Loading AI tools
Greek goddess of strife and discord From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, Eris (Ancient Greek: Ἔρις, romanized: Eris, lit. 'Strife') is the goddess and personification of strife and discord, particularly in war, and in the Iliad (where she is the "sister" of Ares the god of war). According to Hesiod she was the daughter of primordial Nyx (Night), and the mother of a long list of undesirable personified abstractions, such as Ponos (Toil), Limos (Famine), Algae (Pains) and Ate (Delusion). Eris initiated a quarrel between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, which led to the Judgement of Paris and ultimately the Trojan War. According to Hesiod, there was another Eris, separate and distinct from Eris the daughter of Nyx, who was beneficial to men. Her Roman equivalent is Discordia.[2]
Eris is of uncertain etymology; connections with the verb ὀρίνειν orínein, 'to raise, stir, excite', and the proper name Ἐρινύες Erinyes have been suggested. R. S. P. Beekes rejects these derivations and suggested a pre-Greek origin.[3]
According to Hesiod's Theogony, Eris is the daughter of Nyx (Night) among the many children Nyx produced without a partner.[4] According to Homer's Iliad, she is the sister of Ares.[5] According to Hesiod's Theogony, Eris was the mother—with no father mentioned—of many children, the only child of Nyx to do so, who are personifications representing various misfortunes and harmful things which might be thought to result from discord and strife.[6] All of these children are little more than allegorizations of the meanings of their names, with virtually no other identity.[7]
The following table lists the children of Eris, as given by Hesiod:[8]
| Name | Ancient Greek | Common translations | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| prop. n. | com. n. sg. | |||
| Ponos | Πόνος | πόνος[9] | Toil,[10] Labor,[11] Hardship[12] | Called by Hesiod "painful Ponos" (Πόνον ἀλγινόεντα).[13] Cicero has the equivalent personification of the Latin word labor as the offspring of Erebus and Night (Erebo et Nocte).[14] |
| Lethe | Λήθη | λήθη[15] | Forgetfulness,[16] Oblivion[17] | Associated with Lethe, the river of oblivion in the Underworld. |
| Limos | Λιμός | λιμός[18] | Famine,[19] Hunger,[20] Starvation[21] | Of uncertain sex; held in special regard at Sparta; the equivalent of the Roman Fames. |
| Algea | Ἄλγεα (pl.) | ἄλγος[22] | Pains,[23] Sorrows[24] | Called by Hesiod the "tearful Algae" (Ἄλγεα δακρυόεντα).[25] Not notably personified elsewhere. |
| Hysminai | Ὑσμῖναι (pl.) | ὑσμίνη[26] | Combats,[27] Fights,[28] Battles[29] | The Posthomerica of Quintus Smyrnaeus has an image of the Hysminai decorating Achilles's shield.[30] |
| Machai | Μάχαi (pl.) | μάχη[31] | Battles,[32] Wars[33] | Not notably personified elsewhere |
| Phonoi | Φόνοι (pl.) | φόνος[34] | Murders,[35] Slaughterings[36] | The Shield of Heracles, has an image of Phonos (singular) decorating Heracle's shield.[37] |
| Androktasiai | Ἀνδροκτασίαι (pl.) | ἀνδροκτασία[38] | Manslaughters,[39] Manslayings,[40] Slayings of Men[41] | The Shield of Heracles, has an image of Androktasia (singular) decorating Heracle's shield.[42] |
| Neikea | Νείκεά (pl.) | νεῖκος[43] | Quarrels | Not notably personified elsewhere. |
| Pseudea | Ψεύδεά (pl.) | ψεῦδος[44] | Lies,[45] Falsehoods[46] | Not notably personified elsewhere. |
| Logoi | Λόγοi (pl.) | λόγος[47] | Tales,[48] Stories,[49] Words[50] | Not notably personified elsewhere. |
| Amphillogiai | Ἀμφιλλογίαι (pl.) | ἀμφιλογία[51] | Disputes,[52] Unclear Words[53] | Not notably personified elsewhere. |
| Dysnomia | Δυσνομία | δυσνομία[54] | Lawlessness,[55] Bad Government,[56] Anarchy[57] | The Athenian statesman Solon contrasted Dysnomia with Eunomia, the personification of the ideal government:[58] |
| Ate | Ἄτη | ἄτη[59] | Delusion,[60] Recklessness,[61] Folly,[62] Ruin[63] | She was banished from Olympus by Zeus for blinding him to Hera's trickery denying Heracles his birthright.[64] |
| Horkos | Ὅρκος | ὄρκος[65] | Oath | The curse that is inflicted on any person who swears a false oath.[66] |
