, "bright."
She was a daughter of Uranus and Gaia and one of the Titans. By her brother, Coeus, she was the mother of Leto and Asteria (Hesiod, Theogony 404-410; Apollodorus 1.1.3, 1.2.2). Family Tree 3 Family Tree 21.

Pholus [foh'lus] or Pholos, "lair."
He was a centaur who entertained Heracles when the hero was preparing to capture the Erymanthian boar for his fourth labor. He served a jar of wine to Heracles that belonged to all the centaurs, a deed that caused the centaurs to attack Heracle. While driving the centaurs away, Heracles inadvertently hit Chiron with one of his poisoned arrows; Chiron found relief by trading his immortality for the mortality of Prometheus. Pholus also met his death in this battle when he accidentally dropped one of Heracles' arrows on his foot (Sophocles, Trachiniae 1095-1096; Euripides, Heracles 364-374; Apollodorus 2.5.4; Diodorus Siculus 4.12.3-8; Hyginus, Fabulae 30).

Phorcys [for'sis] or Phokys, "pig."
This son of Gaia and Pontus was a sea god who married Ceto and became the father of the Gorgons and the Graeae. Some accounts call him the father of Scylla, Echidna, Ladon, the Hesperides, and the Eumenides (Homer, Odyssey 1.71-73, 13.96; Hesiod, Theogony 237-336; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.828-829). Family Tree 1.

Phrixus [friks'us] or Phrixos.
This son of Athamas and Nephele, a cloud, was rescued by a flying golden ram when Ino, his stepmother, tried to have him killed. Phrixus' sister, Helle, fell from the ram at the Hellespont, but Phrixus rode it to safety in Colchis, where he sacrificed the ram and flayed it -- this was the Golden Fleece that Jason retrieved (Apollodorus 1.9.1; Diodorus Siculus 4.47; Hyginus, Fabulae 1-3, Poetica Astronomica 2.20). Family Tree 25.

Pirithoüs [pi-ri'thoh-us] or Pirithoos, "run around."
The son of Ixion and king of the Lapiths, he invited the centaurs to his wedding, but they became drunk and tried to rape the bride and other Lapith women. A fight broke out and the centaurs were routed; this battle became famous and was a popular theme in Greek art (Pindar, Pythian Odes 2.21-48; Apollodorus, Epitome 1.21; Diodorus Siculus 4.69.1-70.1; Ovid, Metamorphoses 12.210-535; Hyginus, Fabulae 33). Pirithoüs and Theseus went to the Underworld to capture Persephone to be the bride of Pirithoüs. They were captured and held by coils of snakes; Pirithoüs was never released, but Theseus was freed by Heracles (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.23; Plutarch, Theseus 32, 34; Diodorus Siculus 4.63.1-5). Family Tree 44.

Pluto [plou'toh] (2), "wealth."
She is an obscure goddess, daughter of Cronus and Rhea or of Oceanus and Tethys (Hesiod, Theogony 355). Family Tree 15.

Pluto [plou'toh] (Hades) (1), "wealth."
This is one of the names the Romans commonly used for the god of the Underworld. It comes from the Greek word ploutos, meaning "wealth"; the Romans also used the name Dis or Dis Pater, from Latin dives ("wealth") and pater ("father"), for the ruler of the Underworld. The god of the Underworld was considered wealthy not only because he controlled the many precious metals inside the earth, but also because grain and other life-giving crops were thought to grow from inside the earth.

Poeas [pee'as] or Poias, "keeper of pastures."
This son of Thaumacus was one of the Argonauts. When Heracles came to Mount Oeta, in Trachis, suffering unendurable pain from the poison in the robe that had been dipped in the blood of Nessus, Poeas was the only one who had the courage to light the funeral pyre that Heracles had arranged to be built for himself. In return for Poeas' kindness, Heracles gave to him his bow and arrows; these weapons were later passed on to Poeas' son, Philoctetes, although one version of the story says Philoctetes lit the pyre himself and received the weapons directly from Heracles (Apollodorus 2.7.7). Family Tree 52.

Polydorus [po-li-do'rus] or Polydoros.
This son of Cadmus and Harmonia became king of Thebes. He was the father of Labdacus, but he died while Labdacus was still a child (Pausanias 9.5.3-4). Family Tree 46.

