User:Paul August/Eris (mythology)

Eris (mythology)

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• ToposText:

• Tryphiodorus, The Taking of Ilion
• Quintus Smyrnaeus,
• Etc.

• The Oxford Handbook of Hesiod
• Reves
• Nagler, M.N. (1988). “Towards a Semantics of Ancient Conflict: Eris in the Iliad.” CW 82.2: 81-90.

• Oxford Classical Dictionary
• Brill's New Pauly Online
• Tripp
• Grimal
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• Smith
• Gantz
• Hard
• Fowler
• Loeb search
• LIMC

New Text

Other mentions

The Hesiodic Shield of Heracles (7th–6th century BC), in describing the decorations on Heracles' shield has Eris being depicted as flying over the head of Phobos (Fear):

In the middle was Fear [Phobos], 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].

— Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 144–150; translation by Glenn W. Most

Antoninus Liberalis (2nd–3rd century AD?), 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. Eris is also mentioned in the Dionysiaca (5th century AD?) 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.

Associations

Eris is often associated with the war-goddess Enyo, who is called the "sister of War" by Quintus Smyrnaeus.

Sources

Ancient

Antoninus Liberalis

Metamorphoses

11

AEDON or NIGHTINGALE: Boeus tells this tale in his Origins of Birds. Pandareos dwelt in the territories of Ephesus, on the craggy headland next to the city. To him Demeter did grant the gift of never feeling full in the stomach after eating, whatever quantity he might take in. Pandareos had a daughter called Aedon. Polytechnus the carpenter, who lived at Colophon in Lydia, married her. For a long time their life together was a delight for them. They had an only child, Itys. While they honoured the gods they were happy, but one day they blurted out the needless remark that they loved each other more than did Hera and Zeus. Hera found what was said to be insupportable and sent Eris (Discord) between them to create strife in their activities.

Apollodorus

E.3.2

For one of these reasons Strife threw an apple as a prize of beauty to be contended for by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite; and Zeus commanded Hermes to lead them to Alexander on Ida in order to be judged by him. And they promised to give Alexander gifts. Hera said that if she were preferred to all women, she would give him the kingdom over all men; and Athena promised victory in war, and Aphrodite the hand of Helen. And he decided in favour of Aphrodite¹; and sailed away to Sparta with ships built by Phereclus.²

¹ As to the judgment of Paris （Alexander）, see Hom. Il. 24.25ff.; Cypria, in Proclus, Chrestom. i. （Epicorum Graecorum Fragmenta, ed. G. Kinkel, pp. 16ff.）; Eur. Tro. 924ff.; Eur. IA 1290ff.; Eur. Hel. 23ff.; Eur. And. 274ff.; Isoc. 10.41; Lucian, Dial. Deorum 20, Dial. marin. 5; Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 93; Hyginus, Fab. 92; Serv. Verg. A. 1.27; Scriptores rerum mythicarum Latini, ed. Bode, i. pp. 65ff., 142ff. (First Vatican Mythographer 208; Second Vatican Mythographer 205). The story ran that all the gods and goddesses, except Strife, were invited to attend the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, and that Strife, out of spite at being overlooked, threw among the wedding guests a golden apple inscribed with the words, “Let the fair one take it,” or “The apple for the fair.” Three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, contended for this prize of beauty, and Zeus referred the disputants to the judgment of Paris. The intervention of Strife was mentioned in the Cypria according to Proclus, but without mention of the golden apple, which first appears in late writers, such as Lucian and Hyginus. The offers made by the three divine competitors to Paris are recorded with substantial agreement by Eur. Tro. 924ff., Isocrates, Lucian, and Apollodorus. Hyginus is also in harmony with them, if in his text we read fortissimum for the formissimum of the MSS., for which some editors wrongly read formosissimum. The scene of the judgment of Paris was represented on the throne of Apollo at Amyclae and on the chest of Cypselus at Olympia （Paus. 3.8.12; Paus. 5.19.5）.

² Compare Hom. Il. 5.59ff., from which we learn that the shipbuilder was a son of Tecton, who was a son of Harmon. The names of his father and grandfather indicate, as Dr. Leaf observes, that the business had been carried on in the family for three generations. Compare Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 97.

Hesiod

Shield of Heracles

144–150

In the middle was Fear [Phobos], 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.

