Iris
Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and swift messenger of the gods — travelling between Olympus, earth, and the underworld.
The Myth of Iris
Iris was the swift-footed messenger of Hera and the gods, travelling on the rainbow that bridged Olympus, earth, and the underworld. Daughter of the sea-god Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra, she was sister to the Harpies. In the Iliad, Iris carried Zeus's commands to the battlefield of Troy, summoned warriors, and relayed divine threats. She could descend to the river Styx to fetch its sacred water for oaths among the gods — a task no other immortal dared. While Hermes served as Zeus's personal herald, Iris answered to Hera and served the wider assembly of Olympians. She appears alongside Athena and Apollo in moments of crisis, a golden-winged figure racing between heaven and earth.
Parents
Thaumas and Electra
Children
Pothos (in some traditions)
Symbols
Fun Fact
The iris of the eye, the iris flower, "iridescent" colours, and the element iridium are all named after this goddess.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Iris
⚡ godGoddess of the rainbow and divine messenger
The swift-footed goddess of the rainbow who served as Hera's personal messenger, bridging heaven and earth with her arc of colour.
Iridescent
💭 conceptRainbow colours, shimmering light, colour-shifting surfaces
Showing luminous shifting colours like a rainbow, from Iris, the goddess who personified the rainbow.
Electra
🌿 nymphclouds, rain, rainbows
An Oceanid nymph, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, who married the sea god Thaumas and bore Iris the rainbow goddess and the Harpies.
Hermes
⚡ godGod of travellers, thieves, and communication
Hermes was the messenger god, guide of souls, patron of travellers and thieves — the most versatile and likeable Olympian, born cunning.
Leucothea
⚡ godsea, rescue
Sea goddess who rescued drowning sailors, formerly the mortal princess Ino.
Amphitrite
⚡ godGoddess-queen of the seas
Amphitrite co-ruled the oceans with Poseidon.
Thaumas
🏔 titanSea Wonders, Marvels
An ancient sea god whose name meant "wonder," father of the rainbow goddess Iris and the storm-bringing Harpies.
Peneus
⚡ godriver, Thessaly
River god of the Peneus in Thessaly, father of Daphne.
Styx
🌿 nymphOceanid goddess of the oath-river
Styx was both a river and an Oceanid goddess — the first divine ally of Zeus in the Titanomachy, rewarded by having her waters become the gods' unbreakable oath.
Persephone
⚡ godQueen of the Underworld
The daughter of Demeter who became queen of the dead — the goddess who bridges the living world and the realm of the departed.
Iris
💭 conceptAnatomy and mythology
The coloured part of the human eye that controls the size of the pupil, named after Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, because of the wide range of colours it can display
Hermes
⚡ godMessenger of the gods, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries
The swift messenger of the gods and guide of souls to the underworld. Hermes was the cleverest of the Olympians, patron of merchants and thieves alike.