Source-groundedThe Iliad
All entities

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name
Iris
Disambiguator
None
Kind
Deity
Scope
Individual
Editorial note
No editorial note published.

Aliases

3

winged Iris

Epithet · Direct

fleet Iris

Epithet · Direct

Iris of the golden wings

Epithet · Direct

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

6
Olympus2 observations
·Direct

Iris rode with Venus to high Olympus.

See evidence text
“Iris sat beside her and took the reins in her hand. She lashed her horses on and they flew forward nothing loth, till in a trice they were at high Olympus”
·Direct

Iris completes her journey from Ida to the lofty summits of Olympus.

See evidence text
“Iris went her way, fleet as the wind, from the heights of Ida to the lofty summits of Olympus”
Troy1 observation
·Direct

Iris completed her descent to Ilius.

See evidence text
“Iris hearkened and obeyed. Down she went to strong Ilius”
Gargarus1 observation
·Direct

Iris reached topmost Gargarus and stood before Jove.

See evidence text
“while Iris and Apollo made all haste on their way. When they reached many-fountained Ida, mother of wild beasts, they found Jove seated on topmost Gargarus with a fragrant cloud encircling his head as with a diadem. They stood before his presence”
Heaven1 observation
·Direct

Iris led Thetis into heaven.

See evidence text
“The goddess took her dark veil, than which there can be no robe more sombre, and went forth with fleet Iris leading the way before her. The waves of the sea opened them a path, and when they reached the shore they flew up into the heavens, where they found the all-seeing son of Saturn with the blessed gods that live for ever assembled near him”
palace of Priam1 observation
·Direct

Iris entered Priam’s house.

See evidence text
“She went to Priam’s house, and found weeping and lamentation therein”

Claims

17
·Disguised

Wind-swift Iris approaches Priam speaking with the voice and likeness of Polites, warning of the immense advancing host and ordering Hector to array each multilingual allied people under its own chief.

See evidence text
“And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Jove to tell the bad news among the Trojans. They were gathered in assembly, old and young, at Priam’s gates, and Iris came close up to Priam, speaking with the voice of Priam’s son Polites, who, being fleet of foot, was stationed as watchman for the Trojans on the tomb of old Aesyetes, to look out for any sally of the Achaeans. In his likeness Iris spoke, saying, ‘Old man, you talk idly, as in time of peace, while war is at hand. I have been in many a battle, but never yet saw such a host as is now advancing. They are crossing the plain to attack the city as thick as leaves or as the sands of the sea. Hector, I charge you above all others, do as I say. There are many allies dispersed about the city of Priam from distant places and speaking divers tongues. Therefore, let each chief give orders to his own people, setting them severally in array and leading them forth to battle.’”
·Disguised

Disguised in Laodice’s likeness, Iris approaches Helen at her loom and summons her to watch, reporting the armies at rest and the coming duel for Helen.

See evidence text
“Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-inlaw, wife of the son of Antenor, for Helicaon, son of Antenor, had married Laodice, the fairest of Priam’s daughters. She found her in her own room, working at a great web of purple linen, on which she was embroidering the battles between Trojans and Achaeans, that Mars had made them fight for her sake. Iris then came close up to her and said, ‘Come hither, child, and see the strange doings of the Trojans and Achaeans. Till now they have been warring upon the plain, mad with lust of battle, but now they have left off fighting, and are leaning upon their shields, sitting still with their spears planted beside them. Alexandrus and Menelaus are going to fight about yourself, and you are to be the wife of him who is the victor”
·Direct

Iris draws wounded Venus from the battle throng.

See evidence text
“Iris, fleet as the wind, drew her from the throng, in pain and with her fair skin all besmirched.”
·Direct

Iris drives to Olympus, unharnesses the horses, and feeds them ambrosia.

See evidence text
“while Iris sat beside her and took the reins in her hand. She lashed her horses on and they flew forward nothing loth, till in a trice they were at high Olympus, where the gods have their dwelling. There she stayed them, unloosed them from the chariot, and gave them their ambrosial forage;”
·Direct

Winged Iris is sent by angry Jove with orders to turn back Juno and Minerva before they reach him.

See evidence text
“father Jove when he saw them from Ida was very angry, and sent winged Iris with a message to them. ‘Go,’ said he, ‘fleet Iris, turn them back, and see that they do not come near me”
·Direct

Iris travels from Ida to Olympus as fleet as the wind, meets the goddesses at the outer gates, and delivers Jove’s message.