154–156

Upon it were wrought Pursuit [Proioxis] and Rally [Palioxis]; upon it burned Tumult [Homados] and Murder [Phonos] and Slaughter [Androktasia] ; upon it was Strife, upon it rushed Battle-Din [Kydoimos], upon it deadly Fate [Ker]

Theogony

223–225

τίκτε δὲ καὶ Νέμεσιν πῆμα θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσι

Νὺξ ὀλοή· μετὰ τὴν δ’ Ἀπάτην τέκε καὶ Φιλότητα

Γῆράς τ’ οὐλόμενον, καὶ Ἔριν τέκε καρτερόθυμον.

Deadly Night gave birth to Nemesis (Indignation) too, a woe for mortal human beings; and after her she bore Deceit and Fondness and baneful Old Age, and she bore hard-hearted Strife.

226–232

αὐτὰρ Ἔρις στυγερὴ τέκε μὲν Πόνον ἀλγινόεντα

Λήθην τε Λιμόν τε καὶ Ἄλγεα δακρυόεντα

Ὑσμίνας τε Μάχας τε Φόνους τ’ Ἀνδροκτασίας τε

Νείκεά τε Ψεύδεά τε Λόγους τ’ Ἀμφιλλογίας τε

Δυσνομίην τ’ Ἄτην τε, συνήθεας ἀλλήλῃσιν,

Ὅρκόν θ’, ὃς δὴ πλεῖστον ἐπιχθονίους ἀνθρώπους

πημαίνει, ὅτε κέν τις ἑκὼν ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ·

And loathsome Strife bore painful Toil and Forgetfulness and Hunger and tearful Pains, and Combats and Battles and Murders and Slaughters, and Strifes and Lies and Tales and Disputes, and Lawlessness and Recklessness, much like one another, and Oath, who indeed brings most woe upon human beings on the earth, whenever someone willfully swears a false oath.

Works and Days

11–24

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.

Homer

Iliad

4.439–445

And the Trojans were urged on by Ares, and the Achaeans by flashing-eyed Athene, [440] 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.

5.517–518

the toil [of war] which he of the silver bow [Apollo] was rousing, and Ares the bane of mortals, and Strife that rages without ceasing.

11.3–14

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.

11.73—74

And Strife, who causes many groanings, rejoiced as she looked on; for alone of the gods she was with them in their fighting;

18.535

And among them Strife and Tumult joined, and destructive Fate

20.47—48

But when the Olympians had come into the midst of the throng of men, then up leapt mighty Strife, the rouser of armies, and Athene ...

24.27—30

Ilios at first became hateful in their eyes and Priam and his people, because of the folly of Alexander, who had insulted those goddesses when they came to his farmstead and praised her who furthered his grievous lustfulness.¹

¹ This is the only allusion in the Iliad to the judgment of Paris. M.

Hyginus

Fabulae

92

JUDGMENT OF PARIS: Jove is said to have invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis all the gods except Eris, or Discordia. When she came later and was not admitted to the banquet, she threw an apple through the door, saying that the fairest should take it. Juno, Venus, and Minerva claimed the beauty prize for themselves. A huge argument broke out among them. Jupiter ordered Mercury to take them to Mt Ida to Paris Alexander, and bid him judge. Juno promised him, if he should judge in her favour, that he would rule over all the lands and be pre-eminent wealth. Minerva promised that if she should come out victorious, he would be bravest of mortals and skilled in every craft. Venus, however, promised to give him in marriage Helen, daughter of Tyndareus, most beautiful of all women. Paris preferred the last give to the former ones, and judges Venus the most lovely. On account of this, Juno and Minerva were hostile to the Trojans. Alexander, at the prompting of Venus, took Helen from his host Menelaus form Lacedemon to Troy, and married her. She took with her two handmaids, Aethra and Thisiadie, captives, but once queens, whom Castor and Pollux had assigned to her.

Lucian

The Judgement of the Goddesses [= Dialogues of the Gods 20]

1

Zeus

Hermes, take this apple; go to Phrygia, to Priam’s son, the herdsman—he is grazing his flock in the foothills of Ida, on Gargaron—and say to him: "Paris, as you are handsome yourself, and also well schooled in all that concerns love, Zeus bids you be judge for the goddesses, to decide which of them is the most beautiful. As the prize for the contest, let the victor take the apple."

Nonnus

Dionysiaca

2.358–359

Strife was Typhon's escort in the mellay, Victory (Nike) led Zeus into battle.

