Strife
mythological figure · 5 works · 9 mentions · 11 anchored passages
Eris · frightful Strife · rouser of hosts
spoken of as
1 expressionEris“Strife”1 mention
Works and Days (Greek)
On a fifth, they say, the Erinyes assisted at the birth of Horcus (Oath) whom Eris (Strife) bore to trouble the forsworn.
in the texts
Iliad
Personified goddess of discord who grows from tiny to immense and spreads conflict evenly between the two armies.
These were inspired of Ares, but the others by Athena - and with them came Panic, Rout, and Strife whose fury never tires, sister and friend of murderous Ares, who, from being at first but low in stature, grows till she uprears her head to heaven, though her feet are still on earth.
her shoulders, wreathed round with Rout as with a fringe, and on it were Strife, and Strength, and Panic whose blood runs cold;
but they could not ask him how it had all happened, for they had too much pain [ ponos] with the turmoil raised by Ares and by Strife, who raged insatiably in their midst.
Works and Days
A personified goddess-like force of contention, said to exist in two forms: one that fosters cruel war, and a kinder one, elder daughter of dark Night, set by Zeus in the roots of the earth, who stirs even the shiftless to labor through healthy rivalry.
This Strife is wholesome for men.
but perforce, through the will of the deathless gods, men pay harsh Strife her honor due.
So, after all, there was not one kind of Strife alone, but all over the earth there are two.
Orations
Personified goddess of discord/strife invoked as an example of Homer's poetic hyperbole of scale.
Thus it was easy for Homer to tell the magnitude of Strife, that she fixed her head in heaven and walked upon the earth;
Shield of Heracles
Personification of battle-strife (Eris) depicted hovering over the shield's central imagery, marshaling combatants.
Strife also, and Uproar were hurrying about, and deadly Fate was there holding one man newly wounded, and another unwounded;
His mouth was full of teeth in a white row, fearful and daunting, and upon his grim brow hovered frightful Strife who arrays the throng of men:
Chrestomathy
Goddess who provokes the beauty contest among Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite.
Strife arrives while the gods are feasting at the wedding of Peleus and stirs up a quarrel about beauty among Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite;