The death of Cenchirias, son of Neptune and the nymph Peirene a painting by Sophie Rude, which depicts Pirene with her deceased son, Cenchirias (centre right), being comforted by Artemis (centre left).
Pirene was a Naiad Nymph, best known for mourning her beloved son, Cenchrias upon his death to the extent that she turned into a literal mass of freshwater- the Fountain of Pirene, located in Corinth.
Genealogy and Family[]
Pirene was the daughter of either the river gods- Asopus or Achelous or the Laconian King, Oebalus of Sparta. With Poseidon, she became the mother of two mortal sons, Cenchrias and Lecheas,
Role and Significance[]
As a Naiad Nymph, she would have been tasked with taking care of and maintaining her area of freshwater.
In ancient Greece, the Corinthians had a small sanctuary dedicated to the Nymph by the fountain- Pirene where honey-cakes were offered to her during the dry months of early summer. This fountain was also sacred to the Muses and it was there that Bellerophon found Pegasus (as Polyidus had claimed), drinking, and tamed him.
Stories[]
When her son Cenchrias was unintentionally killed by Artemis, Pirene's grief was so profound that she became nothing but tears and turned into the Pirene (fountain) outside the gates of Corinth.
Trivia[]
Her name Pirene is spelt Πειρήνη in Greek and means "of the osiers".