Eris plays a crucial role in one important myth. She was the initiator of the quarrel between the three Greek goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, resolved by the Judgement of Paris, which led to Paris' abduction of Helen of Troy and the outbreak of the Trojan War.[67] As the story came to be told, all the gods were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Themis except Eris. She came anyway but was refused admission. In anger, she threw a golden apple among the wedding guests inscribed with "For the fairest", which the three goddesses each claimed.[68]
Homer alludes to the Judgement of Paris, but with no mention of Eris.[69] An account of the story, was told in the Cypria, one of the poems in the Epic Cycle, which told the entire story of the Trojan War. The Cypria which is the first poem in the Cycle, describes events preceding those that occur in the Iliad, the second poem in the Cycle. According to a prose summary of the now lost Cypria, Eris, acting according to the plans of Zeus and Themis to bring about the Trojan War, instigates a nekios ('feud') between the three goddesses over "beauty" (presumably over who of the three was the most beautiful), while they were attending the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis (who would become the parents of Achilles). To settle the dispute, Zeus orders the three goddesses to go to Mount Ida to be judged by Paris. Paris, having been offered Helen, by Aphrodite, in return for Paris choosing her, does so.[70]
The fith-century BC playwright Euripides, describes the Judgement of Paris several times with no mention of either Eris, or an apple.[71] Later accounts include details, such as the golden Apple of Discord, which may or may not have come from the Cypria. According to the first-century BC Roman mythographer Hyginus, all the gods had been invited to the wedding except Eris. Nevertheless, she came to the wedding feast, and when refused entrance, she threw an apple through the doorway, saying that it was for the "fairest", which started the quarrel.[72] The satirist Lucian (fl. 2nd century AD) tells us that Eris's apple was "solid gold" and that it was inscribed: "For the queen of Beauty" (ἡ καλὴ λαβέτω).[73]
Eris personifies strife, particularly the strife associated with war.[74] In Homer's Iliad, Eris is described as being depicted on both Athena's battle aegis, and Achilles' shield, where she appears alongside other war-related personifications: Phobos ("Rout"), Alke ("Valor"), and Ioke ("Assault"), on the aegis, and Kydoimos ("Tumult"), and Ker ("Fate"), on the shield.[75] Similarly, the Hesiodic Shield of Heracles has Eris depicted on Heracles' shield, also with Phobos, Kydoimos and Ker, as well as other war-related personifications: Proioxis ("Pursuit"), Palioxis ("Rally"), Homados ("Tumult "), Phonos ("Murder"), and Androktasia ("Slaughter").[76] Here Eris is described as flying over the head of Phobos ("Fear"):
In the middle was Fear, made of adamant, unspeakable, glaring backward with eyes shining like fire. His mouth was full of white teeth, terrible, dreadful; and over his grim forehead flew terrible Strife, preparing for the battle-rout of men—cruel one, she took away the mind and sense of any men who waged open war against Zeus’ son [Heracles].
Eris also appears in several battle scenes in the Iliad.[77] However, unlike Apollo, Athena and several other of the Olympians, Eris does not participate in active combat, nor take sides in the war.[78] Her role in the Iliad is that of "the rouser of armies",[79] urging both armies to fight each other. In Book 4, she is one of the divinities (along with Ares, Athena, Deimos ("Terror"), and Phobos ("Rout") urging the armies to battle, with head lowered at first, but soon raised up to the heavens:[80]
And the Trojans were urged on by Ares, and the Achaeans by flashing-eyed Athene, and Terror, and Rout, and Strife who rages incessantly, sister and comrade of man-slaying Ares; she first rears her crest only a little, but then her head is fixed in the heavens while her feet tread on earth. She it was who now cast evil strife into their midst as she went through the throng, making the groanings of men to increase.
