Iris, << EYE ris >>, in Greek mythology, is a goddess that represented the rainbow and served as a messenger of the gods. Her name comes from the Greek words meaning messenger or conciliator. A conciliator is a person who works to end a dispute and bring peace. The names and symbol suggest a bridge between heaven and Earth. The will of the gods is transmitted across this bridge, restoring peace and order to the natural world.
Iris was daughter of Thaumas, an ancient god who represented the wonders of the ocean. Her mother was Elektra, a nymph representing amber-tinted clouds. Iris’s brother Hydaspes was a swift river, and her sisters were the Whirlwinds, also known as Harpies. Iris married Zephyrus, the west wind.
No statues of Iris are known, but she appears on some Greek vases and in bas-reliefs (shallow carvings). She is usually shown standing and dressed in a long tunic, a loose garment slipped over the head. Like Hermes, another messenger of the gods, she is often shown flying with wings on her shoulders and sandals. She carries a herald’s staff, called a kerykeion, in her left hand. No surviving Greek myths feature Iris. She is mentioned as the gods’ messenger in the Iliad, an epic poem credited to the Greek poet Homer. After Homer’s time, Iris is usually described as a personal messenger of the goddess Hera.
