πυρ·φόρος, ος, ον :
   I qui porte du feu, qui porte un flambeau ; subst. ὁ π. :
      1 prêtre qui suivait les armées lacédémoniennes pour les sacrifices, HDT. 8, 6 ; XÉN. Lac. 13, 2, etc. ;
      2 prêtre syrien, LUC. Syr. 42 ;
   II qui apporte ou lance du feu :
      1 en parl. de certaines divinités (Zeus, SOPH. Ph. 1198 ; Dèmèter, EUR. Suppl. 260 ; Artémis, SOPH. O.R. 206) ; de Prométhée, inventeur du feu, titre d’un drame satyrique d’Eschyle ;
      2 en parl. du soleil, AR. Th. 1050 ; d’ord. en mauv. part : en parl. de la foudre, PD. N. 10, 132 ; ESCHL. Sept. 444 ; SOPH. O.C. 1658, etc. ; en parl. de Capanée, ESCHL. Sept. 452 ; SOPH. Ant. 135 ; ou de machines de guerre, ARR. An. 2, 21, 2 ; πυρφόροι ὀϊστοί, THC. 2, 75 ; ou subst. οἱ πυρφόροι, PHIL. (Math. vet. 100, 104) brandons ; βέλη πυρφόρα, DS. 20, 96 ; ou subst. τὰ πυρφόρα, DS. 20, 88, m. sign. ; ὁ πυρφόρος, POL. 21, 5, 1, machine lançant des projectiles enflammés ;
      3 fig. qui enflamme, càd. qui apporte la fièvre, la maladie, la peste, SOPH. O.R. 27 ; ou qui enflamme d’amour, en parl. d’Éros, ANTH. 5, 88.

Étym. πῦρ, φέρω.

ον, fire-bearing, esp. of lightning, π. κεραυνός Pi. N. 10.71, A. Th. 444, S. OC 1658; ἀστραπαί Id. OT 200 (lyr.); Διὸς ἔγχος Ar. Av. 1749 (lyr.); πυρφόρος αἰθέρος ἀστήρ Id. Th. 1050 (lyr.). 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. in special senses, 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, IG 4.666.9 (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. OC 55; also of Capaneus, A. Th. 432, S. Ant. 135 (lyr.); of Eros, AP 5.87 (Rufin.); but, θεὸς π.
the fire-bearing god, the god who produces plague or fever, S. OT 27.
bearer of sacred fire in the worship of Asclepius, Ἀσκληπιοῦ δμῶα π. IG 3.693; of the Syrian Goddess, Luc. Syr. D. 42. 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. π. ἡ ἐκ Δελφῶν bearer of sacred fire from Delphi, SIG 711 D 22 (ii BC), cf. 728 I (i BC); Φοίβου πυρφόροι IG 4.666.15 (Lerna); also in a Bacchic thiasos, AJA 37.253 (Latium, ii AD).

Feuer tragend, bringend ; κεραυνός, Blitz, Pind. N. 10.71, wie Aesch. Spt. 425 ; Soph. O.C. 1654, O.R. 200 ; ἀνήρ, Aesch. Spt. 414 ; bei Soph. Ant. 135 heißt Kapaneus so, der die Fackel schwang ; auch ἀστεροπητής, Zeus, Phil. 1183 ; und Prometheus, O.C. 55 ; aber auch von der Pest, O.R. 27 ; von Fackeln, τὰς πυρφόρους Ἀρτέμιδος αἴγλας, O.R. 206 ; θεά, Demeter, Eur. Suppl. 260 ; ἀστήρ, Ar. Th. 1050 ; ἔγχος Διός, Av. 1745. – Im Heere der Lazedämonier hieß so der Priester, der das ewige Opferfeuer im Brand erhielt, Xen. Lac. 13.2 (vgl. Poll. 1.14, 8.116); dah. sprichwörtlich von einer gänzlichen Niederlage ἔδει δὲ μηδὲ πυρφόρον περιγενέσθαι, Her. 8.6. – Von einer Maschine, mit welcher Feuer auf die feindlichen Schiffe geschleudert wird, Pol. 21.5.1 ; auch ὀϊστοί, Thuc. 2.75, Brandpfeile, die zünden, wohin sie treffen ; – ἀγγεῖον, ein Feuermaterie enthaltendes Gefäß, Poll. 10.104.

1. fire-bearing , [Aeschulus Tragicus (6th/5th c.BC)]; of lightning, [Pindar (Refs 5th c.BC), Aeschulus Tragicus (6th/5th c.BC)]:—; πυρφόροι ὀϊστοί arrows with combustibles tied to them , [Thucydides (Refs 5th c.BC)]
2. in special senses,
3. epithet of Zeus in reference to his lightnings, [Sophocles Tragicus (Refs 5th c.BC)]; of Demeter, in reference to the torches used by her worshippers, [Euripides (Refs 5th c.BC)]; of Artemis, [Sophocles Tragicus (Refs 5th c.BC)]; but θεὸς πυρφόρος the fire-bearing god, the god who produces plague or fever , [Sophocles Tragicus (Refs 5th c.BC)]
4. ὁ πυρφόρος, in the Lacedaemonian army, was the priest who kept the sacrificial fire , which was never allowed to go out, [Xenophon Historicus (5th/4th c.BC)]; hence proverbial of a total defeat, ἔδεε δὲ μηδὲ πυρφόρον περιγενέσθαι [Herdotus Historicus (Refs 5th c.BC)] (ML)