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Enyo

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In Greek mythology, Enyo (/ɪˈnaɪoʊ/; Ancient Greek: Ἐνυώ, romanized: Enȳṓ) is a war-goddess, frequently associated with the war-god Ares. The Romans identified her with Bellona.

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Description

Enyo was a war-goddess, and a personification of war, with no significant mythology. She was a companion of the war-god Ares, and accompanied him into battle. The Romans identified her with their war-goddess Bellona.

Enyo is given no genealogy in Homer's Iliad, and does not appear in the Theogony of Hesiod. Late sources sometimes describe her as the mother or daughter of Ares. She was associated with the war-god Enyalios, their names probably being related. According to one account Enyalios was sometimes said to be the son of Enyo and Ares.

Enyo was often mentioned together with other personifications associated with war, such as Eris (Discord), Phobos (Terror), and Kydoimos (Din of War).

Sources

The Iliad

Enyo is mentioned twice in book 5 of Homer's Iliad. In the first passage she is called the "sacker of cities", and (along with Athena) is contrasted with "a weakling" Aphrodite:

He [Diomedes] the while had gone in pursuit of Cypris [Aphrodite] with his pitiless bronze, discerning that she was a weakling goddess, and not one of those that lord it in the battle of warriors,—no Athene she, nor Enyo, sacker of cities.

In the second passage, "queen" Enyo is led into battle, alongside the Trojans, by Ares:

But Hector marked them across the ranks, and rushed upon them shouting aloud, and with him followed the strong battalions of the Trojans; and Ares led them and the queen Enyo, she bringing ruthless Din of War, while Ares wielded in his hands a monstrous spear, and ranged now in front of Hector and now behind him.

A scholiast on this passage tells us that Kydoimos ("Din of War") is an object that Enyo wields here, as if it were a weapon.

Seven Against Thebes

In Aeschylus' tragedy Seven Against Thebes, the seven champions sware an oath by Ares, Enyo and Phobos to capture Thebes or die in battle:

Seven men, bold leaders of companies, slaughtered a bull, let its blood run into a black-rimmed shield, and touching the bull’s blood with their hands swore an oath by Ares, Enyo and blood-loving Terror [Phobos], that they would either bring destruction on the city, sacking the town of the Cadmeans by force, or perish and mix their blood into the soil of this land.

References

• Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes in Aeschylus: Persians. Seven against Thebes. Suppliants. Prometheus Bound. Edited and translated by Alan H. Sommerstein. Loeb Classical Library No. 145. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-674-99627-4. Online version at Harvard University Press.

• Callimachus, Callimachus and Lycophron with an English Translation by A. W. Mair; Aratus, with an English Translation by G. R. Mair, London: W. Heinemann, New York: G. P. Putnam 1921. Internet Archive. Online version at Harvard University Press.

• Dillon, Matthew, "Militarizing the Divine: The Bellicosity of the Greek Gods" in Religion and Classical Warfare: Archaic and Classical Greece, editors: Matthew Dillon, Christopher Matthew and Michael Schmitz, Pen and Sword Books, 2020. Kindle edition: ASIN B08FM9Y2P7, page numbers source ISBN 1473834295.

• Hard, Robin (2004), The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology", Psychology Press, 2004, ISBN 9780415186360. Google Books.

• Gantz, Timothy, Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes: ISBN 978-0-8018-5360-9 (Vol. 1), ISBN 978-0-8018-5362-3 (Vol. 2).

• Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.

• Plant, Ian, "Oaths and Vows: Binding the Gods to one's Military Success" in Religion and Classical Warfare: Archaic and Classical Greece, editors: Matthew Dillon, Christopher Matthew and Michael Schmitz, Pen and Sword Books, 2020. Kindle edition: ASIN B08FM9Y2P7, page numbers source ISBN 1473834295.

• Queyrel, François, L'Autel de Pergame: Images et pouvoir en Grèce d'Asie, Paris: Éditions A. et J. Picard, 2005. ISBN 2-7084-0734-1.

