Iris, the Greek Goddess of the Rainbow

“Iris” by John Atkinson Grimshaw. The Greek goddess of the rainbow is often depicted with wings. Credit: Public Domain

Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, besides served arsenic a messenger of the gods. Although present a small known subordinate of the pantheon, Iris was a salient fig successful galore past myths and is present adjacent a quality successful Jack Riordan’s “Lightning Thief” publication series.

The Greek goddess was the girl of Thaumas, whose sanction means “miracle” oregon “wonder” successful Greek, an aged and almighty oversea deity who was linked to the wonders of the sea, and Elektra, a sea-dwelling nymph.

Her sisters were the terrifying Harpies Ocypete and Aello—fearsome creatures that were half-women, half-birds, who represented the tempest winds.

During the Titanomachy, erstwhile the Olympian gods fought against the Titans, the aged gods, Iris became the messenger for the Olympians and her sister, Arke, delivered messages for the Titans. Arke betrayed the Olympian gods and became the her sister’s rival.

From this constituent on, Iris served arsenic messenger to the gods, making her the pistillate counterpart of Hermes, who is much wide known for the role.

Iris, Greek goddess of the rainbow and messenger to the gods

While Iris is recovered passim Homer’s Iliad, an epic poem that details the communicative of the Trojan War, and serves arsenic a divine messenger, she is not mentioned successful the Odyssey, Homer’s aboriginal poem which tells the communicative of Odysseus’ instrumentality location from the war.

Hermes is the messenger of the gods in the Odyssey.

In summation to her relation arsenic messenger, Iris is known to service the gods their nectar from a ample chalice she is often depicted holding.

Much similar a rainbow, Iris was linked to the oversea and entity and serves arsenic a nexus betwixt the gods and humanity.

Iris shown connected pottery from the 5th period BC. Credit: Public Domain

In myth, she often travels to the ends of the satellite utilizing the velocity of the upwind connected her wings and adjacent ventures to the depths of the oversea and done the underworld, often taking the trips to present important messages.

In antiquity, erstwhile 1 saw a rainbow, it was besides believed that they were witnessing Iris traveling crossed the satellite oregon done the oversea to present a divine connection to a mortal.

The goddess of the rainbow was described and depicted either arsenic a rainbow oregon arsenic a stunningly beauteous winged woman, often carrying a unit with wings, arsenic well.

Along with her winged staff, Iris was said to transportation h2o from the River Styx, oregon the stream that led to the underworld, astatine the bid of Zeus. She was to usage this h2o to enactment anyone who lied to her to sleep. This was the customized erstwhile gods made solemn oaths to each other.

One of the fewer sculptural depictions of Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, connected the westbound pediment of the Parthenon. Credit: Public domain

In immoderate myths, Iris is considered 1 of the astir beauteous of each of the Greek goddesses.

She conceived a kid with Zephyrus, one of the Anemoi, oregon the Greek gods of the winds. The kid was Pothos, the deity of intersexual tendency and longing.

Despite her salient relation arsenic divine messenger, determination were nary known temples built to Iris, and experts fishy determination was small cult enactment to the goddess, isolated from records of Delians offering cakes made of wheat, honey, and figs to her.

Although described arsenic highly beautiful, determination were besides precise fewer statues created depicting Iris. She was often portrayed successful vase paintings, however. One of the fewer ancient Greek sculptures of Iris is recovered connected the westbound pediment of the Parthenon.