Harmonia

For the nymph with the same name, seeHarmonia (nymph).

For other uses, seeHarmonia (disambiguation).

Not to be confused withHaoreima.

InGreek mythology,Harmonia(/hɑːrˈmoʊniə/;Ancient Greek:Ἁρμονία/harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement" ) is thegoddessof harmony and concord. HerRomancounterpart isConcordia.Her Greek opposite isEris,whose Roman counterpart isDiscordia.

Statue of Harmonia in theHarmony Societygardens inOld Economy Village, Pennsylvania.

Family

Harmonia and the serpent

According to one account, she is the daughter ofAresandAphrodite.By another account, Harmonia was fromSamothraceand was the daughter of Zeus andElectra,her brothers wereDardanusandIasionbeing the founder of the mystic rites celebrated on the island.

Almost always, Harmonia is married toCadmus.With Cadmus, she was the mother ofIno,Polydorus,Autonoë,Agave,andSemele.Their youngest sonwasIllyrius.

Mythology

PolynicesgivingEriphylethenecklace of Harmonia.Attic red-figure oinochoe, ca. 450–440 BC. Found in Italy.

Those who described Harmonia as a Samothracian related thatCadmus,on his voyage to Samothrace, after being initiated in the mysteries, perceived Harmonia and carried her off with the assistance of Athena. When Cadmus was obliged to quitThebes,Harmonia accompanied him. When they came to theEnchelii,they assisted them in their war against theIllyrians,and conquered the enemy. Cadmus then became king of the Illyrians, but afterwards he was turned into a serpent. Harmonia, in her grief stripped herself, then begged Cadmus to come to her. As she was embraced by the serpent Cadmus in a pool of wine, the gods then turned her into a serpent, unable to stand watching her in her dazed state.

The cursed necklace

Harmonia is renowned in ancient story chiefly on account of the fatal necklace she received on her wedding day. When the government ofThebeswas bestowed upon Cadmus byAthena,Zeusgave him Harmonia. All the gods honored the wedding with their presence. Cadmus presented the bride with a robe and necklace, which he had received either from Hephaestus or fromEuropa.This necklace, commonly referred to as thenecklace of Harmonia,brought misfortune to all who possessed it.Other traditions stated that Harmonia received this necklace (ὅρμος) from some of the gods, either from Aphrodite or Athena.

Polynices,who inherited the necklace, gave it toEriphyle,that she might persuade her husband,Amphiaraus,to undertake the expedition against Thebes.ThroughAlcmaeon,the son of Eriphyle, the necklace came into the hands of Arsinoe (named Alphesiboea in some versions), next into those of the sons ofPhegeus,PronousandAgenor,and lastly into those of the sons of Alcmaeon,AmphoterusandAcarnan,who dedicated it in the temple ofAthena PronoeaatDelphi.The necklace had wrought mischief to all who had been in possession of it, and it continued to do so even after it was dedicated at Delphi.Phayllus,the tyrant, stole it from the temple to gratify his mistress, who is married toAriston.She wore it for a time, but at last her youngest son was seized with madness, and set fire to the house, in which she perished with all her treasures.

Hyginusgives another version. According to him, the thing which brought ill fate to the descendants of Harmonia is not a necklace, but a robe "dipped in crime", given to Harmonia by Hephestus and Hera.The necklace gave peace and held Harmonia's powers in it, which is what made it cursed.

Harmonia is also rationalized as closely allied toAphrodite Pandemos,the love that unites all people, the personification of order and civic unity, corresponding to the Roman goddessConcordia.

See also

• Aneris
• Cadmus et Hermione
• Eris
• Homonoia,goddess of concord, unanimity, and oneness of mind

References

• Apollodorus,The Librarywith an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website.
• Apollonius Rhodius,Argonauticatranslated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853–1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Apollonius Rhodius,Argonautica.George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Athenaeus of Naucratis,The Deipnosophists or Banquet of the Learned.London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1854.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Athenaeus of Naucratis,Deipnosophistae.Kaibel. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1887.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Diodorus Siculus,The Library of Historytranslated byCharles Henry Oldfather.Twelve volumes.Loeb Classical Library.Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8.Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
• Diodorus Siculus,Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2.Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Euripides,The Tragedies of Euripidestranslated by T. A. Buckley. Bacchae. London. Henry G. Bohn. 1850.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Euripides,Euripidis Fabulae.vol. 3.Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Gaius Julius Hyginus,Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginustranslated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Hesiod,TheogonyfromThe Homeric Hymns and Homericawith 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.
• The Homeric Hymns and Homericawith an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website.
• Parthenius,Love Romancestranslated by Sir Stephen Gaselee (1882–1943), S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 69. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1916.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Parthenius,Erotici Scriptores Graeci, Vol. 1.Rudolf Hercher. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1858.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pindar,Odestranslated by Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pindar,The Odes of Pindarincluding the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso,Metamorphosestranslated by Brookes More (1859–1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso,Metamorphoses.Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892.Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Papinius Statius,The Thebaidtranslated by John Henry Mozley. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Publius Papinius Statius,The Thebaid. Vol I-II.John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928.Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Leonhard Schmitz(1870). "Harmonia". InSmith, William(ed.).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.Vol. 2. p. 350.

External links

• Media related toHarmonia (mythology)at Wikimedia Commons