• Small, Sturart G. P., "On Allegory in Homer" in The Classical Journal, Vol. 44, No. 7 (Apr., 1949), pp. 423-430. JSTOR 3293505.

• Quintus Smyrnaeus, Quintus Smyrnaeus: The Fall of Troy, translated by A.S. Way, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1913. Internet Archive.

• Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica, edited and translated by Neil Hopkinson, Loeb Classical Library No. 19, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2018. ISBN 978-0-674-99716-5. Online version at Harvard University Press.

• Strabo, Geography, translated by Horace Leonard Jones; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. (1924). LacusCurtis, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Books 6–14.

Sources

Ancient

[1] [2]

Aeschylus

Seven Against Thebes

41–48

Seven men, bold leaders of companies, slaughtered a bull, let its blood run into a black-rimmed shield, and touching the bull’s blood with their hands swore an oath by Ares, Enyo,⁸ and blood-loving Terror [Phobos], that they would either bring destruction on the city, sacking the town of the Cadmeans by force, or perish and mix their blood into the soil of this land;

8 A war-goddess mentioned together with Ares in Iliad 5.592–4.

Callimachus

Hymn 2 To Apollo

85–87

Greatly, indeed, did Phoebus rejoice as the belted warriors of Enyo danced with the yellow-haired Libyan women, when the appointed season of the Carnean feast came round.

Hymn 4 To Delos

275–277

Wherefore from that day thou [Delos] art famed as the most holy of islands, nurse of Apollo’s youth. On thee treads not Enyo nor Hades nor the horses of Ares;

Cornutus

21

Homer

Iliad

4.440–441

... and Discord [Eris] that rageth incessantly, sister and comrade of man-slaying Ares;

5.330–333

He the while had gone in pursuit of Cypris with his pitiless bronze, discerning that she was a weakling goddess, and not one of those that lord it in the battle of warriors,—no Athene she, nor Enyo, sacker of cities.

5.590–595

But Hector marked them across the ranks, and rushed upon them shouting aloud, and with him followed the strong battalions of the Trojans; and Ares led them and the queen Enyo, she bringing ruthless Din of War, while Ares wielded in his hands a monstrous spear, [595] and ranged now in front of Hector and now behind him.

Nonnus

Dionysiaca

5.40

2.358 & 2.475

7.7

17.316

17.376

20.35

33.55

39.361

Pausanias

1.8.4

Near the statue of Demosthenes is a sanctuary of Ares, where are placed two images of Aphrodite, one of Ares made by Alcamenes, and one of Athena made by a Parian of the name of Locrus. There is also an image of Enyo, made by the sons of Praxiteles. About the temple stand images of Heracles, Theseus, Apollo binding his hair with a fillet, and statues of Calades, who it is said framed laws for the Athenians, and of Pindar, the statue being one of the rewards the Athenians gave him for praising them in an ode.

4.30.5

... in the Iliad [Homer] represented Athena and Enyo as supreme in war,

Quintus Smyrnaeus

Posthomerica

1.358–366

“My friends, some goddess has clearly come from heaven today, to bring us aid and to fight the Argives in accordance with the dauntless plan of Zeus; he is mindful of mighty Priam who claims descent from him. This can not be a mere woman I see, courageous and resplendent in arms: she must be Athena or staunch Discord [Ἐνυὼ] or Strife [Ἔριν] or Leto’s glorious daughter.

2.525–540

For that reason Enyo kept the fighting equally balanced ... But then Discord [Eris] set straight the grim scales of war, which tilted to one side.

5.29–31

There were Fear [Phobos], Terror [Deimos] and grief-bringing Enyo, their limbs foully spattered with blood; there were hideous Strife [Eris]

8.186–193

[Enyo] stood by, continually urging them on. They did not cease from the fight, raining blows on each other’s shields, or aiming at greaves or crested helmets; and now and again there would be a flesh wound, so violent were the efforts of those valiant heroes. [191] Strife’s [Eris'] heart was gladdened to see them sweating profusely yet giving no ground and never tiring, like true descendants of the blessed gods.

