Iris
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
The Meaning of Iris
The iris is the coloured muscular structure in the eye that surrounds the pupil and controls the amount of light entering the retina. It was named after Iris, the Greek goddess and personification of the rainbow, because human irises display a remarkable spectrum of colours — blue, green, brown, hazel, grey, and amber — echoing the rainbow that Iris used as her bridge between heaven and earth. In Greek mythology, Iris served as messenger of the gods, particularly of Hera. She was depicted as a beautiful young woman with golden wings, carrying a caduceus and wearing robes of iridescent colour. In the Iliad, Iris delivers messages between the gods and the warring armies at Troy. The anatomical term was coined during the Renaissance by anatomists who noticed the variety of colours the structure could display. The iris is unique to each individual — iris recognition is more accurate than fingerprinting for biometric identification, with a probability of two irises being identical estimated at one in ten to the seventy-eighth power. The word "iridescent," meaning displaying shifting rainbow colours, derives from the same goddess.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
Every human iris pattern is unique — the probability of two irises being identical is roughly one in ten to the seventy-eighth power, far more distinctive than fingerprints
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
Iridescent
💭 conceptRainbow colours, shimmering light, colour-shifting surfaces
Showing luminous shifting colours like a rainbow, from Iris, the goddess who personified the rainbow.
Iridium
💭 conceptChemistry and mythology
A chemical element named after Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, because its salts produce a striking variety of colours
Glaukos
💭 conceptmythology, perception
The gleaming grey-green color of the sea and the owl's eye — a color term that blurred the boundary between grey, green, and blue, associated with divine sight and sea-light.
Aphrodite
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The planet Venus is named after the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, because it is the brightest and most beautiful object in the night sky after the Moon
Venus
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The second planet from the Sun and the brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love identified with the Greek Aphrodite
Goddess of Night
💭 conceptNight, darkness, shadows, mystery
Nyx is the primordial goddess of night, so powerful that even Zeus avoids provoking her wrath.
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.
Narcissistic Personality
💭 conceptPsychology and mythology
A psychological condition characterised by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, named after Narcissus, the beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection
Nyx
💭 conceptPrimordial goddess of night
The primordial goddess of night, one of the first beings to emerge from Chaos. So powerful that even Zeus feared her.
Nectar
💭 conceptDrink of the gods
Nectar was the divine drink of the Olympian gods, served by Hebe and later Ganymede — the liquid complement to ambrosia.
Mars
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The fourth planet from the Sun, named after Mars, the Roman god of war identified with the Greek Ares, because its reddish colour suggested blood and conflict
Muses
💭 conceptNine goddesses of arts and sciences
Nine sister goddesses who inspired all forms of art, literature, and knowledge. Every poet, musician, and thinker invoked the Muses before creating.