Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

, the Androctasiae or Androktasiai (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

: ; singular: Androktasia) were the female personifications of

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

Family

The Androctasiae were the daughters of the goddess of strife and discord, Eris, and siblings to other vicious personifications like the

Hysminai In Greek mythology, the Hysminae or Hysminai (Ancient Greek: Ὑσμίνας or ὑσμῖναι; singular: from hysmine means 'battle, conflict, combat') are the personifications of fighting. Family Hesiod's account The Hysminai are repr ...

, the Machae, and the

Phonoi In Greek mythology, the Phonoi (Ancient Greek: ; singular: Phonos) were the "ghastly-faced" male personifications of murder. Family Hesiod in the ''Theogony'' named the Phonoi's mother as Eris ("Discord"), and their siblings as: the Hysminai ( ...

. This name is also used for all of Eris' children collectively, as a whole group. : "And hateful Eris bore painful Ponos ("Hardship"), : Lethe ("Forgetfulness") and

Limos Limos (; Ancient Greek: Λιμός means 'starvation'), Roman Fames , is the "sad" goddess or god of starvation, hunger and famine in ancient Greek religion. They were opposed by Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest with whom Ovid wrote Li ...

("Starvation") and the tearful Algea ("Pains"), : Hysminai ("Battles"), Makhai ("Wars"), Phonoi ("Murders"), and Androktasiai ("Manslaughters"); :

Neikea In Greek mythology, the Neikea (Ancient Greek: Νείκεα; singular: Neikos "quarrels") were spirits of arguments, feuds, quarrels and grievances. Their Roman counterpart was Altercatio. Family Hesiod's account In Hesiod's ''Theogony'' ...

("Quarrels"), Pseudea ("Lies"), Logoi ("Stories"),

Amphillogiai In Greek mythology, the Amphillogiai (Ancient Greek: ; singular: Amphillogia) were goddesses of disputes and altercations. Their Roman counterpart was Altercatio. Family Hesiod's account In Hesiod's ''Theogony'' identifies the Amphillogiai ...

("Disputes") : Dysnomia ("Lawlessness") and Ate ("Ruin"), near one another, : and

Horkos In Greek mythology, the figure of Horkos (; Ancient Greek: , ) personifies the curse that will be inflicted on any person who swears a false oath. He was the avenger of perjury and the punitive companion of the goddess Dike (Justice). In A ...

("Oath"), who most afflicts men on earth, : Then willing swears a false oath."

Mythology

In the epic poem the '' Shield of Heracles'', attributed to

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...

, Androktasia (singular) was one of the many figures, depicted on

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...

' shield.

"In his hands he (Herakles) took his shield, all glittering : no one ever broke it with a blow or crushed it. And a wonder it was to see . . . In the centre was Phobos (Fear) worked in adamant, unspeakable, staring backwards with eyes that glowed with fire. His mouth was full of teeth in a white row, fearful and daunting, and upon his grim brow hovered frightful Eris (Battle-Strife) who arrays the throng of men: pitiless she, for she took away the mind and senses of poor wretches who made war against the son of
Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...
. . . Upon the shield Proioxis (Pursuit) and Palioxis (Flight) were wrought, and Homados (Tumult), and Phobos (Panic), and Androktasia (Slaughter). Eris (Battle-Strife) also, and Kydoimos (Confusion) were hurrying about, and deadly Ker (Fate) was there holding one man newly wounded. . ."Hesiod, ''Shield of Heracles'' 135–157

Notes

References

* Caldwell, Richard, ''Hesiod's Theogony'', Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company (June 1, 1987). . *

, ''Shield of Heracles'' 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
*Hesiod, ''

Theogony The ''Theogony'' (, , , i.e. "the genealogy or birth of the gods") is a poem by Hesiod (8th–7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods, composed . It is written in the Epic dialect of Ancient Greek and contain ...

'', in ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White'', Cambridge, Massachusetts.,

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Most, G.W., ''Hesiod: The Shield, Catalogue of Women, Other Fragments'',

Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a series of books originally published by Heinemann in London, but is currently published by Harvard University Press. The library contains important works of ancient Greek and ...

, No. 503, Cambridge, Massachusetts,

, 2007, 2018.
Online version at Harvard University Press
{{Authority control Greek war deities Greek goddesses Personifications in Greek mythology Children of Eris (mythology) Manslaughter