8.286–290

As the killing continued, deadly Enyo ranged among them, her arms and shoulders befouled and spotted with gore, and horribly drenched all over with sweat. Out of respect for Thetis and divine Ares she did not favor either side, but she took pleasure in the equal conflict.

8.424–426

With men being hit on either side, a scene arose of sheer devastation; and baneful Enyo rejoiced as she urged on Strife [Eris] the sister of War.

[Way's translation:] As friends and foes were stricken. O're the strife [Eris] / Shouted for glee Enyo, sister of War.

11.8–12

because Strife [Eris] and Enyo bringer of grief were moving among them like grim Furies to look at, both of them breathing from their mouths ruin and perdition. Around them the spirits of doom, whose hearts hold no shame, raged mercilessly; in another part of the field Fear [Keres] urged on the armies, and Terror [Phobos] was their escort:

11.151–161

As they fought, the dark Fates [Keres] were delighted, Ares laughed aloud, and [152] Enyo gave a gruesome yell ... the sight of those dying men warmed the heart of [161] Strife [Eris].

11.237

12.436

13.85

Strabo

12.2.3

In this Antitaurus are deep and narrow valleys, in which are situated Comana and the temple of Enyo, whom the people there call "Ma."

Modern

Brill’s New Pauly

s.v. Enyo

(Ἐνυώ; Enyṓ). Pale feminine counterpart to Enyalius, of whose name E. is a shortened form; goddess of bloody close combat. In Homer's Iliad she appears in 5,333 with Athena and in 592 with Ares, whom she joins in encouraging the Trojans. Her identifying characteristic is Kydoimos (demon of close combat), which she swings like a weapon (Il. 5,592, cf. 18,535; schol. Hom. Il. 5,593). Genealogical constructions starting from these passages made E. the mother or daughter or wet-nurse of Ares (schol. Hom. 5,333; Cornutus Nat. deor. 21) or of Enyalius. painting of E. in the Ares temple in Athens (Paus. 1,8,4; cf. Philostr. Imag. 2,29); together with Enyalius, Ares and Athena Areia, she appeared in the ephebic oath (Aesch. Sept. 45). In Quintus of Smyrna and Nonnus, E. became the eponym of the battle massacre.

Dillon

p. 171 (Kindle) [p. 133]

While Ares and Enyalios could be thought of by the ancient Greeks as the same deity, Ares-Enyalios,79 evidence indicates, however, that generally they were viewed as separate and distinct gods,^{80 [For example, Alcman F344.]} and their separate cults support this.

p. 173 (Kindle)

When Diomedes in Iliad Book 5 at the behest of Athena pursues Aphrodite to attack her, he pursues her in her capacity as Cyprian Aphrodite (a title redolent of love), ‘a weakling goddess’, unfavourably compared with Athena and Enyo the city-sacker: ...

pp. 173–174 (Kindle)

Later in the same book, Ares, with his huge spear, is said to be leading the Trojans along with Enyo, who carries with her the tumult of battle.^{92 [Hom. Il. 5.592–93.]}

p. 174 (Kindle)

They were linked in worship, for Pausanias comments on the temple of Ares in Athens in which there were two statues of Aphrodite, one of Ares, one of Athena and one of Enyo.^{93 [Paus. 1.8.4, cf. Philost. Imag. 2.29.]} Soldiers could be described as Enyo’s belted-warriors,^{94 [Callim. Hymn to Apollo (2) 85–86.]} and in legend the Seven against Thebes swore an oath by Ares, Enyo and Phobos to capture Thebes.

