Pheme is the goddess and personified spirit (daimona) of rumour, report and gossip. She was also by extension the spirit of fame and good repute in a positive sense and infamy and scandal in the bad.
Genealogy and Family[]
Pheme was listed as the daughter of Elpis, the Goddess of Hope in Sophocles Oedipus The King, but Gaia, the Primordial Goddess of the Earth in Virgil Aeneid.
Role and Significance[]
Pheme is the personification of fame and renown, her favour resulting in notability and her wrath causing scandalous rumours. She was described as "she who initiates and furthers communication". A tremendous gossip, Pheme was said to have pried into the affairs of mortals and gods, then repeated what she learned, starting off at first with just a dull whisper, but repeating it louder each time, until everyone knew. In Homer, Pheme is called Rumour the goddess or the messenger of Zeus.
Pheme had an altar dedicated to her in Athens.
Story[]
Once she met (Phaeton), the son of the Greek God of the sun, Helios. Phaeton had to fetch Helios' sun carriage, as it was on fire. Hermes already brought it back, but it would destroy Mount Olympus with its fire. Coincidentally, Athena put a curse on Pheme that exact day because she was spreading out-of-hand rumors that weren't necessarily true. So Pheme had to fix the problem. After that was fixed, Zeus rewarded Pheme wings due to her saving Mount Olympus .
Personality[]
Pheme has a tendency to be talkative, and if anything, nosy. Though she means well and is only playing her part, Pheme adores being under the spotlight and is quite well-rounded and talented when it comes to spreading big news (regardless if it's good or helpful).
Virgil wrote that she "had her feet on the ground, and her head in the clouds, making the small seem great and the great seem greater".
| Table of persona | |
|---|---|
| Talent | 56 |
| Beauty concern | 80 |
| Personality | 13 |
| Strengths | 90 |
Gallery[]
Pheme's gallery can be viewed here.
Trivia[]
Pheme's official Greek name is Φημη. It means 'rumour, report'.
Pheme was also known as Ossa, which also means 'rumour' and is spelt Οσσα in Greek.
Pheme's Roman Equivalent is called Fama.
Sources[]
Theoi.com
Wikipedia