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 Hysminae or Hysminai (

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 ...

: Ὑσμίνας or ὑσμῖναι; singular: from hysmine means 'battle, conflict, combat') are the

personification Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their b ...

s of fighting.

Family

Hesiod's account

The Hysminai are represented as the children of Eris, the goddess of strife. They were siblings to

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

and many other daemons. : And hateful Eris bore painful Ponos ("Hardship"), : Lethe ("Forgetfulness") and Limos ("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 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 ("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

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

Hyginus' account

In another account, Pugna/ Hysmine was called daughter of the primordial deities Aether and

Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenog ...

. : From Aether (Air) and

Terra Terra may often refer to: * Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess * An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy * Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scienti ...

/ Gaia (Earth) ere born

Dolor Dolor may refer to: * Pain * Suffering Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, may be an experience of unpleasantness or aversion, possibly associated with the perception of harm or threat of harm in an individual. Suffering is the basic element ...

/ Algos (Pain), Dolus (Guile),

Ira Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

Lyssa In Greek mythology, Lyssa (; Ancient Greek: Λύσσα ''Lússā''), called Lytta (; Λύττα ''Lúttā'') by the Athenians, was the spirit of mad rage, frenzy, and rabies in animals. She was closely related to the Maniae, the spirits of madnes ...

(Anger), Luctus/ Penthus (Lamentation), Mendacium/ Pseudologoi (Lies), Jusjurandum/ Horcus (Oath),

Ultio Ultio ("Vengeance") was an ancient Roman goddess whose ''cultus'' was associated with Mars. An altar and golden statue of Ultio were set up in the Temple of Mars Ultor, dedicated by Augustus in 2 BC as a center for cultivating Mars the Avenger ...

/ Poine (Vengeance), Intemperantia (Intemperance), Altercatio/

(Altercation), Oblivio/ Lethe (Forgetfulness), Socordia/ Aergia (Sloth),

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

/ Phobos (Fear), Superbia (Arrogance), Incestum (Sacrilege), Pugna/ Hysminai (Combat).

Mythology

Quintus Smyrnaeus depicted the Hysminae along with other daemons of war on the shield of Akhilleus.

And there were man-devouring wars, and all horrors of fight: slain men were falling down mid horse-hoofs; and the likeness of a plain blood-drenched was on that shield invincible. Phobos (Panic) was there, and Deimos (Dread), and ghastly Enyo with limbs all gore-bespattered hideously, and deadly Eris (Strife), and the
Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...
(Avenging Spirits) fierce-hearted -- she, still goading warriors on to the onset they, outbreathing breath of fire. Around them hovered the relentless Keres (Fates); beside them Hysminai (Battle) incarnate onward pressed welling, and from their limbs streamed blood and sweat. There were the ruthless
Gorgons A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
: through their hair horribly serpents coiled with flickering tongues. A measureless marvel was that cunning work of things that made men shudder to behold seeming as though they verily lived and moved.Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' 5.25–42

Notes

References

Gaius Julius Hyginus Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Grammatic ...

, ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
*

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 ...

, ''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
* Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''The Fall of Troy'' translated by Way. A. S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 19. London: William Heinemann, 1913
Online version at theio.com
* Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''The Fall of Troy''. Arthur S. Way. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1913
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
{{Authority control Children of Eris (mythology) War goddesses Greek war deities Greek goddesses Personifications in Greek mythology

Family

Hesiod's account

Hyginus' account

Mythology

See also

Notes

References