5.35–42

The dragon's death was not the end of the labours of Cadmos; but after the Serpent, and after the savage tribes of giants, he fought the champions of the Ectenes and the Aonian people, reaping a barbarian harvest of Ares, and fell on the neighbouring Temmicans: when he called for soldiers, a motley swarm of neighbours came to his help. To both armies alike Strife joined Enyo and brought forth Tumult:

Proclus

Chrestomathy

Proclus’ Summary of the Cypria, attributed to Stasinus of Cyprus

13–18

13 Zeus, together with Themis, plans the Trojan

14 War. For Eris, while attending a feast of the gods

15 at the wedding of Peleus, instigates a feud [neikos] among Athena,

16 Hera, and Aphrodite about beauty. They, by

17 order of Zeus, are led by Hermes to Mount Ida for judgment by Alexandros. Alexandros

18 judges for Aphrodite, encouraged by a promise of Helen in marriage.

Tryphiodorus

(fl. 3rd or 4th century AD)

The Sack of Troy

559

And Enyo, revelling in the drunkenness of unmixed blood, danced all night throughout the city, like a hurricane, turbulent with the waves of surging war. And therewithal Strife lifted her head high as heaven and stirred up the Argives; since even bloody Ares, late but even so, came and brought to the Danaans the changeful victory in war and his help that is now for these and anon for those.

Tzetzes

On Lycophron

93

§ 93 "The money changer" refers to the banker, the silver assayer, the judge of Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. For Alexander judged them when they held the apple. The table is properly called the altar because it receives the sacrifices, now metaphorically spoken of the court, when he judged the goddesses. For Alexander judged them for the sake of the apple. For at the wedding of Thetis, Eris threw a golden apple in the midst of the gods inscribed 'to the fairest', Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite quarreled with each other to receive it. Zeus, giving them to Hermes, sends them to Alexander to judge them, who decided that Aphrodite should receive the apple. By her command, Harmonides built a ship for him, and according to some, he went to Sparta, where he saw Helen and, struck by her beauty, he seized her. Or the altar is the table because it receives the sacrifices and incense, which is to guard.

Modern

Brown

Oxford Classical Dictionary

s.v. Eris

Eris, ‘Strife’ (Discordia in Latin), often personified as a goddess in poetry. She appears in several Homeric battle scenes, e.g. Il. 4. 440–5 (where she is the sister of *Ares), 11. 3–14. *Hesiod at Theogony 225–32 makes her the daughter of Night (*Nyx) and mother of Toil, Pain, Battles, Bloodshed, Lies, Ruin, and the like. At Works and Days 11–26, however, he declares that there is not just one Eris but two, a bad Eris who fosters war and a good Eris who stimulates men to work through a spirit of competition.Eris is given a mythical role by the Cypria (see epic cycle; para. 4 (6)): at the instigation of Zeus she attended the wedding of *Peleus and *Thetis and there created rivalry between *Athena, *Hera, and *Aphrodite, which led to the Judgement of *Paris and thus to the Trojan War. Much later sources (first *Hyginus (3), Fab. ...

Caldwell

p. 40

212-232 The remaining children of Night are personifications ... The children of Eris are Hardship [Ponos], Forgetfulness (Lethe), Starvation [Limos], Pains [Algea], Battles [Hysminai], Wars [Machai], Murders [Phonoi], Manslaughters [Androktasiai], Quarrels [Neikea], Lies [Pseudea], Stories [Logoi], Disputes [Amphillogiai], Anarchy [Dysnomia], Ruin [Ate], Oath [Horkos].

Gantz

p. 4

Nyx's other children [besides Aether (Brightness), and Hemera (Day), produced without the aid of Erebos or any other [cont.]

p. 5

partner, are ...

p. 9

By contrast, Eris (Strife) is largely just a personification of her name (see, e.g. Il 4.440–43), but Zeus does send ... She also plays one crucial role in Greek mythology as instigator of the Judgement of Paris. Homer knows of this event but just barely alludes to it in Iliad (24.27-30), with no direct mention of Eris. Our epitome of the Kypria, however, clearly makes her the guilty party (though as part of the plan of Zeus and Themis), and adds that she stirred up the quarrel among the three goddesses at the wedding feast for Peleus and Thetis (pp. 38-39 PEG). That she was not invited to the feast, or used an apple marked "for the fairest," are details that may are may not have been part of the Kypria; we find them first in Loukianos (Dear 7.1), Hyginus (Fab 92) and (apple only) Apollodorus (ApE. 3.2), although the apple probably goes back to the fifth century in art (see chapter 16). Sophocles wrote a play entitled Eris, but nothing survives to indicate even the plot.

