# Pyrrhichios

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Chief war-dance of the Greeks

Pyrrhic dancers

The **Pyrrhichios** or **Pyrrhike** dance ("Pyrrhic dance"; [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek): πυρρίχιος or πυρρίχη,[1] but often misspelled as πυρρίχειος or πυρήχειος) was the best known [war dance](/source/War_dance) of the Greeks. It was probably of [Dorian](/source/Dorians) origin and practiced at first solely as a training for war. According to ancient sources, it was a [weapon dance](/source/Weapon_dance).[2]

## Overview

[Plato](/source/Plato) (*[Leges](/source/Laws_(dialogue))*, 815a) describes it as imitating by quick movements the ways in which blows and darts are to be avoided and also the modes in which an enemy is to be attacked. It was danced to the sound of the [aulos](/source/Aulos); its time was quick and light, as is also shown by the metric foot called pyrrhic.[3]

It was described by [Xenophon](/source/Xenophon) in his work the *[Anabasis](/source/Anabasis_(Xenophon))*. In that work he writes that the dance was performed at a banquet held in [Kotyora](/source/Ordu) during which Greek and [Paphalagonian](/source/Paphlagonia#History) forces settled their differences. The following is the part in which the Pyrrhic dance is mentioned:

The Paphlagonians were amazed to see all these dances performed by men in arms. At this Mysus, perceiving their astonishment, prevailed on one of the Arcadians, who had a woman dancer, to let him bring her in; which he did accordingly, after he had dressed her in the handsomest manner he was able, and given her a light buckler. She danced the Pyrrhic dance with great agility: on which there was great clapping; and the Paphlagonians asked whether the woman also charged with their troops. The others answered, that it was they who drove the king out of their camp. This was the end of that night's entertainment.[4]

According to a tradition reported by [Aristotle](/source/Aristotle), the originator of the *pyrriche* was [Achilles](/source/Achilles), who danced it around the funeral pyre of [Patroclus](/source/Patroclus).[5]

The dance was loved in all of Greece and especially by the [Spartans](/source/Sparta), who considered it light war training. This belief led the Spartans to teach the dance to their children while they were still young.

Athenian youth performed the dance in the [palaestra](/source/Palaestra) as part of training in gymnastics.[6] The dance was also performed in the [Panathenaic Games](/source/Panathenaic_Games). There were three classes of competitors: men, youth, and boys.[6]

## See also

- [Korybantes](/source/Korybantes)

- [Pyrrichos](/source/Pyrrichos)

- [Serra (dance)](/source/Serra_(dance))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** From πύρριχος "red", itself from πυρρός "blazing red" (cf. πῦρ "fire") from [Proto-Greek](/source/Proto-Greek) **purwo-* from [Proto-Indo-European](/source/Proto-Indo-European) **peh2-ur* "fire" (see [R. S. P. Beekes](/source/Robert_S._P._Beekes), *Etymological Dictionary of Greek*, Brill, 2009, pp. 1260 and 1264).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pyrrhic_Dance_and_Female_Pyrrhic_Dancers_2-0)** [Pyrrhic Dance and Female Pyrrhic Dancers, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Spring 1996), p. 3](https://www.jstor.org/stable/41605006?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** The Cambridge Series for Schools and Training Colleges: Xenophon, *Anabasis* VI with vocabulary

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Xenophon (1839). "Book VI Chapter I". In Spelman, Edward; Cooper, Maurice Ashley (eds.). [*The Anabasis, volume I*](https://books.google.com/books?id=I_sKAAAAYAAJ). Harper. p. 217.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Aristotle, frag. 519 (V. Rose, [*Aristotelis qui ferebantur librorum fragmenta*](https://archive.org/details/aristotelisquif00arisgoog/page/325/), Leipzig 1886, p. 325).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bundrick_2005_78_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bundrick_2005_78_6-1) Bundrick, Sheramy (October 2005). [*Music and Image in Classical Athens*](https://books.google.com/books?id=KgSuo-A3cO8C). [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). p. 78. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0521848060](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0521848060).

v t e Greek dances Ancient Angelica Antistrophe Bibasis Carpaea Choreia Cordax Dionysiakos Hyporchema Korybantes Pyrrhichios Serra Syrtos Tarantella Medieval/ Modern Ai Georgis Angaliastos Antikristos Antipatitis Ballos Bougatsas Byzantine dances Geranos Makellarikos Saximos Cerigotikos Dimitroula Diavaratikos Endeka Kozanis Fisounis Fourlana Gaitanaki Genovefa Gerakina Gerontikos Giknas Hasapiko Horon Atsapat Dipat Omal Serra Ikariotikos Isios Kalymnikos Kamilierikos Kanella Kangeli Kapitan Louka Kastorianos Katsabadianos Kavodorikos Kechagiadikos Kerkiraikos Koutsos Lafina Lambri Kamara Lasithiotikos Lefkaditikos Lerikos Levantinikos Leventikos Loulouvikos Makedonia Makedonikos antikristos Makrinitsa dance Maleviziotis Mandilatos Maniatikos Metsovitikos Milia Monodiplos Nizamikos Ntames Ntournerakia O Nikolos Omorfoula Palamakia Partalos Pentozali Patinada Pidikhtos Pilioritikos Pirgousikos Plataniotiko Nero Podaraki Poustseno Priniotis Proskinitos Raikos Rodo Rougatsiarikos Sianos Simeriani Sirmpa Sirtaki Sousta Sperveri Stamoulo Stavrotos Syrtos Kalamatianos Koftos Mihanikos Pogonisios Rhoditikos Strose Vayia Ta Xila Tapeinos horos Tatsia Thessalikos Thomai Tis Triantafilias Ta Fila Tranos Choros Trata Trizalis Tromakton Tsakonikos Tsamiko Tsestos Tsifteteli Tsiniaris Yurukikos Zaharoula Zaramo Zeibekiko Zervodexios Zervos Zonaradiko

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