So communication between heaven and earth, goddess of … Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and a messenger for Zeus and Hera, and many believe that the flower is named after her. "Nothing of this escaped Hera . . She is known as ‘The Rainbow, Iris’ thus suggesting that her presence is a symbol of hope or maybe … 167 ff : 20 (trans. ]’ In Ancient Greece, Iris was the Goddess of the Rainbow, and according to most ancient sources, Iris was the daughter of the river god Thaumas, and his partner, the Oceanid Electra.The parentage also meant that Iris had some famous sisters, for the three Harpies, Ocypete, Celaeno and Aello, were also born to the same parents. She was worshipped as the ideal mother, wife, nature and magic matron. She paddled her way with windswift beat of wings, and entered the echoing den of stabled lions. There they sat and threatened all the cities which Leto approached and prevented them from receiving her . Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) . : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. . . To Bakkhos (Bacchus) in corselet of bronze she spoke deceitful words : ‘Brother, son of Zeus Allwise, put war aside, and celebrate your rites with Lykourgos, a willing host . O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) It is said that Iris saved the lives of her sisters, the Harpies, when she restrained Zetes and Calais, from killing them by promising the Boreads that the Harpies will not bother Phineus anymore. Iris was a goddess of sea and sky--her father Thaumas "the wondrous" was a marine-god, and her mother Elektra "the amber" a cloud-nymph. : Then in turn swift wind-footed Iris answered him : ‘Am I them to carry, o dark-haired earth encircler, this word, which is strong and steep, back to Zeus from you? She acted as the link between heaven and earth. Iris had no distinctive mythology of her own. : Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) . Iris is the Ancient Greek Goddess of rainbows, also associated with the sea, the sky, colours, oaths and heraldry, she is a messenger to the Gods, later joined in this position by Hermes, more specifically, Iris is the handmaiden and personal messenger of Hera. Iris Facts and Figures. Even though Iris is a Greek Goddess, Iris mentioned that she was deciding between Taoism and Buddhism as a religion. So she spake and seated her beside the golden throne, even as a hunting hound of Artemis, which, when it hath ceased from the swift chase, sitteth by her feet, and its ears are erect, ever ready to receive the call of the goddess. Although she was a sister of the winged monsters, the Harpies, Iris was represented as a beautiful maiden, with wings and robes of bright colors and a halo of light on her head, trailing across the sky with the rainbow she traveled on in her wake. 702 ff : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 7. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : so that Iris may go among the bronze-armoured people of the Akhaians (Achaeans), and give a message to lord Poseidon to leave the fighting and come back to the home that is his.’", Homer, Iliad 15. She is sibling to Arke, Aello, Celaeno, and Ocypete. "Soaring to heaven on balanced wings, [Iris] blazed a rainbow trail beneath the clouds as she flew . "[Hera] kept watch within the sky, angered in her heart greatly and beyond telling, and she prevented Leto who was holden in the pangs of child-birth. (Il. Iris obeyed and gliding down to earth along her many-coloured bow addressed Hersilie in the words prescribed; and she in awe and reverence would hardly raise her eyes. It is told that irises were planted at the graves of women. Yes, you [Athene], bold brazen wench, are audacious indeed, if truly you dare lift up your gigantic spear in the face of you father. 77 ff (trans. 1.1.1. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) : Iris forthwith seeks out the Minyae [Argonauts], and Cytherea [Aphrodite] the Colchian maid [Medea] [to arrange their destined meeting and love] . He spoke, and Iris storm-footed sprang away with the message, and at a point between Samos and Imbros of the high cliffs plunged in the dark water, and the sea crashed moaning about her. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. .’ ii. 829 ff : to C1st A.D.) : You know the Erinnyes (Furies), how they forever side with the elder.’ . 350 ff (trans. 170.) Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : fool! to C1st A.D.) : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4. . "Iris storm-footed sprang away . Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : The hearts of the great can be changed. Just you listen and keep quiet! in Del. . Pisthetairos : Here! and so you slipped into this city on the sly and into these realms of air-land that don't belong to you. 10 (trans. In myth she appears only as an errand-running messenger and was usually described as a virgin goddess. "Now to the Trojans came as messenger wind-footed Iris, in her speed, with the dark message from Zeus of the aigis. She is called 'The Rainbow, Iris' thus implying that her presence is a sign of hope or perhaps symbolizing a bridge between heaven and earth. 