πυρφόρος

πυρφόρ-ος (parox.), ον,

A fire-bearing, esp. of lightning,

π. κεραυνός Pi.N.10.71

, A.Th.444, S.OC1658;

ἀστραπαί Id.OT200

(lyr.);

Διὸς ἔγχος Ar.Av.1749

(lyr.);

πυρφόρος αἰθέρος ἀστήρ Id.Th.1050

(lyr.).

b π. οἰστοί arrows with combustibles tied to them, so that they may set fire to woodwork, Th.2.75, Arr.An.2.21.3;

τοῖς μὲν π . . . τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις βέλεσι D.S.20.96

; οἱ π. ibid.; πυρφόρα, τά, ib. 88; πυρφόρος, ὁ, engine for throwing fire, fire-dart, Plb.21.7.1 (dub.), Jul.Or.2.62d.

II in special senses,

1 epith. of several divinities, as of Zeus in reference to his lightnings, S.Ph.1198 (anap.); of Demeter, prob. in reference to the torches used by her worshippers, E.Supp.260; similarly π. θεαί of Demeter and Persephone, IG4.666.9 ([place name] Lerna), E.Ph.687 (lyr.);

π. Ἀρτέμιδος αἴγλας S.OT 206

(lyr.); Προμηθεὺς π. the Fire-bringer, title of a satyric play of A., cf.S.OC55; also of Capaneus, A.Th.432, S.Ant.135 (lyr.); of Eros, AP5.87 (Rufin.); but, θεὸς π. the fire-bearing god, the god who produces plague or fever, S.OT27.

2 bearer of sacred fire in the worship of Asclepius, Ἀσκληπιοῦ δμῶα π. IG3.693; of the Syrian Goddess, Luc. Syr.D.42.

b πυρφόρος, ὁ, in the Spartan army, the priest who kept the sacrificial fire, which was never allowed to go out, X.Lac.13.2: hence prov. of a total defeat,

ἔδει δὲ μηδὲ πυρφόρον . . περιγενέσθαι Hdt.8.6

, cf. D.C.39.45; οὐκ ἔσται π. (v.l. πυροφόρος)

τῷ οἴκῳ Ἠσαύ LXX Ob.18

.

3 π. ἡ ἐκ Δελφῶν bearer of sacred fire from Delphi, SIG711 D 22 (ii B.C.), cf. 728I (i B.C.);

Φοίβου πυρφόροι IG4.666.15

([place name] Lerna); also in a Bacchic thiasos, AJA37.253 (Latium, ii A.D.).