Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord and the exact opposite of Eris, the goddess of discord in Greek Mythology.
Genealogy and Family[]
Harmonia was born a Goddess to Ares and Aphrodite, making her sister to The Erotes, Phobos and Deimos. She was married to the mortal hero, Cadmus of Thebes, becoming his Queen. With him she had four daughters, Ino, Autonoe, Agave and Semele and two sons, Illyrius and Polydorus. She is also the grandmother of Pentheus, Epirus, Dionysus, Learchus, Melicertes, Actaeon, Macris and Labdacus.
Role and Significance[]
Harmonia is the goddess of harmony and concord in ancient Greek religion. As the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite she presides over both marital harmony, soothing strife and discord, and the harmonious action of soldiers in war. Late Greek and Roman writers sometimes portrayed her as harmony in a more abstract sense--a deity who presided over cosmic balance.
Story[]
Harmonia was given in marriage to the Phoenician hero, Cadmus. One of the fateful wedding gifts Harmonia received for her wedding day, was a secretly cursed necklace created by Hephaestus. This piece of jewellery was created and given by a bitter Hephaestus in ill will to Aphrodite (his ex wife) and by extension her family, (because he was still bitter for her adulterous affair with Ares, during their marriage). This necklace would cause great misfortune to Harmonia and her ancestors. And was named The Necklace of Harmonia.
Cadmus and Harmonia (1877) by Evelyn De Morgan.
She and her husband Cadmus were troubled by the ill fortune of this necklace and she and Cadmus eventually abdicated from their positions as the rulers of Thebes, passing the throne to their grandson, Pentheus, the couple then moved to Illyria, where they battled various local tribes to found a new kingdom. Cadmus was deeply troubled by the ill-fortune which clung to him as a result of him having killed a sacred dragon, and one day he remarked that if the gods were so enamoured 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, thereupon begged the gods to share her husband's fate, which they granted (according to Hyginus). The two were then carried off to the Islands of the Blessed to live in peace.
Relationships[]
Parental[]
Siblings[]
Romantic[]
Children[]
Enemies[]
Eris is her enemy. Any other goddess or mortal that has something to do with discord is her enemy.
Appearance and Personality[]
Not much was mentioned about Harmonia's appearance in mythology, but it is certain that she would have been a beautiful, youthful lady, especially as the daughter of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love.
Harmonia is extremely fond of peace and harmony, as her name specifies and states. Also described to be down-to-earth because of her fondness to mortals. She has an extremely big heart, and her heart is completely pure, without bad thoughts whatsoever. Harmonia is also described as a goody-goody, and she loves being right.
Harmonia seems vastly different to her mother and her father in functions as well as personality, being monogamous and loyal and loving to her husband, Cadmus, through thick and thin, whilst Aphrodite and Ares like to indulge themselves in many different lovers and not be loyal to one partner only. She is also extremely humble for accepting marrying a human without protest, unlike Thetis, the Nereid.
Skills and Abilities[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Harmonia's official Greek name is Ἁρμονια.
Homonoia, is a Goddess with similiar functions to Harmonia.
Harmonia's sister in law is Europa.