thumb|250px|Statue of Harmonia in the [[Harmony Society gardens in Old Economy Village, Pennsylvania.]]

In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; , "harmony", "agreement") is the goddess of harmony and concord. Her Greek opposite is Eris and her Roman counterpart is Concordia. Harmonia is most well-known for her marriage to Cadmus and the many misfortunes that haunted her descendants, particularly those related to the fabled Necklace of Harmonia.

Name and etymology

The theonym Harmonia derives from the Greek noun harmoníā (ἁρμονία), meaning 'means of joining, frame, covenant, agreement'. The word comes from an adjective preserved only as a personal name, Harmōn (Ἁρμων). It is derived from the prefix ar- (ἀρ- < PIE *h₂er- 'to fit'), combined with the suffix -men-.

Family

Harmonia's parentage varies between accounts. She has most often been named as a daughter of the gods Ares and Aphrodite. This would make her the sister of other mythological figures such as Aeneas, Phobos, and Eros. In other accounts, Harmonia was born in Samothrace to Zeus and the Pleiad Electra. In this telling, Harmonia would have been the sister of Dardanus and Iasion, who, under the instruction of Zeus, were the founders of mystic rites on Samothrace.

In nearly all of her mythological accounts, Harmonia is married to Cadmus, the legendary hero and founder of Thebes. With Cadmus, she was the mother of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoë, Agave, Semele, and, in some accounts, Illyrius. Through her daughter Semele, Harmonia was the grandmother of Dionysus.

Mythology

Mythological narratives surrounding Harmonia are deeply intertwined with those of her husband, Cadmus. Harmonia is commonly acquired by Cadmus as his bride in two different ways. In the version of the myth where Harmonia was born to Zeus and Electra on Samothrace, she was either given to Cadmus or carried off by him after he was initiated into the island's mysteries. In the version of the myth where she is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, Zeus gifted her to Cadmus upon his founding of Thebes and the completion of his eight-year servitude to Ares after he slew a dragon sacred to the god.

The wedding of Harmonia and Cadmus was attended by all the gods. Many gifts were lavished upon the couple, most notably a peplos and a necklace (ὅρμος) wrought by Hephaestus. or Cadmus's sister Europa, who had received them as a gift from Zeus.

Hyginus gives another version of the story. According to him, the thing which brought ill fate to the descendants of Harmonia was not a necklace, but the peplos "dipped in crime", given to Harmonia by Hephaestus and Hera.

When Cadmus was expelled from Thebes, Harmonia accompanied him. The pair went to Illyria to fight on the side of the Enchelii, and conquered the enemy. Cadmus then became king of the Illyrians. However, he was turned into a serpent soon afterwards. His transformation may have been related to the ill fortune which clung to him as a result of his having killed the sacred dragon; one day he remarked that if the gods were so enamored of the life of a serpent, he might as well wish that life for himself. Immediately he began to grow scales and change in form. Harmonia, seeing the transformation, stripped herself and begged the gods to share her husband's fate. As she was embraced by the serpent Cadmus in a pool of wine, the gods took pity, granted her request, and transformed her. The couple was sent to Elysium.

Harmonia was closely associated with Aphrodite Pandemos, an aspect of Aphrodite that personified order and civic unity. She was also associated with the Roman goddess Concordia. Their son Polynices then inherited the necklace and peplos. He used both items to bribe Eriphyle so that she would persuade her husband, Amphiaraus, and her sons, Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, to participate in the Seven against Thebes expedition. The expedition was a failure and Amphiaraus died during the battle. To avenge his father, Alcmaeon killed Eriphyle and the necklace and peplos came into his possession. He gifted it to his first wife, Alphesiboea, a daughter of Phegus, king of Psophis. When Alcmaeon attempted to take the items back from his wife, he was killed by Phegus's sons, Pronous and Agenor, and they took the necklace. Alcmeon's sons Amphoterus and Acarnan then avenged their father by killing Phegus's sons, and dedicated the necklace to the temple of Athena in Delphi.

See also

  • Aneris
  • Cadmus et Hermione
  • Eris
  • Homonoia, goddess of concord, unanimity, and oneness of mind

Notes

References

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  • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853–1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
  • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists or Banquet of the Learned. London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1854. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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