Polynices [pol-i-neye'seez] or Polynikes.
This son of Oedipus and Jocasta was also brother of Eteocles, with whom he was to alternate as ruler of Thebes, each brother ruling for one year at a time and then stepping down. When Eteocles refused to hand the throne over to Polynices at the end of the first year, Polynices and six other leaders (the Seven against Thebes) led an expedition against the city; Eteocles and Polynices killed each other at the same moment. Creon decreed that Polynices was not to be buried, but Antigone disobeyed and buried her brother at the cost of her own life (Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes; Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1254-1447, Antigone; Euripides, Phoenician Women, Suppliants; Apollodorus 3.6.1-3.7.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 68-74). Family Tree 19.

Polyphemus [po-li-fee'mus] or Polyphemos, "many words."
This son of Poseidon was a Cyclops, with a single eye in the middle of his forehead. In vain he pursued Galatea (Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.750-897). He trapped Odysseus and twelve of his men in his cave; he ate some of the men. Odysseus masterminded their escape by getting Polyphemus drunk and blinding him. They left the cave tied to the bottoms of his sheep and rams. Polyphemus prayed to his father, Poseidon, and uttered the curse that made the rest of Odysseus' voyage so difficult (Homer, Odyssey 9.105-542).

Pontus [pon'tus] or Pontos, "sea."
This offspring of Gaia and personification of the sea mated with Gaia to produce Thaumas, Eurybia (or Eurybië), Ceto, Nereus, and Phorcys (Hesiod, Theogony 131-132, 233-239). Family Tree 6.

Poseidon [po-seye'don] (Neptune), "husband of Da (=Demeter)"(?).
This son of Cronus and Rhea supported Zeus in the Titanomachy. He drew lots with Zeus and Hades to divide up the universe and became ruler of the sea (Apollodorus 1.2.1). He had a competition with Athena for control of Athens. He struck a rock on the Acropolis with his trident and created the first horse (other sources say he created a salt spring), but Athena won the contest by causing an olive tree to spring up. Poseidon was so angry at losing that he flooded the nearby Thriasian plain, but the Athenians appeased him by promising to worship him even though Athena would be their patron deity (Apollodorus 3.14.1). His weapon was the trident (Apollodorus 1.2.1). He was also the god of earthquakes (Homeric Hymn to Poseidon). He was married to Amphitrite and was the father of Triton (Hesiod, Theogony 930-933; Apollodorus 1.4.5). By Gaia he was the father of Antaeus and by Demeter he fathered Arion; he was also the father of Polyphemus. Family Tree 2 Family Tree 53.

Priam [preye'am], "redeemed."
This son of Laomedon was king of Troy during the Trojan War. He became king when Heracles killed his father (Apollodorus 2.6.4). Among his children with his wife Hecuba were Hector, Paris, Cassandra, Helenus, Deïphobus, Troilus, and Creusa; he also had numerous offspring through concubines (Apollodorus 3.12.5). Neoptolemus killed Priam at the altar of Zeus in Priam's house (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.21; Pausanias 4.17.4; Virgil, Aeneid 2.533-558). Family Tree 42.

Priapus [preye-ay'-pus] or Priapos , "pear tree pruner"(?).
This son of Aphrodite -- Hermes, Dionysus, Pan, Adonis, and even Zeus are named in various accounts as his father -- is a fertility god who is usually depicted as deformed, with a huge, erect phallus. Some sources say Hera gave him this obscene appearance because she was upset at Aphrodite's promiscuity. Priapus was a gardener and was found at the doors of houses (Pausanias 9.31.2; Hyginus, Fabulae 160, Poetica Astronomica 2.23).

Procne [prok'nee] or Prokne, "older"(?).
This daughter of Pandion, king of Athens, and sister of Philomela married Tereus, king of Thrace, and became the mother of Itys. When Philomela came to visit them, Tereus raped her, sliced off her tongue, and locked her in a remote outpost in the woods. Philomela wove a tapestry on which the crime was depicted and sent it to Procne, who freed her sister; together they cooked Itys and served him to Tereus. When Tereus realized he had eaten his own son, he chased Procne and Philomela with his sword; all three of them were changed into birds (Apollodorus 3.14.8; Pausanias 1.5.4, 1.41.8-9, 10.4.8-9; Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.424-674; Hyginus, Fabulae 45). Family Tree 39.

