Iris · Atlas · Falsafa

in the texts

IliadClassical · Greek

Messenger goddess sent by Zeus to warn Priam and Hektor of the approaching Achaean army, disguised as Polites.

And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Zeus to tell the bad news among the Trojans.

chapter 2 ¶

" Thus she spoke, but Hektor knew that it was the goddess, and at once broke up the assembly.

chapter 2 ¶

In his likeness Iris spoke, saying, "Old man, you talk idly, as in time of peace, while war is at hand.

chapter 2 ¶

BirdsClassical · Greek

The winged messenger goddess cited as a Homeric comparison to a dove, supporting the claim that gods can be birdlike.

First of all, Victory flies with golden wings, Eros is undoubtedly winged too, and Iris is compared by Homer to a timorous dove.

birds ¶

Iris:

birds ¶

Iris:

birds ¶

HeraclesClassical · Greek

Messenger goddess who appears with Madness above Heracles' house to carry out Hera's vengeance by driving Heracles insane.

she, whom you see, is Madness, daughter of Night, and I am Iris, the handmaid of the gods.

heracles ¶

Come then, unwed maid, child of black Night, harden your heart relentlessly, send forth frenzy upon this man, confound his mind even to the slaying of his children, drive him, goad him wildly on his mad career, shake out the sails of death, that when he has conveyed over Acheron’s ferry that fair group of children by his own murderous hand, he may learn to know how fiercely against him the wrath o …

heracles ¶

Iris:

heracles ¶

TheogonyClassical · Greek

Swift messenger goddess born to Thaumas and Electra.

And Thaumas wedded Electra the daughter of deep-flowing Ocean, and she bore him swift Iris and the long-haired Harpies, Aello (Storm-swift) and Ocypetes (Swift-flier) who on their swift wings keep pace with the blasts of the winds and the birds;

theogony ¶

But when strife and quarrel arise among the deathless gods, and when any one of them who live in the house of Olympus lies, then Zeus sends Iris to bring in a golden jug the great oath of the gods from far away, the famous cold water which trickles down from a high and beetling rock.

theogony ¶

Hymn 2 to DemeterClassical · Greek

Iris is the divine messenger first sent by Zeus to call Demeter back to Olympus.

First he sent golden-winged Iris to call rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form.

hymn 2 to demeter ¶

Hymn 3 to Delian and Pythian ApolloClassical · Greek

Iris is the swift divine messenger sent by the goddesses to bring Eilithyia to Leto.

And they bade Iris call her aside from white-armed Hera, lest she might afterwards turn her from coming with her words.

hymn 3 to delian and pythian apollo ¶

But the goddesses sent out Iris from the well-set isle to bring Eilithyia, promising her a great necklace strung with golden threads, nine cubits long.

hymn 3 to delian and pythian apollo ¶

CratylusClassical · Greek

Messenger goddess whose name Socrates derives, like Hermes's, from the word for speaking.

Iris also seems to have got her name from εἴρειν, because she is a messenger.

cratylus ¶

TheaetetusClassical · Greek

Goddess of the rainbow said to be the child of Thaumas, cited as an image for philosophical wonder.

For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher, since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy, and he who said that Iris was the child of Thaumas made a good genealogy.

book 5 ¶

ChrestomathyLate Antiquity · Greek

Messenger goddess who informs Menelaus of the abduction of Helen.

And after this Iris reports to Menelaus what has happened in his house.

chrestomathy ¶