She also appears in this "rouser of armies" role in Book 5,[81] and again in Book 11, where Zeus sends Eris to rouse the Greek army by shouting:[82]
Zeus sent Strife to the swift ships of the Achaeans, gruesome Strife, holding in her hands a portent of war. And she stood by Odysseus’ black ship, huge of hull, that was in the middle so that a shout could reach to either end, both to the huts of Aias, son of Telamon, and to those of Achilles; for these had drawn up their shapely ships at the furthermost ends, trusting in their valor and the strength of their hands. There the goddess stood and uttered a great and terrible shout, a shrill cry of war, and in the heart of each man of the Achaeans she roused strength to war and to battle without ceasing. And to them at once war became sweeter than to return in their hollow ships to their dear native land.
Her lust for bloodshed is insatiable. Later in Book 11, she is the last of the gods to leave the battlefield, rejoicing as she watches the fighting she has roused.[83] While in Book 5, she is described as raging unceasingly.[84]
Hesiod also associates Eris with war. In his Works and Days, he says that she "fosters evil war and conflict".[85] And in his Theogony, has the Hysminai (Battles) and the Machai (Wars) as her children.[86]
In addition to the Eris who was the daughter of Nyx (Night), Hesiod, in his Works and Days, mentions another Eris. He contrasts the two: the former being "blameworthy" who "fosters evil war and conflict", the latter worthy of "praise", have been created by Zeus to foster beneficial competition:[87]
So there was not just one birth of Strifes after all, but upon the earth there are two Strifes. One of these a man would praise once he got to know it, but the other is blameworthy; and they have thoroughly opposed spirits. For the one fosters evil war and conflict—cruel one, no mortal loves that one, but it is by necessity that they honor the oppressive Strife, by the plans of the immortals. But the other one gloomy Night bore first; and Cronus’ high-throned son, who dwells in the aether, set it in the roots of the earth, and it is much better for men. It rouses even the helpless man to work. For a man who is not working but who looks at some other man, a rich one who is hastening to plow and plant and set his house in order, he envies him, one neighbor envying his neighbor who is hastening toward wealth: and this Strife is good for mortals.
Antoninus Liberalis, in his Metamorphoses, involves Eris in the story of Polytechnus and Aedon, who claimed to love each other more than Hera and Zeus. This angered Hera, so she sent Eris to wreak discord upon them.[88] Eris is mentioned many times in Quintus Smyrnaeus' Posthomerica, which covers the time period between the end of the Iliad and the beginning of his Odyssey.[89] Just as in the Iliad, the Posthomerica Eris is the instigator of conflict,[90] does not take sides,[91] shouts,[92] and delights in the carnage of battle.[93] Eris is also mentioned in the Dionysiaca of Nonnus. At the start of the epic confrontation between Zeus and Typhon, Nonnus has Nike (Victory) lead Zeus into battle, and Eris lead Typhon, and in another passage has Eris, with the war-goddess Enyo, bring "Tumult" to both sides of a battle.[94]
There are few certain representations of Eris in art.[95] Her earliest appearances (mid-sixth-century BC) are found on the Chest of Cypselus and in the tondo of a black-figure cup (Berlin F1775).[96] The geographer Pausanias describes seeing Eris depicted on the Chest, as a "most repulsive" [aischistê] woman standing between Ajax and Hector fighting.[97] On the cup she is depicted as a normal woman in appearance apart from having wings and winged-sandals.[98]
From the later part of fifth-century BC, the upper section of a red-figure calyx krater depicts Eris with Themis facing each other, apparently in animated discussion, while the lower section depicts the Judgement of Paris, confirming Eris' role in the events as told in the Cypria.[99]
Discordia, the Roman counterpart of Eris, embodies similar attributes of strife and discord. While sharing the fundamental essence of her Greek counterpart, Discordia possesses distinct Roman characteristics and narratives. In Roman mythology, Discordia is often portrayed as the personification of chaos and strife, representing the disruptive forces that can unsettle order and harmony within society. She is typically associated with the concept of dissension and conflict, symbolizing the breakdown of social cohesion.[100]
Virgil presents Discordia as similar to the Greek Eris. Following Homer, she appears in the Aeneid together with Mars, Bellona, and the Furies.[101] She is most frequently depicted as the daughter of Nox and the sister of Mars, following Greek precedent;[102] though other sources present her as the sister of Nemesis and "the constant attendent of Mars".[103] Ennius describes her in his Annales as "a maiden in a military cloak, born with hellish body, of equal proportion with water and fire, air and heavy earth".[104]