Procrustes [prokrus'teez] or Prokrustes, "he who stretches out,"
also known as Damastes or Polypemon. He lived between Eleusis and Athens, where he entertained visitors at his inn, which had only one bed. He cut the legs off those who were longer than the bed and he hammered out or stretched those guests who were too short (Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch). Some accounts say he had two beds, one long and one short: he put short visitors on the long bed and hammered them to make them fit; long guests he placed on the short bed, and he cut off the portion of their legs that extended beyond the length of the bed (Apollodorus, Hyginus). Theseus killed him in the same way Procrustes had killed his victims (Apollodorus, Epitome 1.4; Diodorus Siculus 4.59.5; Plutarch, Theseus 11; Hyginus, Fabulae 38).

Prometheus [proh-mee'the-us], "forethought."
The son of Iapetus and Clymene, he joined the side of Zeus in the Titanomachy even though he was one of the Titans by birth; later he challenged Zeus by championing the cause of man. Some sources say it was he who created humans (Apollodorus 1.7.1; Pausanias 10.4.4; Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.82-88). He prepared two sacrifices for Zeus and let him choose between them: one of the sacrifices was the fine meat and organs of an ox wrapped in the paunch, while the other was only bones covered with rich fat. Zeus chose the less desirable offering, thus setting the precedent for the kind of sacrifices to be made by men. Zeus refused to give men the gift of fire, but Prometheus smuggled it out of heaven and brought it to earth. Zeus punished mankind by creating women, with Pandora as the prototype, and he chained Prometheus to a cliff in the Caucasus Mountains; each day an eagle pecked at his liver and each night the wounds healed and the liver grew back (Hesiod, Theogony 507-616, Works and Days 47-105; Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound; Apollodorus 1.7.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 54). Heracles killed the eagle with his bow and arrow and freed him; Prometheus traded his mortality for the immortality of Chiron, who had been wounded by one of Heracles' arrows (Apollodorus 2.5.4; Hyginus, Fabulae 144, Poetica Astronomica 2.15). Family Tree 4.

Protesilaüs [proh-te-si-lay'us] or Protesilaos, "first of the army."
He was the first Greek to leap from the ships onto Trojan soil at the beginning of the Trojan War, and the first Greek to die -- Hector killed him. His wife, Laodamia, was so distraught that Hermes brought Protesilaüs back from the Underworld for a few hours. When her husband had to return to the realm of Hades, she killed herself (Homer, Iliad 2.695-710; Cypria 17; Apollodorus, Epitome 3.30; Hyginus, Fabulae 103).

Psyche [seye'kee], "soul."
The youngest of three daughters born to a certain king and queen, the oracle of Apollo said she should be laid out like a corpse and placed on a mountaintop, where she would be wed to a horrible serpent. On the mountaintop she fell asleep and was transported to a castle, where Eros came to her each night after dark; because he left before sunrise, she had no idea who her lover was. She became pregnant and Eros told her the child would be divine if she did not try to find out who he was. Eventually her sisters found her and convinced her to learn the identity of her lover-when she discovered it was Eros, he fled from her-Aphrodite imposed a series of nearly impossible tasks on Psyche-when she completed the tasks, Aphrodite allowed Eros to marry her-she was taken up to Olympus and fed ambrosia, which made her immortal (Apuleius, The Golden Ass 4.28-6.26).

Pygmalion [pig-may'li-on], "cubit"(?).
He was a craftsman on the island of Cyprus who created his own wife. All the women on the island were prostitutes, so he carved an ivory statue of a woman and treated it as his wife; Aphrodite caused the statue to come alive for him. He named his wife Galatea and together they had a son named Paphos, who became the father of Cinyras (Apollodorus 3.14.3; Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.243-297).

Pyramus [pi'ra-mus] or Pyramos, "pyramid"(?), and Thisbe [thiz'bee], "divine"(?).
They were two young lovers in Babylon whose parents forbade them to see each other. They communicated in secret through a small hole in the wall that divided their living quarters, until the distance between them became unbearable and they eloped. Thisbe arrived first at their meeting place, but she was frightened into a nearby cave when a lion appeared; as she fled, her veil fell to the ground and the lion chewed on it. When Pyramus arrived, he assumed the lion had consumed Thisbe, so he ran himself through with his sword. Thisbe found him dead when she came out from the cave, and she killed herself with his sword (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.55-166).