The Erinyes

Chthonic avengers of blood-guilt, oath-breaking, and crimes against kin, born when the blood of the castrated Uranus fell upon Gaia. Aeschylus’ Oresteia turns on their pursuit of Orestes and their installation at Athens as the Semnai Theai (“August Goddesses”) / Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”).

Parentage

• parent: Uranus
• parent: Gaia

Domains

• vengeance
• oaths

Powers

• Pursue and madden the kin-slayer and oath-breaker

Epithets

• Εὐμενίδες greek · Eumenídes'The Kindly Ones' — propitiatory cult-name of the Erinyes after their reconciliation at AthensAeschylus, Eumenides 1041 (primary)
• Σεμναὶ Θεαί greek · Semnaì Theaí'The August/Revered Goddesses' — their Athenian cult-title at the sanctuary by the AreopagusPausanias 1.28.6 (primary); Thucydides 1.126 (primary)
• Μανίαι greek · Maníai'The Maddening Ones' — cult-name of the Erinyes near Megalopolis in Arcadia, where Orestes went madPausanias 8.34.1-3 (primary)

Relations

• sibling: CoeusFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: CriusFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: CronusFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: HyperionFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: IapetusFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: MnemosyneFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: OceanusFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: PhoebeFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: RheaFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: TethysFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: TheiaFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: ThemisFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• antagonist: Orestes (matricide pursued from Argos to Delphi to Athens; acquitted at the Areopagus) · GreekAesch. Eum. 94-1047 (primary)

Sources

• existence: Hes. Theog. 183-187 (primary); Aesch. Eum. (primary)
• parentage: Hes. Theog. 183-187 (blood of Uranus upon Gaia) (primary); Apollod. 1.1.4 (primary)