The sea god Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra produced Iris, goddess of the rainbow, and the Harpies, winged storm spirits. Hesiod's Theogony names them as siblings born of sea and sky.
In Nonnus's Dionysiaca, Iris and Zephyrus are paired as consorts. Some traditions credit their union with producing Pothos, the personification of longing.
Iris served as Hera's personal messenger and attendant, carrying the queen's commands to gods and mortals throughout the Iliad.
Iris serves as Zeus's swift messenger, carrying his commands from Olympus to gods and mortals on a rainbow bridge.
In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Zeus first sent Iris as his messenger to summon the grieving Demeter back to Olympus. Demeter refused Iris and every god who followed, relenting only when Persephone was returned.
Iris, sister of the Harpies through their shared parents Thaumas and Electra, intervened to halt the Boreads' pursuit. She swore an oath that the Harpies would leave Phineus in peace, saving her sisters from destruction.
In Hesiod's Theogony, Iris fetches water from the River Styx whenever a god must swear an oath. Horkos presides over the oath that follows, making Iris the ritual intermediary and Horkos the binding enforcer.
Iris served as the messenger who fetched water from the River Styx in a golden cup whenever a god needed to swear a solemn oath on Olympus.
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