Peirithous
the demigod prisoner of Hades
Peirithous was a demigod of Thessaly who descended into the Underworld to claim Persephone and was condemned by Hades to eternal suffering. Caged behind brambles, he bargained the Bow of Apollo for his freedom and burned to death at Kratos' hand.
Peirithous was a demigod of Thessaly held prisoner by Hades in the Underworld, condemned to eternal suffering for daring to descend into the realm of the dead to claim Persephone. Caged behind a wall of bramble, he offered the Bow of Apollo to Kratos in return for his freedom, only to burn to death when the Spartan turned a beast's fire upon his prison.
A demigod condemned#
Peirithous was a demigod born in Thessaly who became a prisoner of Hades, condemned to eternal suffering in the Underworld. He had sought to escape the clutches of the lord of the dead and to be with Persephone, the queen of that realm. For daring to covet the wife of one of the great gods, he was held fast and left to endure without end, a note in his own hand scrawled with his desire to flee Hades and reach Persephone.
The Bow of Apollo#
When Kratos passed through the Underworld during his own journey, he came upon Peirithous trapped behind a cage of bramble. The demigod begged the Spartan to set him free, offering the Bow of Apollo in exchange for his release. To open the way, Kratos loosed a captive Cerberus Mongrel held nearby, whose fiery breath ignited the bramble. Riding the beast through to Peirithous, Kratos turned its flames against the cage. The fire consumed the prison and burned the demigod to death, his screams ending as the bramble blazed, and Kratos claimed the Bow of Apollo. Whether the Spartan intended his death or whether it was an accidental result of seizing the bow was never made certain, though it ended in the same manner as other souls he had burned alive in his long path of slaughter.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Peirithous in God of War?
- Peirithous was a demigod from Thessaly who was held prisoner by Hades and condemned to eternal suffering in the Underworld. He had descended into the realm of the dead seeking to claim Persephone, and for that crime Hades caged him behind a wall of bramble.
- Why was Peirithous imprisoned in the Underworld?
- Peirithous sought to escape the clutches of Hades and be with Persephone, the queen of the Underworld. For daring to covet the wife of one of the great gods, he was trapped and condemned to suffer without end in Hades' domain.
- How did Kratos kill Peirithous?
- Peirithous begged Kratos to free him in exchange for the Bow of Apollo. To open the way, Kratos loosed a captive Cerberus Mongrel whose fiery breath he turned against the bramble of Peirithous' cage, incinerating the prison and burning the demigod to death. Kratos then claimed the bow.
Sources
- WikiPeirithous — God of War Wiki entry
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