The ephebes at Athens in the fourth century BC swore an oath to defend Attica, and a number of gods are listed on the inscription which records this, including Enyo and other martial deities. She was clearly a war goddess of some significance, and with the other military gods would punish any ephebes who broke their oaths. Given her terrifying nature in battle, her inclusion in the oath was meant as a serious deterrent to cowardice.^{95 [Seven: Aeschylus Seven Against Thebes 41; ephebic oath: GHI ii: no. 204 (SEG 16.140; also see Lycurg. Leocr. 76–79; Plut. Alc. 15.4; Stob. Flor. 43.48; Poll. 8.105–06; SEG 57.117; Dillon, 2008, 237 n.15 with bibliography). For these oaths which included Enyo, see Ian Plant in this volume.]} The context of the inscription is important, as it was set up in the shrine of Ares and Athena Areia (‘Ares-like Athena’) in the deme of Acharnai, Attica. She was, interestingly, not included in a list of gods in a similar oath of the ephebes of the city of Dreros on Crete, from c. 220 BC, despite Ares’ presence.^{96 [SIG3 527 (ICret. I 9,1; SEG 46.1210; Rhodes and Osborne, 2003, no. 88). See Krentz, 2007.]} Perhaps it was thought that Ares covered the role of war deity sufficiently, without her. Around 600 BC, an individual named Lyraqos dedicated a small marble cylinder pillar to Enyo.^{97 [Dreros: LSAG 311 no. 1; SEG 27.620, 46.1210.]} Why did he do so? Perhaps he was a warrior returned safely home from battle who had sworn a vow to her for his return, or possibly on his arrival home decided to thank Enyo in this way.^{98 [Naxos: SEG 35.1014, 42.872, 44.774, 46.1267; Guarducci, 1985, 8 (fig. 1), 11–12.]} In the third century ad, the poet Oppian described Ares’ gifts as swords, helmets, spears and bronze tunics, and ‘whatever things with which the goddess Enyo is delighted’.^{99 [Oppian Halieutica 2.23–25.]} Etymologically, Enyo is clearly a female version of Enyalios, but is not particularly associated with him.

p. 187 (Kindle) [p. 147]

Kydoimos accompanies Enyo in battle, and a scholiast on Homer explains Kydoimos as, in fact, an object which Enyo swings, as if it were a weapon.^{145 [Hom. Il. 5.591–93, 18.535; schol. Hom. Il. 5.593.]}

Hard

p. 168

Ares has a number of associates who accompany him into battle in the Iliad, including the female war-deity Enyo (sacker of cities) who is sometimes described as his mother or daughter.^{133 [... as mother or daughter of Ares, schol. Il, 5.337, Cornutus 21; ...]} Although Enyalios is no more than an epithet of Ares in Homer, he is sometimes distinguished as a separate god in later sources.

p. 169

At Rome ... Enyo was identified with Bellona. ... and Kydoimos, who personifies the din and confusion of battle,^{136 [Kydoimos and Ker, Hom. Il 18.535-40, cf. Hes. Shield 156-60. For Kydoimos, see also Il. 5.591-3, Q.S. 1.306-11.}

Gantz

p. 80

Likewise in Iliad 5 we twice find the goddess Enyo, for whom no genealogy is given (the Enyo of the Theogony is one of the Grraiai), as companion of war (Il 5.333, [cont.]

p. 81

592-593). Her name is likely related to "Enyalios," which though sometimes appears in the Iliad as an isolated term, is on three separate occasions clearly a title of Ares (Il 13.518-19; 17.210-11; 20.69; see also Aspis 371). Alkman seems at times to have made Ares and Enyalios the same figure, at other times different ones (44 PMG); the scholiast who tells us this also knows a version in which Enyalios is the son of Ares and Enyo, or of Kronos and Rheia.

Grimal

s.v. Enyo

(Ἐνυώ) A goddess of war, usually shown as a member of the train of ARES and most frequently depicted as his daughter, though sometimes as his mother or sister. She appears covered in blood, and striking attitudes of violence. In Rome she was identified with Bellona, the Roman goddess of war.

