Harmonia (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia, and her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discordia.

Origins

According to one account, she is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite; by another, the daughter of Aphrodite and Hephaestus. By yet another account, Harmonia was from Samothrace and was the daughter of Zeus and Electra, her brother Iasion being the founder of the mystic rites celebrated on the island. Finally, Harmonia is rationalized as closely allied to Aphrodite Pandemos, the love that unites all people, the personification of order and civic unity, corresponding to the Roman goddess Concordia.

Almost always, though, Harmonia is the wife of Cadmus. With Cadmus, she was the mother of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agave and Semele.

Those who described Harmonia as a Samothracian related that Cadmus, 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 quit Thebes, Harmonia accompanied him. When they came to the Encheleans, they assisted them in their war against the Illyrians, and conquered the enemy. Cadmus then became king of the Illyrians, but afterwards he and Har­monia were metamorphosed into dragons and trans­ferred to Elysium; or, according to others, they were carried thither in a chariot drawn by dragons. [Apollod. iii. 5. § 4; Eurip. Baccti. 1233; Ov, Met. iv. 562, &c. (cited by Schmitz)]

Necklace

Harmonia is renowned in ancient story chiefly on account of the fatal neck­lace she received on her wedding day. When the government of Thebes was bestowed upon Cadmus by Athena, Zeus gave him Harmonia. All the gods honoured the wedding with their presence. Cadmus presented the bride with a robe and necklace, which he had received either from Hephaestus or from Europa. [Apollod. iii. 4. §2. (cited by Schmitz)] This necklace, commonly referred to as the Necklace of Harmonia, brought misfortune to all who possessed it. Other traditions stated that Harmonia received this necklace (op/uos) from some of the gods, either from Aphrodite or Athena. [Diod. iv. 48, v. 49; Pind. Pyth. iii. 167; Stat. Theb. ii. 266; comp. Hes. Theog. 934 ; Horn. Hymn, in Apoll. 195. (cited by Schmitz)]

Polyneices, who inherited the necklace, gave it to Eriphyle, that she might persuade her husband, Amphiaraus, to undertake the expedition against Thebes. [Apollod. iii. 6. § 2; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. iii. 167- (cited by Schmitz)] Through Alcmaeon, the son of Eriphyle, the necklace came into the hands of Arsinoe, next into those of the sons of Phegeus, Pronous and Agenor, and lastly into those of the sons of Alcmaeon, Amphoterus and Acarnan, who dedicated it in the temple of Athena Pronoea at Delphi. [Apollod. iii. 7. §§ 5—7. (cited by Schmitz)] 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, the wife of Ariston. 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. [Athen. vi. p. 232; Parthen. Erot. 25. (cited by Schmitz)]

ee also

* "Cadmus et Hermione"
* Aneris
* Concordia
* Eris

References

*1911
*SmithDGRBM|author=Leonhard Schmitz|article=Harmonia|volume=2|page=350

Footnotes