| “ | I am the darkest. Wars and strife! I have caused all manner of death! | ” |
–Eris, in The House of Hades. | ||
Eris is the Greek goddess of chaos, discord, and strife. Her Roman counterpart is Discordia.
History[]
Eris was born from the protogenoi Nyx (Night) through parthenogenesis (even though Eris was born from a Primordial, she is not one herself. Eris is the personification of Strife). She drives the conflicts and disputes of both gods and men. Though despised by the Olympians, they respected her power.
The Judgement of Paris[]
When the Nereid Thetis was married to the mortal hero Peleus as a reward for his undying devotion to the gods, only Eris wasn't invited to attend the celebrations on Mount Pelion as a wedding is a joyous occasion and strife wouldn't be welcome there. Offended, she snuck into the dining hall and threw a golden apple that was inscribed: "For the fairest" in the midst of the gods. Every goddess claimed the fruit for themselves and the decision came down to three: Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. Zeus was made the judge but he feared the prospect of having to judge the goddesses. Instead, he named a mortal, Paris of Troy, to preside over the three who each tried to bribe him for the apple.
In exchange of choosing them, the goddesses offered rewards to Paris: Hera promised him rule over Asia, Athena would give him wisdom in battle, and Aphrodite offered him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris ultimately chose Aphrodite and with her aid, he wooed Zeus' daughter, Helen, and returned to Troy with her. Indignant, both Athena and Hera swore vengeance on Paris for scorning them and would play major roles in his downfall. Unfortunately for Paris, Helen was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta, who initiated a series of events that would destroy not only Paris and his family, but his people as well.
Trojan War[]
During the war, Eris rode into battle on the side of the Trojans, alongside Ares and Enyo. It was at Troy that she became known as the Lady of Sorrow. In one battle, she fought in the defense of Aphrodite’s son, Aeneas, but mostly roamed the battlefield to spread bloodshed and carnage among the warriors.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Sea of Monsters[]
After receiving a call, Hermes redirected it to Eris at customer service, suggesting the goddess works for him.
The Demigod Files[]
It is mentioned that Travis and Connor Stoll pulled a prank on the Aphrodite's Cabin based on Eris's trick with the Golden Apple. They placed a Golden Mango in the cabin with the words "for the hottest" on them, leading to the cabin fighting against each other for the mango, which was only painted gold.
The Heroes of Olympus[]
The House of Hades[]
Nyx, her mother
Eris appears with her siblings and Nyx who confront Percy and Annabeth. She saw herself as the darkest of all the children of Nyx because she brings wars and strife.
Appearance[]
Eris has shining eyes and a smile like of a serial killer. She wears a black toga. Eris appears as a slender woman with pale skin, long, straight hair and blood-red lips. She wears a black dress.
Personality[]
Eris is feared for her unforgiving, wrathful nature.
Abilities[]
As her powers were able to affect the gods, it can be stated that Eris is considerably more powerful then her status as a non-Olympian implies, such as Nemesis, Thanatos and Hypnos.
- Chaos Manipulation: As the Goddess of Chaos, Eris has absolute and divine authority over chaos.
- Strife Manipulation: As the Goddess of Strife, Eris has absolute and divine authority over strife.
- Discord Manipulation: As the Goddess of Discord, Eris has absolute and divine authority over discord.
- Umbrakinesis: As one of Nyx's children, Eris can control and manipulate shadows. She displayed this ability by making the area around herself darker.
- Wings Manifestation: Eris has wings which she uses from to time.
Attributes[]
- Her attributes include the Golden Apple, the hissing snake, burning torches, the poniard, and African Blackwood.
Etimology[]
The literal meaning for Eris is "strife".
Trivia[]
- Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, is named after her.
- Eris, a genus of spiders, is named after her.
- In many Greek myths, Eris was the daughter of Zeus and Hera.
- Eris is frequently associated with Enyo, twin sister to Ares.
- The word "Discord" derives from Discordia, the name by which the Romans referred to her.
- The religion Discordianism is named after her Roman counterpart, Discordia.
- Her Egyptian counterpart is Apophis.
- Her Norse counterpart is Loki.