In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia, and her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discordia. According to one account she is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite; by another, the daughter of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, but almost always the wife of Cadmus. With Cadmus, she was the mother of Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agave and Semele. When the government of Thebes was bestowed upon Cadmus by Athena, Zeus gave him Harmonia. All the gods honoured the wedding with their presence. Cadmus (or one of the gods) presented the bride with a robe and necklace, the work of Hephaestus. This necklace, commonly referred to as the Necklace of Harmonia, brought misfortune to all who possessed it. According to another account, Harmonia was from Samothrace and was the daughter of Zeus and Electra, her brother Iasion being the founder of the mystic rites celebrated on the island. Finally, Harmonia is rationalized as closely allied to Aphrodite Pandemos, the love that unites all people, the personification of order and civic unity, corresponding to the Roman goddess Concordia. Harmonia was later turned into a serpent along with her husband.
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- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
