Hysminai

The Hysminae
The Hysminae
Personifications of Fighting
Member of the Family of Eris
Abode	Underworld (possibly)
Personal information
Parents	Eris or; Aether and Gaea
Siblings	show by Eris show by Aether and Gaea
Equivalents
Roman equivalent

In Greek mythology, the Hysminae or Hysminai (Ancient Greek: Ὑσμίνας or ὑσμῖναι; singular: ὑσμίνη from hysmine means 'battle, conflict, combat'^[3]) are the personifications of fighting.^[4]

Family[]

Hesiod's account[]

The Hysminai are represented as the children of Eris, the goddess of strife.^[5] They were siblings to Lethe, Limos, Horkos, Ponos and many other daemons.^[6]

And hateful Eris bore painful Ponos ("Hardship"),

Lethe ("Forgetfulness") and Limos ("Starvation") and the tearful Algea ("Pains"),

Hysminai ("Battles"), Makhai ("Wars"), Phonoi ("Murders"), and Androktasiai ("Manslaughters");

Neikea ("Quarrels"), ("Lies"), ("Stories"), Amphillogiai ("Disputes")

Dysnomia ("Anarchy") and Ate ("Ruin"), near one another,

and Horkos ("Oath"), who most afflicts men on earth,

Then willing swears a false oath.^[7]^[8]

Hyginus' account[]

In another account, Pugna/ Hysmine was called daughter of the primordial deities Aether and Gaia.^[9]

From Aether (Air) and Terra/ Gaia (Earth) [were born]: Dolor/ Algos (Pain), Dolus (Guile), Ira/ Lyssa (Anger), Luctus/ Penthus (Lamentation), / Pseudologoi (Lies), Jusjurandum/ Horcus (Oath), Ultio/ Poine (Vengeance), (Intemperance), Altercatio/ Amphillogiai (Altercation), Oblivio/ Lethe (Forgetfulness), Socordia/ Aergia (Sloth), Timor/ Phobos (Fear), (Arrogance), (Sacrilege), Pugna/ Hysminai (Combat).^[10]

Mythology[]

Quintus Smyrnaeus depicted the Hysminae along with other daemons of war on the shield of Akhilleus.^[11]

And there were man-devouring wars, and all horrors of fight: slain men were falling down mid horse-hoofs; and the likeness of a plain blood-drenched was on that shield invincible. Phobos (Panic) was there, and Deimos (Dread), and ghastly Enyo with limbs all gore-bespattered hideously, and deadly Eris (Strife), and the Erinyes (Avenging Spirits) fierce-hearted -- she, still goading warriors on to the onset they, outbreathing breath of fire. Around them hovered the relentless Keres (Fates); beside them Hysminai (Battle) incarnate onward pressed welling, and from their limbs streamed blood and sweat. There were the ruthless Gorgons: through their hair horribly serpents coiled with flickering tongues. A measureless marvel was that cunning work of things that made men shudder to behold seeming as though they verily lived and moved.^[12]^[13]

Notes[]

^ Hesiod, Theogony 228
^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface
^ "ὑσμίνη": Lexicon entry in LSJ
^ Scull, Sarah Amelia (1880). Greek mythology systematized. Porter & Coates. p. 42. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
^ Hesiod, Theogony 228
^ Grimal, Pierre; A. R. Maxwell-Hyslop (1996). The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 152. ISBN 0-631-20102-5.
^ Caldwell, p. 42 lines 226-232, with the meanings of the names (in parentheses), as given by Caldwell, p. 40 on lines 212–232.
^ Hesiod, Theogony 226–232 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface
^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 5.36
^ Quintus (Smyrnaeus) (1913). The fall of Troy. Translated, Arthur S. Way. W. Heinemann. p. 213. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
^ Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 5.25–42 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

References[]

Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Hesiod, Theogony from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy translated by Way. A. S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 19. London: William Heinemann, 1913. Online version at theio.com
Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy. Arthur S. Way. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

[1] Hesiod, Theogony 228

[2] Hyginus, Fabulae Preface

[3] "ὑσμίνη": Lexicon entry in LSJ

[Scull1880-4] Scull, Sarah Amelia (1880). Greek mythology systematized. Porter & Coates. p. 42. Retrieved 2 April 2010.

[5] Hesiod, Theogony 228

[6] Grimal, Pierre; A. R. Maxwell-Hyslop (1996). The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 152. ISBN 0-631-20102-5.

[7] Caldwell, p. 42 lines 226-232, with the meanings of the names (in parentheses), as given by Caldwell, p. 40 on lines 212–232.

[8] Hesiod, Theogony 226–232 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[9] Hyginus, Fabulae Preface

[10] Hyginus, Fabulae Preface This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[11] Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 5.36

[(Smyrnaeus)1913-12] Quintus (Smyrnaeus) (1913). The fall of Troy. Translated, Arthur S. Way. W. Heinemann. p. 213. Retrieved 2 April 2010.

[13] Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 5.25–42 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]