See evidence text
“Iris went her way, fleet as the wind, from the heights of Ida to the lofty summits of Olympus. She met the goddesses at the outer gates of its many valleys and gave them her message”
·Direct

Jove appoints Iris to carry his command to Hector.

See evidence text
“He then told Iris of the golden wings to carry a message for him”
·Direct

Iris obeys, descends to Ilius, and finds Hector beside his chariot and horses.

See evidence text
“Iris hearkened and obeyed. Down she went to strong Ilius from the crests of Ida, and found Hector son of Priam standing by his chariot and horses”
·Reported

Jove assigns Iris to order Neptune away from the Achaean host and out of the fighting.

See evidence text
“Iris, that she may go to the Achaean host and tell Neptune to leave off fighting and go home”
·Direct

Iris travels fleet as the wind and as rapidly as hail or snow driven by Boreas until she reaches Neptune.

See evidence text
“Iris, fleet as the wind, obeyed him, and as the cold hail or snowflakes that fly from out the clouds before the blast of Boreas, even so did she wing her way till she came close up to the great shaker of the earth”
·Direct

Iris challenges Neptune’s daring, unyielding message and asks him to reconsider it.

See evidence text
“Am I really, Neptune, to take this daring and unyielding message to Jove, or will you reconsider your answer”
·Direct

Fleet Iris flies secretly from Olympus as Juno’s messenger, without Jove’s knowledge, to urge Achilles to intervene.

See evidence text
“Iris fleet as the wind, winged her way as messenger from Olympus to the son of Peleus and bidden him arm. She came secretly without the knowledge of Jove and of the other gods, for Juno sent her”
·Direct

Iris directs Achilles to appear unarmoured at the trench so the Trojans may retreat and the exhausted Achaeans gain respite.

See evidence text
“go as you are; go to the deep trench and show yourself before the Trojans, that they may fear you and cease fighting. Thus will the fainting sons of the Achaeans gain some brief breathing-time”
·Direct

Iris heard Achilles, ran to fetch the winds, reached Zephyrus's stone threshold during their feast, and refused to sit.

See evidence text
“Fleet Iris heard him praying and started off to fetch the winds. They were holding high feast in the house of boisterous Zephyrus when Iris came running up to the stone threshold of the house and stood there, but as soon as they set eyes on her they all came towards her and each of them called her to him, but Iris would not sit down.”
·Direct

Fleet Iris plunges into the dark sea and sinks to its bottom.

See evidence text
“Iris fleet as the wind went forth to carry his message. Down she plunged into the dark sea midway between Samos and rocky Imbrus; the waters hissed as they closed over her, and she sank into the bottom”
·Direct

Iris leads Thetis through the sea and up into heaven.

See evidence text
“with fleet Iris leading the way before her. The waves of the sea opened them a path, and when they reached the shore they flew up into the heavens”
·Direct

Iris stands beside Priam and speaks softly, though initially frightening him.

See evidence text
“The messenger of Jove stood by Priam and spoke softly to him, but fear fell upon him”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

7
·Direct
“Iris”
·Disguised
“Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-inlaw”
·Direct
“sent winged Iris with a message to them”
·Direct
“Iris of the golden wings”
·Direct
“Iris the messenger of the gods”
·Direct
“Fleet Iris heard him praying”
·Direct
“Iris fleet as the wind went forth to carry his message”

Passage preview

Book 2 · Passage 66

And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Jove to tell the bad news among the Trojans. They were gathered in assembly, old and young, at Priam’s gates, and Iris came close up to Priam, speaking with the voice of Priam’s son Polites, who, being fleet of foot, was stationed as watchman for the Trojans on the tomb of old Aesyetes, to look out for any sally of the Achaeans. In his likeness Iris spoke, saying, ‘Old man, you talk idly, as in time of peace, while war is at hand. I have been in many a battle, but never yet saw such a host as is now advancing. They are crossing the plain to attack the city as thick as leaves or as the sands of the sea. Hector, I charge you above all others, do as I say. There are many allies dispersed about the city of Priam from distant places and speaking divers tongues. Therefore, let each chief give orders to his own people, setting them severally in array and leading them forth to battle.’