Pyroeis

Not to be confused with Pyrois, one of the four horses that pull Helios's chariot.

Pyroeis (Ancient Greek: Πυρόεις) in ancient Greek religion is the god of the wandering star Areios, identified with the planet Mars.

He is also known as Mesonyx (Ancient Greek: Μεσονυξ; 'midnight').

Etymology

Pyroeis, from Ancient Greek: Πυρό, romanized: pyro, 'fire', means 'the fiery one'.^[1]

Family

Hesiod, in his Theogony, states that the titans Astraeus and Eos gave birth to the winds and the stars, one of which was Pyroeis.^[2][3]

Function

In Ancient Greek astronomy, Pyroeis is the god of the planet Mars, one of the five planets visible to the naked eye. Astronomers of the time assigned these "planetae" various names, associated them with different gods, and ascribed various qualities to their apparent behaviour in the sky.^[4]

See also

• List of Greek deities