Alecto
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2011) |
Alecto (Ancient Greek: Ἀληκτώ, English translation: "the implacable or unceasing anger") is one of the Erinyes in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, she was the daughter of Gaea fertilized by the blood spilled from Uranus when Cronus castrated him. She is the sister of Tisiphone and Megaera. Alecto is the Erinys with the job of castigating the moral crimes (such as anger), especially if they are against other people. Her function is very similar to Nemesis, with the difference that Nemesis's function is to castigate crimes against the gods. Alecto appeared in Virgil's Aeneid, in Dante's Inferno, in Miklós Zrínyi's Siege of Sziget and appeared in Dostoyevsky books too, in his subliminar psyche, as one of the three Erinyes, and also in Handel's Rinaldo HWV 7 in the Aria "Sibillar gli angui d'Aletto". In the Aeneid, Alecto was demanded by Juno to not let the Trojans have their way with King Latinus by marriage or besiege Italian borders. Alecto's mission is to wreak havoc on the Trojans and cause their downfall through war. Alecto takes over the body of Queen Amata and clamors for all of the Latin mothers to riot against the Trojans. [1]