Dates: about 400 BCE
Known for: first woman to attend an Olympics
Also known as: Berenice
Family:
- Father: Diagoras of Rhodes, boxing champion
- Brother: Damagetus of Rhodes, two-time Olympic victor, pancration
- Brother: Acousilaus of Rhodes, Olympic boxing champion, boxing
- Brother: Dorieus of Rhodes, three-time Olympic victor, pancration
Marriage, Children:
- husband: Callipateiras or Kallipateiras
- son: Pisidores or Peisirhodos
About Pherenice of Rhodes:
According to a story told by Pausanis, Pherenice was the mother of Peisirhodos, an Olympic victor in boxing in 388 BCE. Pausanis says that Peisirhodos was one of the Diagoridae, a family of successful Olympic competitors, whose statues Pausanis describes.
When her husband, coach to their son, died, Pherenice disguised herself as a man, to attend the games to watch his performance with the other coaches, though the penalty for a woman attending was execution.
When her son won, Pherenice jumped a fence, to embrace her son, and her cloak slipped, revealing that she was a woman. Pausanis says that she was spared execution out of respect for her many relatives who were champions.
Aelian tells a slightly different version of the story, in which Pherenice attempted to enter the games, as a woman, and when her way was blocked, she said that her father, brothers, son and nephews were Olympic champions, and she was permitted to enter.