10 (trans. She threw off her embroidered saffron robes, and put on her head a helmet with nodding plume, donned a delusive corselet, as the mother of battle, a corselet stained with blood, and sent froth from her grim countenance, like a man, battlestirring menaces, all delusion. I need her. 103 ff : For I will say this straight out, and it will be a thing accomplished: [He gives her his message. . 391, 555; Plut. She and her siblings—Osiris, Set, and Nephthys —are the last generation of the Ennead, born to Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. "First he [Zeus] sent golden-winged Iris to call rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form [to return to the gods on Olympos]. pp. . She served as a messenger from Mount Olympus. . Blindness Inducement:Through u… Turnus recognised her divinity, raised his two hands heavenwards, and sent these words after the fleeting goddess : ‘Iris, glory of the sky, who was it conveyed you, cloud-borne, down to me here on earth?’". 3. Eris's Greek opposite is Harmonia, whose Roman counterpart is Concordia. . you woman! ]’ methinks I can hear the rustle of the swift wings of a god from heaven. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : Pisthetairos : By Zeus! Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : Statius, Thebaid 12. : Plato, Theaetetus 155d (trans. As for you, his messenger, if you annoy me, I shall begin by getting between your thighs, and even though you are Iris, you will be surprised at the erection the old man can produce; it's three times as good as the ram on a ship's prow! Pisthetairo s: Paralos or Salaminia? 270 ff (trans. They in a flash of speed winged their way onward. Antheia and Iris are best friends, Iris more major but Antheia is a minor plant goddess involved with gardens, flowery wreaths, and crops. v. 606; Apollon. (Hera carries associations with the sky.). The union of the rainbow and west wind symbolised the variegated brilliance of passion. : Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. Iris, spreading her light pinions, swooped down from Olympos and cleft the air. Your father bids you destroy the race of Indians, untaught of piety. 266, 780; Apollod. She was the messenger of the gods, and would ride on the rainbow to and from Earth in her beautiful, multicolored robes. Day-Lewis) (Roman epic C1st B.C.) . charioted upon the Anemoi (Winds), Euros (the East), Boreas (the North), Zephyros (the West-wind), and Notos (the South) [the four-wind gods in the forms of horses] : for Iris rainbow-plumed led 'neath the yoke of his eternal ear that stormy team. The goddess made no delay. .’ Do you take me for a Lydian or a Phrygian and think to frighten me with your big words? Link will appear as Iris: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, June 12, 2018, © Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2021 | About | Contact | Privacy. : Plato, Cratylus 400d & 408c ff (trans. [Apollon and] Iris, who is the messenger among the immortal gods, and spoke to them and addressed them in winged words : ‘Zeus wishes both of you to go to him with all speed, at Ida; but when you have come there and looked upon Zeus' countenance, then you must do whatever he urges you, and his orders.’ 1. Campbell, Vol. Philos. [Iris] the golden fashioner of clouds . . Iris pointed them [the Argonauts] out to her when she saw them leaving the hall. . . Iris is depicted in ancient Greek vase painting as a beautiful young woman with golden wings, a herald's rod (kerykeion), and sometimes a water-pitcher (oinochoe) in her hand. Who are you and from what country? ", Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 7. And, still breathing heavily, she [Iris] spake--and her speech was mingled with fear : ‘Honoured Hera, of goddesses most excellent far, thine am I, all things are thine, and thou sittest authentic queen of Olympos, and we fear no other female hand; and thou, O Queen, wilt know who is the cause of thine anger. . As a goddess, Iris is associated with communication, messages, the rainbow, and new endeavors. Greek Lyric III) (Greek lyric C7th to 6th B.C.) Then in turn swift wind-footed Iris spoke to him : ‘Hera sent me, the honoured wife of Zeus, but the son of Kronos, who sits on high, does not know this, nor any other immortal, of all those who dwell by the snows of Olympos.’", Homer, Iliad 23. . Theaet. Some stories describe her as unmarried and primarily a messenger for the Olympian gods. Athenian Black Figure Vase Painting C6th B.C. Then in turn Akhilleus of the swift feet answered her: ‘Divine Iris, what god sent you to me with a message?’ 189 ff (trans. . . 270 ff (trans. 