Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

, Dysnomia (; grc, Δυσνομία means ' lawlessness') was the

daemon Daimon or Daemon (Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and Hell ...

of "lawlessness", who shares her nature with

Atë In Greek mythology, Atë, Até or Aite (; Ancient Greek: Ἄτη) was the goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and blind folly, rash action and reckless impulse who led men down the path of ruin. She also led both gods and men to rash and incons ...

("ruin"). She was a companion of the latter deity,

Adikia In Greek mythology, Adicia or Adikia () was the goddess and personification of injustice and wrong-doing. Family Adikia's family are not clear in the Greek mythological tradition. Nyx is thought to possibly be her mother, but Eris is another p ...

(Injustice), and Hybris (Violence). Dysnomia makes a rare appearances among other personifications in poetical contexts that are marginal in ancient Greek religion but become central to Greek philosophy: see Plato's ''Laws''.

Family

Dysnomia was imagined by

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet ...

among the daughters of "abhorred Eris" ("Strife"). : "And hateful Eris bore painful

Ponos Ponos or Ponus (Ancient Greek: Πόνος ''Pónos'') is the personification of hardship or toil. Family Hesiod According to Hesiod's ''Theogony'' (226–232), "painful" Ponos was the child of Eris (Strife), with no father, and the brother of ...

("Hardship"), :

Lethe In Greek mythology, Lethe (; Ancient Greek: ''Lḗthē''; , ), also referred to as Lemosyne, was one of the five rivers of the underworld of Hades. Also known as the ''Ameles potamos'' (river of unmindfulness), the Lethe flowed around the cav ...

("Forgetfulness") and

Limos Limos (; Ancient Greek: Λιμός means 'starvation'), Roman Fames , is the "sad" goddess or god of starvation, hunger and famine in ancient Greek religion. They were opposed by Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest with whom Ovid wrote Li ...

("Starvation") and the tearful

Algea {{Distinguish, Algae Algea is a Norwegian multinational company operating in the chemical industry and manufacturing seaweed-based fertilizer ingredients. History Algea Produckter As was founded in 1937 by Haakon Torgersen. The Neptune’s tr ...

("Pains"), :

Hysminai In Greek mythology, the Hysminae or Hysminai (Ancient Greek: Ὑσμίνας or ὑσμῖναι; singular: from hysmine means 'battle, conflict, combat') are the personifications of fighting. Family Hesiod's account The Hysminai are repr ...

("Battles"),

Makhai In Greek mythology, the Machae or Machai (; Ancient Greek: Μάχαι ''Mákhai'', "battles"; singular: ''Mákhē'') were the daemons (spirits) of battle and combat. Family The Machai were the children of Eris and siblings to other vicious ...

("Wars"),

Phonoi In Greek mythology, the Phonoi (Ancient Greek: ; singular: Phonos) were the "ghastly-faced" male personifications of murder. Family Hesiod in the ''Theogony'' named the Phonoi's mother as Eris ("Discord"), and their siblings as: the Hysminai ( ...

("Murders"), and

Androktasiai In Greek mythology, the Androctasiae or Androktasiai (Ancient Greek: ; singular: Androktasia) were the female personifications of manslaughter. Family The Androctasiae were the daughters of the goddess of strife and discord, Eris, and siblings ...

("Manslaughters"); :

Neikea In Greek mythology, the Neikea (Ancient Greek: Νείκεα; singular: Neikos "quarrels") were spirits of arguments, feuds, quarrels and grievances. Their Roman counterpart was Altercatio. Family Hesiod's account In Hesiod's ''Theogony'' ...

("Quarrels"), Pseudea ("Lies"), Logoi ("Stories"),

Amphillogiai In Greek mythology, the Amphillogiai (Ancient Greek: ; singular: Amphillogia) were goddesses of disputes and altercations. Their Roman counterpart was Altercatio. Family Hesiod's account In Hesiod's ''Theogony'' identifies the Amphillogiai ...

("Disputes") : Dysnomia ("Lawlessness") and

Ate Ate or ATE may refer to: Organizations * Active Training and Education Trust, a not-for-profit organization providing "Superweeks", holidays for children in the United Kingdom * Association of Technical Employees, a trade union, now called the Nat ...

("Ruin"), near one another, : and

Horkos In Greek mythology, the figure of Horkos (; Ancient Greek: , ) personifies the curse that will be inflicted on any person who swears a false oath. He was the avenger of perjury and the punitive companion of the goddess Dike (Justice). In A ...

("Oath"), who most afflicts men on earth, : Then willing swears a false oath."

Mythology

In a surviving fragment of

Solon Solon ( grc-gre, Σόλων; BC) was an Athenian statesman, constitutional lawmaker and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in Archaic Athens.Aristotle ''Politics'' ...

's poems, a contrast is made to Eunomia, a name elsewhere given to one of the

Horae In Greek mythology the Horae () or Horai () or Hours ( grc-gre, Ὧραι, Hōrai, , "Seasons") were the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time. Etymology The term ''horae'' comes from the Proto-Indo-European ("year"). F ...

, the embodiments of order. Both were figures of rhetoric and poetry; neither figured in myth or Greek religious cult — although other personifications did, like ''Harmonia'', "Agreement"; whether Harmonia is only a personification is debatable.

"This is what my heart bids me teach the Athenians, that Dysnomia (Lawlessness) brings the city countless ills, but Eunomia (Lawfulness) reveals all that is orderly and fitting, and often places fetters round the unjust. She makes the rough smooth, puts a stop to excess, weakens insolence (''hubris''), dries up the blooming of ruin (''ate''), straightens out crooked judgements, tames deeds of pride, and puts an end to acts of sedition and to the anger of grievous strife."

Legacy

In 2005, Dysnomia was chosen as the name for the moon of the dwarf planet Eris.IAU Circular 8747
- Official publication of the IAU reporting the naming of Eris and Dysnomia

Notes

Greek goddesses Personifications in Greek mythology

References

* Greek Elegaic Solon, Fragments - Greek Elegaic C6th B.C. *

, ''Theogony'' from ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica'' with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
{{Greek-deity-stub Children of Eris (mythology) Eris (dwarf planet)