Plant

pp. 110–111 (Kindle)

They make their promise together and bind themselves in the presence of three gods relevant to the purpose of the action: Ares, god of war, along with Enyo, a war goddess,^{13 [In Homer, she is mentioned with Athena and Ares: Hom. Il. 5.333, 592; she was depicted in the temple of Ares in Athens: Paus. 1.8.4.]} and Phobos, a personification of panic fear.

pp. 112-113 (Kindle)

Young Athenian men used to swear a military oath of loyalty and service, and we do have evidence for the content of their oath and the gods they called upon. They did this as an ephêbos, either before or after their two years of military training and service, or possibly both before and after. This training qualified a young Athenian to serve as a citizen hoplite. The taking of this oath was an essential step in recognition by the state of the ephêboi as citizens. There are accounts of the oath from the fourth century BC in Lycurgus and from a stele found at Acharnae. While such training may have had antecedents in the Archaic Period and the fifth century,31 the more formalized period of training and the oath itself can only be securely dated to the fourth century and may have been instituted under Lycurgus.

The oath was sworn in the sanctuary of Aglaurus in Athens, and possibly in the boy’s local deme. This gave the oath local validity, with a local heroine, Aglaurus, as a witness, histôr, along with other gods suitable for the occasion: Witnesses to this shall be the gods Agraulus, Hestia, Enyo, Enyalios, Ares, Athena the Warrior, Zeus, Thallo, Auxo, Hêgêmonê, Heracles, and the Boundaries of my fatherland, Wheat, Barley, Vines, Olive-trees, Fig-trees.^{35 [Lycurg. Leocr. 77. For the context in which the oath of the ephebes is cited by Lycurgus, see Steinbock, 2011, 279–317.]} Specific gods are called upon to witness the oath. The witnesses included martial gods (Enyo, Enyalios, Ares and Athena Areia) who were appropriate overseers of the oaths of young men taking up their role as citizen warriors for their city.

Queyrel

p. 50

Small

p. 423

In the first place, several of Homer's allusions to certain minor divinities may well be considered as quasi-allegorical, as for instance the personifications of Terror Deimos) and Rout (Phobos):

So Ares spoke; and he called upon Deimos and Phobos to yoke his cahriot; and he himself donned his all-shining arms ... (Iliad 15.119 f.; cf. 4.440, 13.299),

or again the concrete images of abstract Discord (Eris), Uproar (Kydoimos), and Destruction (Ker):

Among them met Eris and Kydoimos; an among them the baneful Ker, [...] (Ilia 18.535 ff.; cf. 5.593, 11.53),

where the spirits of battle range the fields and set their hands upon the combatants; or finally [cont.]

p. 424 [...] the intension of the poet in these verses is not so much to convey a truth by means of personifications and significant action as, given personification as a poetic ornament, to depict these various daimones—Deimos, Phobos, Kydoimos, Eris, Ker, Hypnos, and the like—as acting or associating appropriately to their own natures, and by so depicting them, to heighten the aesthetic pleasure of readers of the poem.

Smith

s.v. Enyo

(Ἐνυώ), the goddess of war, who delights in bloodshed and the destruction of towns, and accompanies Mars in battles. (Hom. Il. 5.333, 592; Eustath. p. 140.) At Thebes and Orchomenos, a festival called Ὁμολώϊα was celebrated in honour of Zeus, Demeter, Athena and Enyo, and Zeus was said to have received the surname of Homoloius from Homolois, a priestess of Enyo. (Suid. s. v.; comp. Müller, Orchom. p. 229, 2nd edit.) A statue of Enyo, made by the sons of Praxiteles, stood in the temple of Ares at Athens. (Paus. 1.8.5.) Among the Graeae in Hesiod (Hes. Th. 273) there is one called Enyo. Respecting the Roman goddess of war see BELLONA.

Tripp

s.v. Enyo

A goddess of war. Enyo accompanied Ares into battle. She seems to have been little more than a personification of war. The Romans identified her with their war-goddess Bellona. [Homer, Iliad 5.333, 590–593; Pausanias 1.8.4.]