Lapithae

The Lapithae, also known as the Lapythai or Lapiths, were a legendary Greek tribe associated with Thessaly in classical myth and, at times, in early historical tradition. In most accounts they are described as among the ancient inhabitants of Thessaly, sometimes presented as a ruling lineage of the region and as founders or early settlers in its central districts.

The best-known myths concern Pirithous, king of the Lapiths, and his friendship with Theseus. Pirithous hosted the wedding of his son or guest Hippodamia, an event that brought into play a confrontation with the centaurs. Drunken centaurs attempted to abduct the brides and fill the hall with chaos; the Lapiths, aided by Theseus and other heroes, repelled them in a famous conflict known as the centauromachy. The episode became a powerful symbol in Greek art and literature for the struggle between civilization and barbarism and was depicted repeatedly on temple friezes and sculptural reliefs.

Genealogically, some sources locate Ixion as king of the Lapiths, and in various myths he is said to have fathered the centaurs by a cloud created to tempt Hera, linking the centaurs biologically to the Lapiths in certain伝 genealogies. The Lapithai also appear as eponymous ancestors of Thessalian tribes in some ancient writers, contributing to the ethnographic use of their name.

Overall, the Lapithae occupy a prominent place in Greek myth as a Thessalian people whose legends center on kings, heroic alliances, and a foundational mythic struggle that conveyed cultural ideals of order and civilization.