In art we find Eris ... Hesiod's [cont.]

p. 10

account goes on to list Eris' own children, born with no father mentioned and virtually all allegorizings: Ponos (Labor), Lethe (Forgetfulness), Limos (Famine), Algea (Pains), Hysminae (Combats), Machai (Battles), Phonoi (Slaughterings), Androktasiai (Slayings of Men), Neikea (Quarrels), Pseudea (Falsehoods), Logoi (Words), Amphillogiai (Unclear Words), Dysnomia (Bad Government), Horkos (Oath), and Ate (Folly) (226–32) Of this list only the last has any identity, [although as a daughter of Zeus with no mother mentioned]

Grimal

s.v. Eris

The personification of strife, generally considered to be the sister of Ares, and his companion. ...

Hard

p. 30

We must conclude our survey of the family of Night by returning to ERIS (Strife), who was the only child of Night to produce a series of her own. She has only a single proper myth, though one of some importance, which tells how she stirred up the quarrel between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite that was settled through the judgement of Paris, and so helped to set in course the train of events that led to the outbreak of the Trojan War (see further on p. 437).⁵⁷ ... this myth can be traced back to the Cypria, the first epic in the Trojan cycle; it would seem that the author of this poem liked to assign a more stolid role to personifications of this kind than was usual in high literature. Homer refers to Eris in the Iliad along with other minor deities and personifications who stir up frenzy on the battlefield; at the beginning of the eleventh book, Zeus sends him [sic] down to inspire the the Greeks with ardor for battle, which he [sic] achieves by standing in the middle of their camp and uttering a terrible piercing cry.⁵⁸

p. 31

The children of Eris represent the many harmful and destructive things that arise from discord and strife, namely Toil (Ponos), Oblivion (Lethe), Famine, Sorrows, Fights, Battles, Murders, Manslayings, Quarrels, Lies, Disputes, Lawlessness, Delusion (Ate) and Oath (Horkos).⁵⁹ This is allegory of the most obvious kind for the most part; the last two alone require further comment.

Leaf 1900

440

The three half-personified spirits of battle must not be regarded as siding with either party, but as arousing alike “τοὺς μέν” and “τοὺς δέ”. Cf. 11.73, 13.299, 15.119, 18.535, in none of which are they actual persons in the war.

Nünlist

Brill's New Pauly

s.v. Eris

(Ἔρις; Éris). Personification of (often warlike) strife, Latin Discordia; in allegorical genealogy interpreted as sister of Ares (Hom. Il. 4,441) or as daughter of Nyx (Hes. Theog. 224ff., together with other negative ‘abstracta’). In the Iliad, E. (alone or in association with Ares and other personifications) triggers the fighting (Hom. Il. 11,3ff.; 4,439ff.). The post-Homeric Cypria make E. the person actually responsible for the Trojan War due to her instigating the judgement of Paris at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Cypria argum. p. 38 Bernabé; the motif of the golden apple is Hellenistic). This negative image of E., adopted by Hesiod himself (Hes. Theog. 225), is later modified by him (Op. 11ff.) in that he contrasts it with a positive E. (‘competition’). Both aspects are inherent in the Homeric conception of E. [1] and possibly an Indo-European heritage [2]. ─ The early Greek epic refers to pictorial representations of E. with striking frequency (Hom. Il. 5,740; 18, 535 = Hes. Sc. 156; 148), probably due to the influence of oriental or orientalizing art. The identification of such representations of E. is made particularly difficult by the mythological context being absent quite often (exception: judgement of Paris).

Nünlist, René (Basle)

Bibliography

1 J. Hogan, E. in Homer, in: Grazer Beiträge 10, 1981, 21-58

2 B. Mezzadri, La double E. initiale, in: Métis 4, 1989, 51-60.

Bibliography

H. Giroux, s.v. E., LIMC 3.1, 846-850

H. A. Shapiro, Personifications in Greek Art, 1993, 51-61.

West

p. 231 on 228 Μάχας τε Φόνους τ’

...

War is naturally treated as a result of Eris; cf. Op. 14, Il. 4.440-1, 11.3-4. For its personification cf. Op. 161-5.

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LIMC III 96, no. 2, s.v. Bendis. Themis in transparent chiton girded over the shoulders, with Eris, at the judgement of Paris: calyx-krater Leningrad St. 1807 of about 400: Beazley, ARV 2 1185,7

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