In Roman mythology, Discordia is often intertwined with various tales of love and rivalry. While not traditionally depicted as having consorts or lovers in the same manner as some other Roman deities, her influence is evident in stories where conflicts arise due to jealousy, ambition, or betrayal. Discordia's presence exacerbates tensions and fuels the flames of discord, leading to dramatic consequences for mortal and divine alike. The most notable example of this simply follows the Greek story of the Judgement of Paris.[citation needed]
One notable aspect of Discordia's mythology is her role in the political and social sphere of ancient Rome. As a personification of discord, she was invoked during times of political unrest or upheaval, serving as a symbolic representation of the turmoil and division within society.[100] Her influence extended beyond individual conflicts, shaping the course of history and influencing the destiny of nations.[citation needed]
Despite her association with chaos and strife, Discordia was not always viewed in a negative light. In some interpretations, she served as a catalyst for change and transformation, challenging established norms and fostering innovation. While her disruptive influence could be destructive, it also paved the way for renewal and growth, highlighting the complex nature of her character within Roman mythology.[citation needed]
The modern Discordian religion,[105] according to its book Principia Discordia, "began with a revelation […] from the Greek goddess Eris in the form of a chimpanzee."[106] Eris was adopted as the founding and patron deity of Discordianism in the early 1960s[107] by Gregory Hill and Kerry Wendell Thornley under the pen names of "Malaclypse the Younger" and "Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst".[106]
The Discordian view of Eris is considerably lighter in comparison to the rather malevolent Graeco-Roman view. In Discordianism she is depicted as a positive (albeit mischievous) force of chaotic creation. Principia Discordia states:
One day Mal-2 consulted his Pineal Gland and asked Eris if She really created all of those terrible things. She told him that She had always liked the Old Greeks, but that they cannot be trusted with historic matters. "They were," She added, "victims of indigestion, you know."
Suffice it to say that Eris is not hateful or malicious. But she is mischievous, and does get a little bitchy at times.[108]
The story of Eris being snubbed and indirectly starting the Trojan War is recorded in the Principia, and is referred to as the Original Snub.[109] The Principia Discordia states that her parents may be as described in Greek legend, or that she may be the daughter of Void. She is the Goddess of Disorder and Being, whereas her sister Aneris (called the equivalent of Harmonia by the Mythics of Harmonia) is the goddess of Order and Non-Being. Their brother is Spirituality.[110][111]
In Discordianism, Eris is looked upon as a foil to the preoccupation of Western philosophy in attempting find order in the chaos of reality, in prescribing order to be synonymous with truth. In Principia Discordia, this is called the Aneristic Illusion.[112] In this telling, Eris becomes something of a patron of chaotic creation:
I am chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and scientists build rhythms. I am the spirit with which your children and clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am chaos. I am alive, and I tell you that you are free.[108]
The classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" references what appears to be Eris's role in the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Like Eris, a malevolent fairy curses a princess after not being invited to the princess's christening.[113][114]
The concept of Eris as developed by the Principia Discordia is used and expanded upon in the 1975 science fiction work The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (in which characters from Principia Discordia appear). In this work, Eris is a major character.[115][116]
Eris, the "Goddess of Discord and Chaos", is a recurring antagonist in the animated television series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, wherein she is depicted as a spoiled and wealthy woman that wields the "Apple of Discord".
Similarly, Eris, the malevolent "Goddess of Discord and Chaos", is the main antagonist in the DreamWorks 2003 animated movie Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas against Sinbad and his allies.
The dwarf planet Eris was named after this Greek goddess in 2006.[117]
In 2019, the New Zealand moth species Ichneutica eris was named in honour of Eris.[118]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
