Iris (mythology)

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In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the rainbow unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity. She travels with the speed of wind from one end of the world to the other<ref name="The Iliad">The Iliad, Book II, "And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Jove to tell the bad news among the Trojans."</ref>, and into the depths of the sea and the underworld.

1 In myth
2 Representation
3 Derivations and portrayals
4 References
5 External links

[edit] In myth

Iris is the personal messenger of Hera, queen of the gods. She is Hera's agent from Mount Olympus to the mortal world. She is also associated with Hermes, another messenger god in the Greco-Roman pantheon. Iris is frequently mentioned as a divine messenger in the Iliad which is attributed to Homer, but does not appear in the other work attributed to him, the Odyssey, where Hermes fills that role. Like Hermes, also known as Mercury, Iris carries a caduceus or winged staff.

By command of Zeus, the king of the gods, she carries a ewer of water from the Styx, with which she puts to sleep all who perjure themselves. She is also represented as supplying the clouds with the water needed to deluge the world, consistent with her rainbow identity.

According to Apollonius Rhodius, Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas, who were amongst the Argonauts, delivered Phineas from the Harpies. The Strophades (`Islands of Turning') are here supposed to have been so called because the sons of Boreas were there turned back by Iris from pursuing the Harpies. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Iris is the daughter of Thaumas and the ocean nymph Electra, who is one of the Oceanids. Her sisters are the Harpies. Iris is married to Zephirus, who is the god of the west wind. Their son is Pothos (Nonnus, Dionysiaca).

In Euripides play 'Heracles' Iris appears alongside Madness, cursing heracles with the fit of madness in which he kills his three sons and his wife Megera.

Poetic titles and epithets: Chrysopteron (Golden Winged), Aellopos (Storm Footed) and Thaumantias or Thaumantos (Daughter of Thaumas, Wondrous One).

[edit] Representation

Iris is represented either as a rainbow, or as a young maiden with wings on her shoulders (see Iris Clipart). The attributes which most often identify Iris in classical art are the wings, the caduceus, and a vase, representing the ewer or urn which holds the Styxian water.

[edit] Derivations and portrayals

The word iridescence is derived in part from the name of this goddess.

The 7 Iris asteroid is named after the messenger.

"Arco Iris" is the word for "rainbow" in Spanish and Portuguese.

In 1946, Iris was depicted on a 50-franc airmail stamp in France. This was accompanied the same year by a 40-franc airmail stamp depicting a centaur shooting an arrow into the sky.