In
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
, the Machae or Machai (;
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
: 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 personifications like the
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 ...
, the
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 ...
, and the
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 ( ...
.
: 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 Lim ...
("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 ("Battles"), Makhai ("Wars"), Phonoi ("Murders"), and Androktasiai ("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 ("Anarchy") 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 Aesop ...
("Oath"), who most afflicts men on earth,
: Then willing swears a false oath.
Mythology
The daemons
Homados
In Greek mythology, Homados (Ancient Greek: Όμαδος) was the personification of battle-noise—the shouts and cries of men and the clashing of weapons. He was probably numbered amongst the Makhai, the daimones of the battlefield.
Mytholog ...
(Battle-Noise),
Alala
Alala ( Ancient Greek: (alalá); "battle-cry" or "war-cry") was the personification of the war cry in Greek mythology. Her name derives from the onomatopoeic Greek word (alalḗ), hence the verb (alalázō), "to raise the war-cry". Greek s ...
(War-Cry),
Proioxis
In Greek mythology, Proioxis (Ancient Greek: Προΐωξις) was the personification of onrush or pursuit in battle (as opposed to Palioxis). She and her sister Palioxis (Backrush) presided over the surge of battle. They were probably numbered ...
(Onrush),
Palioxis
In Greek mythology, Palioxis ( Ancient Greek: Παλίωξις) was the personification of backrush, flight and retreat in battle (as opposed to Proioxis). She and her sister Proioxis (Onrush) presided over the surge of battle. Palioxis was probab ...
(Backrush) and
Kydoimos
In Greek mythology, Kydoimos or Cydoemus (Ancient Greek: Κυδοιμός ''Kudoimós'') was the personification of the din of battle, confusion, uproar and hubbub. He was probably numbered amongst the Makhai, daimones of the battlefield. Kydoim ...
(Confusion)
[Hesiod, '']Shield of Heracles
The ''Shield of Heracles'' ( grc, Ἀσπὶς Ἡρακλέους, ''Aspis Hērakleous'') is an archaic Greek epic poem that was attributed to Hesiod during antiquity. The subject of the poem is the expedition of Heracles and Iolaus against Cyc ...
'' 139 ff. were closely associated with the Machai.
They were accompanied in battlefields by other deities and spirits associated with war and death, such as
Ares
Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
,
Phobos,
Deimos, the
Keres
In Greek mythology, the Keres (; Ancient Greek: Κῆρες), singular Ker (; Κήρ), were female death-spirits. They were the goddesses who personified violent death and who were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields. Although they were pre ...
,
Polemos
In Greek mythology, Polemos or Polemus ( grc-gre, Πόλεμος ''Pólemos''; "war") was a daemon; a divine personification or embodiment of war. No cult practices or myths are known for him, and as an abstract representation he figures mai ...
,
Enyo
Enyo (; grc, Ἐνυώ, Enȳṓ) is a goddess of war in Greek mythology. She frequently is associated with the war god Ares.
Description
She is called the "sister of War" by Quintus Smyrnaeus, in a role closely resembling that of Eris, th ...
, and their mother Eris.
Popular culture
* The Machai make an appearance in ''
Wrath of the Titans
''Wrath of the Titans'' is a 2012 action fantasy film and a sequel to the 2010 film '' Clash of the Titans''. The film stars Sam Worthington, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Édgar Ramírez, Toby Kebbell, Danny Huston, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson, w ...
'' as
Hades
Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
and later
Cronus
In Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Cronus, Cronos, or Kronos ( or , from el, Κρόνος, ''Krónos'') was the leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and ...
' troops. The Machai are similar to the Moliones, with coal black skin, two legs, six arms, two-headed and two torsos back to back with each other which enables them to attack more than one person.
* In ''
The Blood of Olympus
''The Blood of Olympus'' is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was released on October 7, 2014, is the fifth and final novel in ''The Heroes of Olympus'' series. It is followed by ' ...
'', Asclepius used the Machai (In this they are the twin children of Ares and Aphrodite, Phobos and Deimos), the curse of Delos (Which is actually one of the small yellow flowers that Delos sprouted upon the birth of Artemis and Apollo), and the Pylosian Mint in order to formulate a physician's cure. (The two brothers also appear in "The Demigod Files", but not by the name Machai.)
* In the top down ARPG ''
Titan Quest: Immortal Throne'', Makhai are enemies, that can be found in the final world of the game, "
Hades
Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
".
* The Machai appears in Agents of HOPE during "Titan's Awakening", the 32nd chapter of the game. It is a mini-boss which is fought during the second combat of the chapter on
Perses' back.
See also
*
Alke
In Greek mythology, the name Alke (Ancient Greek: Ἁλκή means "prowess, courage"), also transliterated as Alce, may refer to:
*Alke, the spirit and personification of the abstract concept of courage and battle-strength. In the ''Iliad'', sh ...
*
Ioke
*
Polemus
Notes
References
*
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 i ...
, ''Shield of Heracles'' 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
* Hesiod, ''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
{{Authority control
Greek war deities
War goddesses
Greek goddesses
Personifications in Greek mythology
Children of Eris (mythology)
Greek legendary creatures