7 Interesting Facts About Eris, The Goddess or Personified Spirit

7 Interesting Facts About Eris, The Goddess or Personified Spirit Eris was the goddess of discord and strife in Greek mythology. Her name means ‘strife’ or ‘conflict’ and her unending feud with her brother, Ares, the god of war, was the source of much trouble among both other gods and mankind. Eris had a reputation for being vindictive and mean but that wasn't the whole story.

In fact, there are many interesting facts about Eris that you might not know unless you read up on her. Read our article to find out more: Eris was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. Eris was the daughter of the goddess of love, Aphrodite and the god of war , Ares. Her brothers were either the war gods , Deimos and Phobos, or the death gods, Thanatos and Hypnos.

Her sister was the goddess of Justice , Adrestia. Eris was depicted as either a young woman or as an androgynous youth with a sword and a crown of thorns. She was accompanied by a pair of ravens. She threw a golden apple inscribed with the word ‘Kallisti’ at a wedding party. Eris threw a golden apple at a wedding party to stir up discord and jealousy among the goddesses.

The apple was inscribed with the word ‘Kallisti’, which means ‘to the fairest one’. Unfortunately, the apple was meant for Aphrodite , however, the goddess of wisdom, Athena, and the goddess of discord, Eris, both thought that the apple was meant for them and promptly began fighting over it. When the other gods learnt of the reason for their fighting, they decided to settle the matter and eventually decided that the fairest goddess was, indeed, Aphrodite.

The wedding party was between Peleus and Thetis who, incidentally, became the parents to Achilles. Her Roman counterpart was named Discordia. Discordia, the Roman personification of chaos and strife, was the Roman equivalent of Eris. Like Eris, Discordia was depicted as an unkempt and androgynous youth. She was often portrayed standing between two creatures that represented peace and war.

The two groups of creatures were often depicted as snakes and geese, although sometimes they were bulls and lions instead. She symbolized the unexpected and unwanted element of life. Much like her Greek counterpart, Eris represented the discord and disharmony that exists among humankind. However, she also represented the unexpected and unwanted element that is a part of life.