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 of ...

, the Machae or Machai (;

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 p ...

: Μάχαι ''Mákhai'', "battles"; singular: ''Mákhē'') were the daemons (spirits) of battle and combat.

Family

The Machai were the children of 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 Androktasiai, 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 ...

. : And hateful Eris bore painful

Ponos Ponos or Ponus (Ancient Greek: Πόνος ''Pónos'') is the personification of hardship or toil. Family Hesiod According to Hesiod's ''Theogony'' (226–232), "painful" Ponos was the child of Eris (Strife), with no father, and the brother of ...

("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 Limo ...

("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 ("Disputes") : Dysnomia ("Anarchy") 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 Aesop ...

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

Mythology

The daemons Homados (Battle-Noise), Alala (War-Cry), Proioxis (Onrush), Palioxis (Backrush) and Kydoimos (Confusion)Hesiod, '' Shield of Heracles'' 139 ff. were closely associated with the Machai. They were accompanied in battlefields by other deities and spirits associated with war and death, such as

Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war ...

, Phobos, Deimos, the

Keres In Greek mythology, the Keres (; Ancient Greek: Κῆρες), singular Ker (; Κήρ), were female death-spirits. They were the goddesses who personified violent death and who were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields. Although they were pre ...

, Polemos,

Enyo Enyo (; grc, Ἐνυώ, Enȳṓ) is a goddess of war in Greek mythology. She frequently is associated with the war god Ares. Description She is called the "sister of War" by Quintus Smyrnaeus, in a role closely resembling that of Eris, the ...

, and their mother Eris.

Popular culture

* The Machai make an appearance in '' Wrath of the Titans'' as

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

and later Cronus' troops. The Machai are similar to the Moliones, with coal black skin, two legs, six arms, two-headed and two torsos back to back with each other which enables them to attack more than one person. * In '' The Blood of Olympus'', Asclepius used the Machai (In this they are the twin children of Ares and Aphrodite, Phobos and Deimos), the curse of Delos (Which is actually one of the small yellow flowers that Delos sprouted upon the birth of Artemis and Apollo), and the Pylosian Mint in order to formulate a physician's cure. (The two brothers also appear in "The Demigod Files", but not by the name Machai.) * In the top down ARPG '' Titan Quest: Immortal Throne'', Makhai are enemies, that can be found in the final world of the game, "

". * The Machai appears in Agents of HOPE during "Titan's Awakening", the 32nd chapter of the game. It is a mini-boss which is fought during the second combat of the chapter on

Perses Perses may refer to: Characters in Greek mythology * Perses (Titan), son of the Titan siblings, Crius and Eurybia * Perses (son of Perseus) * Perses (brother of Aeetes), a son of Helios and the Oceanid Perseis People * Perses (brother of Hesiod ...

' back.

Notes

References

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 ...

, ''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'' 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
{{Authority control Greek war deities War goddesses Greek goddesses Personifications in Greek mythology Children of Eris (mythology) Greek legendary creatures

Family

Mythology

Popular culture

See also

Notes

References