Erinnys
Also known as: Erinnyes · Family: Gods · Role: goddess · First appears: Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 1
As the curse of Oedipus, Erinnys is invoked against his sons, Eteocles and Polynices, as their enemy. She fulfills that curse through their deaths: “Yea, of a truth, the curse of Œdipus Erinnys dread fulfils.” In Agamemnon, she is linked with Paris as a slow avenger of transgression and is sent by Zeus; in The Libation-Pourers, she is an enemy of Clytemnestra and is said to drink blood.
After Orestes sheds kindred blood, the Erinnyes appear to him and pursue him. He recognizes them as his mother’s vengeful hounds: “These are no phantom terrors that I see: Full clear they are my mother's vengeful hounds.”
Relationship record
Life events
- Erinnys fulfills Oedipus's curse through the deaths of his two sons.(Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 6)
- The Erinnyes appeared to Orestes and pursued him for shedding kindred blood.(Aeschylus, The Libation-Pourers — Scene 8)
- With: Orestes
- “These are no phantom terrors that I see: Full clear they are my mother's vengeful hounds.”
Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 1
- with Oedipus (Erinnys is invoked as a curse associated with Eteocles's sire, Oedipus.) “Thou Curse and strong Erinnys of my sire!”
Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 5
- enemies with Eteocles “The Erinnys of thy father's imprecations, Lest she fulfil the curse, O'er-wrathful, frenzy-fraught, The curse of Œdipus, Laying his children low.”
- enemies with Polynices “The Erinnys of thy father's imprecations, Lest she fulfil the curse, O'er-wrathful, frenzy-fraught, The curse of Œdipus, Laying his children low.”
Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 6
- enemies with Eteocles “Now Fates and now Erinnyes, smiting The sons of Œdipus, ye slew them,”
- enemies with Polynices “Now Fates and now Erinnyes, smiting The sons of Œdipus, ye slew them,”
- with Oedipus (Erinnys fulfills Oedipus's curse.) “Yea, of a truth, the curse of Œdipus Erinnys dread fulfils.”
Aeschylus, Agamemnon — Scene 1
- enemies with Paris “Sendeth forth on men transgressing, / Erinnys, slow but sure avenger; / So against young Alexandros / Atreus' sons the great King sendeth”
Aeschylus, Agamemnon — Scene 3
- with Zeus (Zeus sends Erinnys as an avenging power.) “Sent by great Zeus, the God of host and guest— Erinnys, for whom wives weep many tears.”
Aeschylus, The Libation-Pourers — Scene 5
- enemies with Clytemnestra “And then Erinnys, stinted not in slaughter, Shall drink her third draught of unmingled blood.”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.