The Necklace
of Harmonia was a magical object in
Greek mythology that brought ill fortune to anyone who possessed it. It was
created by the blacksmith god Hephaestus.
of Harmonia was a magical object in
Greek mythology that brought ill fortune to anyone who possessed it. It was
created by the blacksmith god Hephaestus.
When Hephaestus found
out that his wife Aphrodite,
goddess of love, had an affair with Ares,
god of war, he became enraged and developed a scheme with which he managed to
ridicule both of them to the rest of the Olympian gods. He also said that any
child that would be produced by this union would be cursed. Aphrodite had
a daughter, whom she named Harmonia.
This daughter later became the wife of the legendary founder of the city
of Thebes, Cadmus.
As soon as Hephaestus found
out about the marriage, he went to Harmonia and
offered her the necklace as a gift. He had previously cursed the necklace to
bring misfortune to anyone who wore or possessed it; at the same time, though,
the necklace was able to bring eternal youth and beauty to its bearer.
According to the myths,
the necklace was made of gold and jewels, and had the shape of two serpents forming
a clasp with their open mouths.
out that his wife Aphrodite,
goddess of love, had an affair with Ares,
god of war, he became enraged and developed a scheme with which he managed to
ridicule both of them to the rest of the Olympian gods. He also said that any
child that would be produced by this union would be cursed. Aphrodite had
a daughter, whom she named Harmonia.
This daughter later became the wife of the legendary founder of the city
of Thebes, Cadmus.
As soon as Hephaestus found
out about the marriage, he went to Harmonia and
offered her the necklace as a gift. He had previously cursed the necklace to
bring misfortune to anyone who wore or possessed it; at the same time, though,
the necklace was able to bring eternal youth and beauty to its bearer.
According to the myths,
the necklace was made of gold and jewels, and had the shape of two serpents forming
a clasp with their open mouths.
Harmonia and
her husband were eventually turned into serpents, and the necklace was
inherited by their daughter, Semele.
It also brought her demise, as the day she wore it, she was visited by a
disguised Hera and
was tricked into asking her lover, who was Zeus in
disguise, to reveal himself; Zeus was
forced to comply causing her instant death. The necklace later fell into the
hands of Queen Jocasta,
who remained young and beautiful thanks to it. She unknowingly married her
son Oedipus,
and when the truth was revealed, she killed herself, while Oedipus tore
his eyes out. Polynices inherited
the necklace and gifted it to Eriphyle, eventually leading to her demise as
well. It then went into Arsinoe’s hands, before finally reaching the hands of
Amphoterus and Acarnan. They both decided to offer the necklace to the Temple
of Athena in Delphi,
in order to stop any further misfortunes. The necklace was stolen, however, by
the tyrant Phayllus, who offered it to his lover; however, her son fell into
madness, set fire to the house, killing everyone in there. This is the last
story linked to the Necklace
of Harmonia.
her husband were eventually turned into serpents, and the necklace was
inherited by their daughter, Semele.
It also brought her demise, as the day she wore it, she was visited by a
disguised Hera and
was tricked into asking her lover, who was Zeus in
disguise, to reveal himself; Zeus was
forced to comply causing her instant death. The necklace later fell into the
hands of Queen Jocasta,
who remained young and beautiful thanks to it. She unknowingly married her
son Oedipus,
and when the truth was revealed, she killed herself, while Oedipus tore
his eyes out. Polynices inherited
the necklace and gifted it to Eriphyle, eventually leading to her demise as
well. It then went into Arsinoe’s hands, before finally reaching the hands of
Amphoterus and Acarnan. They both decided to offer the necklace to the Temple
of Athena in Delphi,
in order to stop any further misfortunes. The necklace was stolen, however, by
the tyrant Phayllus, who offered it to his lover; however, her son fell into
madness, set fire to the house, killing everyone in there. This is the last
story linked to the Necklace
of Harmonia.
Source: Greek Mythology
