Erinys

eh ree NEES

Ερινυς

Erinyes

The Punisher of the Unfaithful

Originally called Erinys ... later called, Erinyes. She is referred to with fear and respect as The Kindly One. She will harass and injure her prey but not kill them. Homer refers to her in the singular but much later (circa 450 BCE), Euripides used the number 'three' and eventually 'they' assumed the names: Tisiphone, Megaera and Alekto (Alecto). Their brass wings made escape from them impossible, their ripping claws made their torment relentless and horrible.

The Erinys are referred to in many ways:

• Fury;
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• Nightmare Fury;
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• Inbreaking Fury;
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• Mist-Walker;
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• Wrecker of houses; and
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• Murderous spirit.

The ancient Greeks took Erinys very seriously and called her down as a curse that no one dismissed lightly.

One of the great clans of the Spartans, the Aegidae, owe their survival to their sincere appeasement of her curse. The children of the Aegidae were dying and leaving no heirs. When the Spartans consulted an oracle for a solution, they were told to erect a Temple of the Erinyes of Laius and Oedipus. Both of these men had abandoned their sons and the curse of the Aegidae was related to several generations in the past when a man named Theras had cursed his son for not obeying him. Theras called his son Oeolykos (Oeolycus) which meant that he was a sheep among wolves. The temple was built and the curse was lifted.

When Jason and the Argonauts sailed to Kolchis (Colchis) to retrieve the Golden Fleece, they received the assistance of Princess Medeia (Medea). Medeia was the niece of the Dread-Goddess Kirke (Circe) and a priestess of the Roaring Goddess Hekate (Hecate). Medeia knew many charms and spells, and was well acquainted with the Dark Spirits which could be called down to inflict punishment on the weak and uninitiated.

After helping Jason steal the Golden Fleece and escape the pursuit of her father's men, Medeia suspected that Jason was going to abandon her. In order to protect herself, she threatened to call down the Erinyes to punish him if he did not fulfill his oath to take her to his home and marry her. Jason quickly renewed his oath in fear of the divine powers he had personally seen her summon with her skills as a sorceress.

Jason had avoided having Medeia call down the Erinyes but he blindly called them down upon himself when he and Medeia made plans to ambush Medeia's half-brother Apsyrtos (Apsyrtus). Medeia lured Apsyrtos to a lonely spot and Jason killed him without mercy ... Jason even drank Apsyrtos's blood. Jason and Medeia temporarily evaded Apsyrtos's men but the pursuit was not over.

With Apsyrtos's men close behind them, Jason and Medeia sought sanctuary on the island of the Phaiakians (Phaeacians). King Alkinoos (Alcinous) and Queen Arete knew that the fugitives had stolen the Golden Fleece but they did not know of the blood-guilt which Jason and Medeia had incurred. Medeia commanded the Phaiakians to protect her and honor her sanctity as a supplicant ... otherwise, she swore that the Erinyes would avenge her. They believed her without question and gave Jason and Medeia sanctuary under the condition that they marry one another. This was only a momentary reprieve ... a more lasting solution was needed if the murderous couple was going to be freed of their blood-guilt and the retribution which the Erinyes were sure to inflict.

After leaving the island of the Phaiakians, Jason, Medeia and the Argonauts were plagued with hardships until they arrived at the island of Kirke. The Dread-Goddess had been troubled with evil dreams and was not surprised when she saw her niece. Kirke would not forgive Medeia for her wanton crime but she did performed rituals and prayed that the wrath of the Erinyes would be lifted so that Jason and Medeia could be punished as Zeus commanded.

Regardless of how you describe her (or them), the outcome will always be the same ... misery shrouded in darkness.

We often confuse the Erinyes with the Roman goddesses, the Furiae.

Erinys in The Iliad

(listed by book and line from four different translations)

Richmond Lattimore

• 09.571 - Because Meleagros had killed her brother, his mother called upon Hades and honoured Persephone and Erinys, the mist-walking, she of the heart without pity, to give death to her son
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• 19.087 - Agamemnon says that Zeus, and Destiny and Erinys, the mist-walking, caught his heart in the savage delusion of that day and caused his dishonorable treatment of Achilleus

Loeb Classical Library

• 09.571 - Because Meleager had killed her brother, his mother called upon Hades and dread Persephone and the Erinys that walks in darkness, she of the ungentle heart, to bring death to her son
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• 19.087 - Agamemnon says that Zeus, and Fate and Erinys, that walks in darkness, cast on his mind fierce blindness on that day and caused his dishonorable treatment of Achilles

