Parrhasius

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Parrhasius, of Ephesus, a famous Greek painter who lived c.400 BC and practised mostly at Athens. The story of his contest with the younger painter Zeuxis in producing illusion is wellknown. Zeuxis painted some grapes so naturalistically that birds came to peck at them, and victory seemed to be his. He then asked Parrhasius to draw back the curtain concealing the latter's picture, but the curtain turned out to have been painted by Parrhasius. Zeuxis declared himself defeated; he had succeeded in deceiving the birds, but Parrhasius had succeeded in deceiving him.

Parrhasius (Greek: Παρράσιος) may refer to:

• Persons:
  • Parrhasius (painter), a famous painter who worked in Athens in the late 5th century BC
  • Janus Parrhasius (1470-1522), Italian humanist scholar
  • In mythology, a son of Lycaon, from whom Parrhasia (Arcadia) was believed to have derived its name.
  • In mythology, a surname of Apollo, who had a sanctuary on the Arcadian Mount Lycaeus, where an annual festival was held in his honor, celebrating him as the Epicurius (the helper).
  • Parrhasius (adjective), used by ancient Greek poets as equivalent to "Arcadian," from the name of Parrhasia (Arcadia), a district in the south of Arcadia

• Taxonomy:
  • Parrhasius (butterfly), a butterfly genus

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