| Bibliography |
| Previous Page |
| Homepage |
| Site Search |
The Horai (Hours or Seasons) are the three daughters of Zeus and Themis—Eunomia (Harmony), Dike (Justice) and Eirene (Peace).
The Horai assist their father Zeus by organizing the seasons and adding balance to nature ... for that reason, they are sometimes called the Seasons. Just as their names imply, the Horai give harmony, justice, and peace to all who honor and respect them ... there is however the potential for divine wrath for those who ignore their authority. As the daughters of Zeus, the Horai hold considerable influence over the way their father rewards and punishes his subject mortals.
One of the responsibilities of the Horai is the security of the vast sky and Mount Olympos. The Horai guard Mount Olympos with a dark veil and open and close the gates of the sky for the Immortals as they travel to and from their domains.
Of the three Horai, it would seem that Dike is the most important ... without Justice, there could be no Harmony or Peace. Zeus vowed that the leaders of cities and states who give straight judgments will flourish and have prosperity. Leaders who do not deal justly with their people and their neighbors will be afflicted with cruel wars and hardships. The ultimate punishment for unjust leaders is obscurity for their descendants.
The personal relationships of the Horai with the other Immortals are only partially revealed in the Iliad by Homer. The Horai helped Hera when they opened the gates of the sky as the goddess flew her chariot from Mount Olympos to Mount Ida, which was adjacent to Troy.
There are several examples of the proper ways to honor the Horai in Greek literature. The poet Hesiod wrote the poem Works and Days as a way to offer advice to his younger brother, Perses. Hesiod mentions all types of practical ways to become a good farmer and neighbor but one of the most touching bits of advice he gave Perses was to "listen now to Dike, ceasing altogether to think of violence."
The Athenian comic poet Aristophanes was celebrated for his biting wit, but he also had some poignant moments embedded in his plays. In the play Eirene (Peace), Aristophanes has the goddess trapped in a pit and then rescued by the chorus who are representative of the people of Greece. When Eirene is finally free, she will not speak to the people ... she whispers to the god Hermes and then he relates her words to the audience. The symbolism is hard to miss ... after Eirene has been betrayed one time too many, she will no longer favor us with her life sustaining voice.
The Iliad
Theogony
Works and Days
Catalogue of Women
Kypria
Homeric Hymn to Apollon III
The Histories by Herodotos
Description of Greece by Pausanias
Library of History by Diodorus of Sicily