103 ff (trans. "Like to illumined cloud or to Thaumantias [Iris, the Rainbow] when she ungirds her robe and glides to meet glowing Phoebus [Helios, the Sun]. Then indeed, amazed at the miracle, driven by a frenzy, all crying out . When swift Iris, fleet of foot as the wind, had heard all this, she set to run; and quickly finishing all the distance she came to the home of the gods, sheer Olympos, and forthwith called Eileithyia out from the hall to the door and spoke winged words to her, telling her all as the goddesses who dwell on Olympos had bidden her. . I believe it was a great match for company culture, that brings together people to communicate, create, and change the world. . Then, her task performed, Iris departed, for she could no more endure the power of Somnus [Hypnos], as drowsiness stole seeping through her frame, and fled away back o'er the arching rainbow as she came . Where It was the rainbow Goddesses job to collect for the swearing solemn oaths. ‘Go,’ he says, ‘let Alcides [Herakles] . She was usually depicted standing beside Zeus or Hera, sometimes serving nectar from her jug. Iris was the daughter of Thaumas, a son of Pontos (the Sea), and Elektra, a daughter of Okeanos (Ocean). : Stesichorus, Fragment 222B (trans. . . Zeus whose purposes are infinite calls you.’ . Ovid, Metamorphoses 14. Pisthetairos : Woe to you! Obedient to command, the bright goddess leaves the pole and wings her way down her long arc to earth [to the halls of Somnus-Hypnos the god of sleep] . Why, if you were treated according to your deserts, no Iris would ever have more justly suffered death. : . 2 ff : I shall send more than six hundred porphyrions (water-hens) clothed in leopards' skins up to heaven against him; and formerly a single Porphyrion [the giant-king that attacked heaven] gave him enough to do. Iris had several poetic titles and epithets. Müller, Aegin. As a messenger, Iris was responsible for the well-being of mankind. And Iris, by Hera's command, put the winged shoe on her feet, and holding a rod like Hermes the messenger of Zeus, flew up to warn of what was coming. Next, go to Aiolos (Aeolus), king of the sky-born winds, and to him too convey my wishes, which are that he should order all the winds of heaven to cease . 103 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. Name: Iris Pronunciation: Coming soon Alternative names: Gender: Female Type: Goddess Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present In charge of: Communication Area of expertise: Communication Good/Evil Rating: NEUTRAL, may not care Popularity index: 5916 fool! Hither from the blue sky came in balanced flight the varicoloured maid; the forests shine out, and the shady glens smile upon the goddess, and smitten with her zones of radiance the palace starts . The iris got its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. . Iris : Of which? Promise him Pasithea for his bride, and let him do my need from desire of her beauty. . 53 ff : . . Alcaeus, Fragment 327 (from Plutarch, Dialogue on Love) (trans. Rouse not the wrath of the gods, for it is terrible indeed. And she obeyed the dark-clouded son of Kronos (Cronus), and sped with swift feet across the space between. In my time I have gone into many battles among men, yet never have I seen a host like this, not one so numerous. And she never forgetteth her seat, not even when sleep lays upon her his forgetful wing, but there by the edge of the great throne with head a little bent aslant she sleeps. [N.B. . .’ The rainbow itself is caused by some coloration of the clouds. Hymn. Aen. 6 ff (trans. Goddess of the Rainbow Iris flies on the wind and moves like a blast of bright air. : ", Ovid, Metamorphoses 14. Her name contains a double meaning, being connected with both the Greek word iris "the rainbow" and eiris "messenger.". Day-Lewis) (Roman epic C1st B.C.) : 200 ff (trans. 142 ff : Some legends also hold she used her pitcher to collect water from the River Styx, the shadowy river separating the world of human beings from the underworld. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : Philostratus the Elder, Imagines 1. xiv. Then she went to Hephaistos and easily persuaded him to rest. And the other kept watch over the far-flung islands, even Thaumantia [Iris daughter of Thaumas] seated on Mimas, whither she had sped. He sent on her way Iris of the golden wings with a message. [came] a messenger of the heavenly ones, Iris.". ", Callimachus, Hymn 4 to Delos 216 ff : . Iris was often described acting as an intermediary between Hera queen of the gods and Hypnos the god of sleep. ", Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. "Hera made her way brooding to the waters of Khremetes [Chremetes, a river of North Africa] in the west . . The ancient Greeks described her as “swift footed”, suggesting she could respond rapidly to requests. Lamb) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) She also has a crush on the godboy of the west wind, Zephyrus.Iris can additionally create rainbow slides down to the Underworld. So she said; then soaring to heaven on balanced wings, blazed a rainbow trail beneath the clouds as she flew. ", Aristophanes, Birds 1196 ff (trans. . Did you present yourself to the officers in command of the jays? 102, &c.) In accordance with these functions of Iris, her name is commonly derived from erô eirô; so that Iris would mean "the speaker or messenger:" but it is not impossible that it may be connected with eirô, "I join," whence eirênê ; so that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, would be the joiner or conciliator, or the messenger of heaven, who restores peace in nature. But Menelaos (Menelaus) the warlike and Alexandros (Alexander) [Paris] will fight with long spears against each other for your possession. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. : Rheia unsmiling beckoned, and the Korybantes (Corybantes) served her beside the bowl of the divine table. [She then relays the warning from Zeus.] 1 ff (trans. : 350 ff (trans. He spoke, and swift wind-footed Iris did not disobey him but went along the hills of Ida to sacred Ilion. Pisthetairos : You would have died nevertheless.-Oh! Who is also the goddess of messaging. "The wife of Zephyros (West-Wind), Iris (Rainbow), the messenger of Zeus . ", Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4. 352 ff : Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Nonnus, Dionysiaca 26. Most works of art depict her either in the form of a beautiful rainbow, or as a lovely maiden. 80 ff (trans. xxiii. I need not tell you that one lovesick will do anything for hope.’ It is a fine thing when a messenger is conscious of justice.’", Homer, Iliad 18. "Spreading her wings, the goddess [Iris] took off from earth, describing a rainbow arc under the clouds as she flew. . Greek Lyric III) (Greek lyric C7th to 6th B.C.) 115 ff : ", Homer, Iliad 3. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : Alcaeus, Fragment 327 (from Plutarch, Dialogue on Love) (trans. 27, xvii. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : The cousin of Aiolos (Aeolus) Hippotades (son of Hippotes) [ god of the winds]. Legends differ about her life as an adult. If Iris was the – and you think of the iris of your eye, the colors of the rainbow. 20 (trans. Photokinesis: As the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris has the divine authority and absolute control over rainbow. In legends, she carries symbolic associations with messages and communication. . Good/Evil Rating: NEUTRAL, may not care Popularity index: 5927 "[Zeus] the son of Kronos (Cronus) stirred Iris to go down to sacred Ilion [Troy], saying : ‘Go forth, Iris the swift, leaving your place on Olympos, and go to Priamos (Priam) of the great heart within Ilion, tell him to . 467 ff (trans. Iris, great Juno's [Hera's] envoy, rainbow-clad, gathered the waters and refilled the clouds. Theog. . . .’ 60 ff (trans. [1.3] THAUMAS & OZOMENE (Hyginus Fabulae 14), [1.1] POTHOS (by Zephryos) (Alcaeus Frag 257; Eustathius on Homer 555, Nonnus Dionysiaca 47.340). Template:Cleanup-rewrite In Greek mythology, Iris (Ἴρις) is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 315 ff (trans. Iris is shown with wings, a (kerykeion) herald's staff, and a pitcher of water. She is depicted as a beautiful golden goddess, with wings (for flight), sandals, a staff, and a tunic. Halt, don't stir! they must offer sacrifices, and not to Zeus at all! But she refused to be seated and spoke the word to them : ‘I must not sit down. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) Swift foot Iris spoke to him thus and went away from him. Now as they came to sheer Olympos, the place of the immortals, there swift Iris the wind-footed reined in her horses and slipped them from the yoke and threw fodder immortal before them. Day-Lewis) (Roman epic C1st B.C.) 10 (trans. She spoke, nor did Hektor fail to mark the word of the goddess. and she sought out the wife of jealous Zephyros (West-Wind), Iris (Rainbow), the messenger of Zeus when he is in a hurry--for she wished to send her swift as the wind from heaven with a message for shadowy Hypnos (Hypnus, Sleep). The messenger of Zeus to mankind, I am going to tell them to sacrifice sheep and oxen on the altars and to fill their streets with the rich smoke of burning fat. ", Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3. "Hermes is a god and has wings and flies, and so do many other gods. She spoke so, and went away. I know nothing about that, not I. should the universe obey us and the gods alone continue their insolence and not understand that they must submit to the law of the strongest in their due turn? . ", Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. See also the sections describing messenger Iris in myth (below). . He spoke, and Iris, storm-footed, rose with his message and took her way from the peaks of Ida to tall Olympos, and at the utmost gates of many-folded Olympos, met and stayed them [Athene and Hera from departing for Troy against the express order of Zeus], and spoke the word that Zeus had given her: ‘Where so furious? Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : She could travel very quickly from Mount Olympus to Earth, and could even journey quickly into Hades. . ‘Goddess,’ she answered, ‘who thou art I cannot well surmise, but clear it is thou art a goddess.’ . Sokrates (Socrates) : Let us inquire what thought men had in giving them [the gods] their names . . They came to Ida . 467 ff (trans. . But I myself will undertake an oath that never again shall they come near to Phineus.’ 286 ff (trans. Sibling #2 was Hydaspes, he was a river god. Hasten with stormshod foot to the home of gloomy Hypnos in the west. . : Ovid, Metamorphoses 11. . Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) : : Nonnus, Dionysiaca 31. ", Statius, Silvae 5. She was often described as the handmaiden and personal messenger of Hera. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) Iris Facts and Figures. p. ", Callimachus, Hymn 4 to Delos 62 & 153 ff (trans. (Callim. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : Hesiod, Theogony 780 ff (trans. "Juno [Hera] spies winged Iris and bids her swiftly obey Dione's [Aphrodite's] command and bring the Aesonian youth [Jason, leader of the Argonauts] to the appointed grove. 115 ff : Statius, Thebaid 10. Many Greeks viewed Iris as an important link between mortals and the realm of the gods. : ", Ovid, Metamorphoses 14. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) : Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 315 ff (trans. The iron hammers ceased, the smoky bellows blew no more. So Iris the swift-footed spoke and went away from them. [She repeats verbatim the message from Zeus. to C1st A.D.) : ", Statius, Thebaid 12. . Iris, a shade of the color blue, is named after her. Never does she unloose her girdle or her swift hunting-boots lest her mistress give her some sudden command. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : .’ Tell him . seeking the wandering track of vagrant Hypnos (Sleep). In the Homeric poems she appears as the minister of the Olympian gods, who carries messages from Ida to Olympus, from gods to gods, and from gods to men. But Akhilleus' prayer is that Boreas and blustering Zephyros may come to him, and he promises them splendid offerings, so that you may set ablaze the funeral pyre, whereon lies Patroklos (Patroclus), with all Akhaians (Achaeans) mourning about him.’ "Arke (Arce) was the daughter of Thaumas and her sister was Iris; both had wings, but, during the struggle of the gods against the Titanes (Titans), Arke flew out of the camp of the gods and joined the Titanes [as their messenger, just as Iris served the Olympian Gods]. : As Goddess of the rainbow she joined the human realm to the place of the Gods. 4.479, Vergil Aeneid 9.2, Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.20) Iris [like Hermes] also seems to have got her name from eirein, because she is a messenger. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. The ancient Greeks considered Iris the female counterpart of Hermes. She [Thetis then] went on her way [to Olympos], and in front of her rapid wind-footed Iris guided her, and the wave of the water opened about them. Hermeias (Hermes) hardly could win his way to heaven, and only when he had killed with his rod Argos the cowherd, sparkling with eyes from his feet to the hair of his head, and when he had set Ares free from prison [captured in a jar by the Aloidai (Aloadae)]. She came near to Hypnos, weaving guile; and in his mother’s guise uttered her deceitful speech in cajoling whispers . 138 ff (trans. Iris had some very interesting siblings. It is beautiful enough, and its marvellous loveliness has given rise to the legend that Iris is the daughter of Thaumas (Wonder). "Father Zeus sent Iris to the divine halls of Rheia, to inform wakethefray Dionysos, that he must drive out of Asia with his avenging thyrsus the proud race of Indians untaught of justice: he was to sweep from the sea the horned son of a river, Deriades the king, and teach all nations the sacred dances of the vigil and the purple fruit of vintage. 168, Hymn. But what do all these insults mean? Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : Nonnus, Dionysiaca 13. Iris : What do you mean? The space of the continents did bold Ares watch . All the others spurned her and received her not; but Asteria called her by name as she was passing by--Asteria that evil scum of the sea: thou knowest it thyself. In the Homeric poems, it is true, Iris does not appear as the goddess of the rainbow, but the rainbow itself is called iris (Il xi. Last of all, she went to Aiolos, the famous son of Hippotas, and when she had given him too her message, she rested her swift limbs, the errand done. "[Zeus addresses Hera :] ‘It would be better if one of the gods would summon Thetis here to my presence . Since Zeus has uttered this threat and will make it a thing accomplished: [she repeats message verbatim] . Know, that if Zeus worries me again, I shall go at the head of my eagles, who are armed with lightning, and reduce his dwelling and that of Amphion to cinders. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) . "Swift wind-footed Iris came running from Olympos with a message for Peleus' son [Akhilleus (Achilles)] to arm. : Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2. [1.1] THAUMAS & ELEKTRA (Hesiod Theogony 265, Apollodorus 1.10, Hyginus Pref, Nonnus Dionysiaca 26.350) ", Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. Her genealogy too supports the opinion that Iris was originally the personification of the rainbow. A goddess named “Iris” personified the rainbow in the mythology of ancient Greece. 340 ff : "For, while they [Aeneas and his men in Italy] perform the rites at the tomb with various contests, Iris has been despatched from heaven by Hera, on the wings of a favouring wind, to the Trojan fleet : the goddess has certain designs; unappeased as yet is her old resentment. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) . Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) ", Stesichorus, Fragment 222B (trans. Iris' mother was Electra, an Oceanid. If she was the goddess of the rainbow and also of communication between heaven and earth, she would be very similar to the male god Hermes who is the god of communication. 122, xv. IRIS was the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the Olympian gods. Speaking so the goddess left in her heart sweet longing after her husband of time before, and her city and parents. Iris is generally considered to be a "minor" goddess in that she is submissive to the Olympians and has no specific domain. Hither from the blue sky came in balanced flight the varicoloured maid [Iris the rainbow]; the forests shine out, and the shady glens smile upon the goddess, and smitten with her zones of radiance the palace starts from its sleep; but he himself, awoken neither by the bright glow nor by the sound or voice of the goddess, lay motionless as ever, till the Thaumantian [Iris] shot at him all her splendours and sank deep into his drowsy vision. iii. Hesiod, Theogony 265 ff (trans. > According to Hesiod's Theogony, Iris is the daughter of Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra, and the sister of the Harpies: Aello and Ocypete. If Iris was the – and you think of the iris of your eye, the colors of the rainbow. 80 ff (trans. . Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 8. 188 ff : And at her rebuke they fled all together, every one that she came to, along the waters. : Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 12. to C1st A.D.) : . . Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) "Juno [Hera] went blithely back [to Olympos after a visit to the Underworld] and Iris Thaumantias (the Rainbow) as she entered heaven again, purged her with sprinkled drops of cleansing rain. Seek also about seagirt Lemnos, and if you find him tell him to charm the eyes of Zeus uncharmable for one day, that I may help the Indians. Del. . went swiftly as messenger to the Winds for him. Near the Cimmerii a cavern lies deep in the hollow of a mountainside, the home and sanctuary of lazy Somnus [Hypnos] . Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. 829 (trans. . These look terribly like leaves, or the sands of the sea-shore, as they advance across the plain to fight by the city. In Ancient Greece, Iris was the Goddess of the Rainbow, and according to most ancient sources, Iris was the daughter of the river god Thaumas, and his partner, the Oceanid Electra.The parentage also meant that Iris had some famous sisters, for the three Harpies, Ocypete, Celaeno and Aello, were also born to the same parents. She was often described as the handmaiden and personal messenger of Hera. For the coastal-dwelling Greeks, the rainbow's arc was most often seen spanning the distance beteween cloud and sea, and so the goddess was believed to replenish the rain-clouds with water from the sea. 74, &c.). [Poseidon complains about Zeus' order.] Then thus began to speak the golden fashioner of clouds : ‘Somnus [Hypnos], gentlest of the gods, Juno [Hera] bids thee bind fast the Sidonian [Theban] leaders and the folk of ruthless Cadmus, who now, puffed up by the issue of fight, are watching in ceaseless vigil the Achaean rampart, and refuse thy sway. in Apoll. . She was a friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the oppressed, who also listened to the prayers of the rich, the maidens, the aristocrats and the rulers. ", Ovid, Metamorphoses 11. And she had two look-outs to keep watch upon the earth. With regard to her functions, which we have above briefly described, we may further observe, that the Odyssey never mentions Iris, but only Hermes as the messenger of the gods: in the Iliad, on the other hand, she appears most frequently, and on the most different occasions. Argonautica 4 thing accomplished: [ she repeats message verbatim ]. ’ so she said ; then to. Get out of here quickly lead weight home and sanctuary of lazy Somnus [ Hypnos.! Depicted as a goddess of the heavenly ones, Iris mentioned that she secretly. Of Cyprus or Hegesias of Aegina, Cypria Fragment 1 ( from Proclus, )! And was usually described as the link between heaven and earth, lift the thyrsus battle... Further performs her services not only when commanded, but she refused be. 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