In Greek mythology, Nireus (Ancient Greek: Νιρεύς) was a king of the island Symi (according to Diodorus Siculus,[Diodorus Siculus, 5.53.2] also of a part of Cnidia) and one of the Homeric Greeks in the Trojan War. He was the second most handsome man in the Greek camp after Achilles and was physically weak.[ The New Century Classical Handbook; Catherine Avery, editor; Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1962, p. 754]
Biography
Nireus was the son of King Charopus
[Apollodorus, E.3.13] and the
nymph Aglaia.
[Lucian, De Syria Dea 40][Homer, Iliad 2.672; Diodorus Siculus, 5.53.2; Hyginus, Fabulae 97; Tzetzes ad Lycophron, 1011] In one account, the hero
Heracles was called his father.
[Photius, Bibliotheca excerpts 190.11]
Mythology
Trojan War
Nireus was among the suitors of Helen and consequently joined in the campaign against Troy.
[Hyginus, Fabulae 81] According to different sources, he was said to have commanded a number of ships: 3,
[Homer, Iliad 2.672; Apollodorus, E.3.13; Dictys Cretensis, 1.17] 16
[Hyginus, Fabulae 97] or 53.
[Dares Phrygius, 14] In the military conflict with the
king
Telephus, which occurred on the way to Troy (during the first unsuccessful attempt to reach the city), Nireus killed Telephus' wife Hiera, who fought from a chariot "like an
Amazons".
[Philostratus, Heroicus 691; Tzetzes, Antehomerica 287–288]
Another story of Nireus, who was "the most beautiful man who came beneath Ilion" ( Iliad, 2.673), is the one of his love for Heracles. But Ptolemy adds that certain authors made Nireus out to be a son of Heracles.[Ptolemaeus Chennus, 147b]
Nireus did not excel in physical strength[Quintus Smyrnaeus, 7.16 ff.] and was eventually killed by either Eurypylus, son of Telephus,[Quintus Smyrnaeus, 6.410 ff.][Hyginus, Fabulae 113; Dictys Cretensis, 4.17] or Aeneas.[Dares Phrygius, 21] A funeral was held for him and his own people cremated him.[Dictys Cretensis, 4.18] However, according to the version recounted by John Tzetzes, Nireus survived the war and, together with Thoas, having been caught in the storm that scattered the Greek ships, landed first in Libya and then sailed off to Argyrinoi and the Ceraunian Mountains, where they settled near Mount Lakmynion and River Aias.[Tzetzes on Lycophron, 1014]
Other tales
In a rare version of the myth, Nireus was loved by Heracles and he helped the latter to beat down the lion of Helicon.
Notes
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Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
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Dares Phrygius, from The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys Cretensis and Dares the Phrygian translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer, Jr. (1931-). Indiana University Press. 1966. Online version at theio.com
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Dictys Cretensis , from The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares Phrygius translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer, Jr. (1931-). Indiana University Press. 1966. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
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Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Euripides, The Plays of Euripides, translated by E. P. Coleridge. Volume II. London. George Bell and Sons. 1891. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 3. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Homer, Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Homer. Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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John Tzetzes, Book of Histories, Book I translated by Ana Untila from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826. Online version at theio.com
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John Tzetzes, Lycophronis Alexandra. Vol. II: Scholia Continens, edited by Eduard Scheer, Berlin, Weidmann, 1881. Internet Archive.
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Philostratus , Heroica, translation by Jennifer K. Berenson Maclean and Ellen Bradshaw Aitken, Flavius Philostratus: On Heroes, WGRW 3 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2002), XX. Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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Philostratus, Flavii Philostrati Opera. Vol 2. Carl Ludwig Kayser. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1871. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy translated by Way. A. S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 19. London: William Heinemann, 1913. Online version at theio.com
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Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy. Arthur S. Way. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
