Eirene: Another Face of Spring

As tulips, daffodils and hyacinths spring up around me, it is important to note that there are other Greek goddesses associated with the springtime, one of which is Eirene (Irene). One of the Horai, or seasons, she is the daughter of Zeus and Themis and is often portrayed with her two sisters, Dike (Justice) and Eunomia (Order). When she is shown alone, she typically carries Plutus, the god of wealth, as an infant. Even more so than springtime, however, Eirene is known as the goddess of peace and was often prayed too after a long campaign (many of which happened in late springtime). If you have never heard of Eirene, you may have heard of her Roman equivalent Pax, as in Pax Romana, the long period of peace experienced by Rome in the 1st and 2nd century AD.

Learn more about Eirene on Theoi.com here.