Dircsean Swan
Preserved but no longer current.
Pindar; so called from Dirce, a fountain in the neighbourhood of Thebes, the poet's birthplace (518-442 B.C.). The fountain is named from Dirce, who was put to death by the sons of Antiope for her brutal treatment of their mother, and was changed into the spring by Bacchus.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Dircsean Swan” mean?
Pindar; so called from Dirce, a fountain in the neighbourhood of Thebes, the poet's birthplace (518-442 B.C.). The fountain is named from Dirce, who was put to death by the sons of Antiope for her brutal treatment of their mother, and was changed into the spring by Bacchus.
Is “Dircsean Swan” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.