Robert Fagles

• 09.698 and 699 - Because Meleager had killed her brother, his mother called out to the god of death and grim Persephone to kill her son; a Fury, stalking the night with a Fury's brutal heart, heard her cries out of the darkness
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• 19.101 - Agamemnon says that Zeus and Fate and the Fury, stalking through the night, were the ones who drove that savage madness in his heart and caused his dishonorable treatment of Achilles

Robert Fitzgerald

• 09.696 - Because Meleagros had killed her brother, his mother cried out to the Lord of the Undergloom and cold Persephone to bring death to her son; in Erebus a vampire Fury listened
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• 19.099 - Agamemnon says that Zeus and Fate and a nightmare Fury put savage Folly in his mind and caused his dishonorable treatment of Akhilleus

Erinys in The Odyssey

(listed by book and line from four different translations)

Richmond Lattimore

• 15.234 - The prophet Theoklymenos relates his family's history to Telemachos and tells of the captivity of Melampous and the infatuation Erinys, wrecker of houses, inflicted on him

Loeb Classical Library

• 15.234 - The prophet Theoclymenus relates his family's history to Telemachus and tells of the captivity of the seer Melampus and the grievous pains the Erinys, who brings houses to ruin, had laid upon him

Robert Fagles

• 15.260 - The prophet Theoclymenus relates his family's history to Telemachus and tells of the captivity of the seer Melampus and the mad spell a Fury, murderous spirit, cast upon his mind

Robert Fitzgerald

• 15.290 - The prophet Theoklymenos relates his family's history to Telemakhos and tells of the sombre folly the inbreaking Fury thrust upon him

Other Text References

Theogony

• line 185 - The blood of Ouranos (the Heavens) combined with Gaia (Earth) and brought forth the strong Erinyes and the great Giants, holding long spears in their hands and the Meliae, i.e. the Nymphs of the Ash Tree

Works and Days

• line 803 - Hesiod advises his brother Perses to avoid fifth days; they are unkindly and terrible. On a fifth day, they say, the Erinyes assisted at the birth of Horkos (Horcus), i.e. Oath, whom Eris (goddess of Discord) bare to trouble the forsworn.

Catalogue of Women)

(The fragment number listed here is from the Loeb Classical Library vol. 503, Hesiod II)

• 216.9 - The descent of Peirithoos (Peirithous) to the House of Hades; (very fragmented) the goddess, ghastly Erinys

The Thebaid

• fragment 2 - Oedipus's son Polyneikes (Polyneices) tried to gain the support of his father by setting a table with priceless treasures which had once belonged to Kadmos (Cadmus); Oedipus saw the treasured items and decided that he did not want his sons to inherit the wealth of his ancestors; Oedipus called down bitter curses on his sons and Erinys heard his prayers

Herodotus, Histories

• book 4.149 - When Theras sailed to colonize the island of Thera, his son refused to go with him; Theras nicknamed his son Oeolykos (Oeolycus) which means a sheep among wolves; the descendants of Oeolykos founded the great Spartan clan, the Aegidae; none of the children of that clan lived so an Oracle told them to set up a temple of the Erinyes of Laius and Oedipus, after which the children lived; (note: Laius and Oedipus were fathers who had abandoned their sons)

Argonautika

• book 2, line 220 - The blind prophet Phineus tells the Argonauts that Erinys has set her foot on his eyes and he drags on to the end of weary old age
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• book 3, line 704 - When Chalkiope (Chalciope) confided in her sister Medeia (Medea) her desire to help the Argonauts, she said that if Medeia did not help her she would come back from death as avenging Erinyes to haunt her
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• book 3, line 712 - Medeia (Medea) asks he sister Chalkiope (Chalciope) what possible help she can be against horrible curses and the Erinyes
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• book 3, line 776 - Medeia (Medea) regrets her love for Jason and says that some god or Erinys has brought the Argonauts to Kolchis (Colchis) to cause grief and tears
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• book 4, line 386 - When the Argonauts speak of surrendering Medeia (Medea) to their pursuers, she lashes out at Jason and says that she hopes her Erinyes will drive him from his country for all the calamity she has thanklessly endured for his sake
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• book 4, line 476 - With a swift side-glance the irresistible pitiless Erinys beheld the deadly deed Jason and Medeia (Medea) had done when they murdered Apsyrtos (Apsyrtus)
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• book 4, line 714 - The goddess Kirke (Circe) prayed that she might stay the wrath of the terrible Erinyes against Jason and Medeia (Medea) for their blood-guilt
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• book 4, line 1042 - Medeia (Medea) begs the Phaiakians (Phaeacians) not to surrender her to her father's men; she implores them to fear their covenant and their oaths, and fear Erinys who avenges supplicants