Iris (mythology)

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Iris (; EYE-riss; Ancient Greek: Ἶρις, romanized: Îris, lit. 'rainbow,' Ancient Greek: [îːris]) is a daughter of the gods Thaumas and Electra, and the personification of the rainbow. She functions as a messenger and servant to the Olympians, particularly Hera. Iris was traditionally seen as the consort of Zephyrus, the god of the west wind and one of the four Anemoi, by whom she is the mother of Pothos in some texts. While Iris appears in several stories running errands or carrying messages to and from the gods, she has no unique mythology of her own. There are only a few traces of archaic worship and cultic activity on the island of Delos, and mentions of her worship are scant in surviving records. In ancient art, Iris was depicted as a winged young woman carrying a caduceus, the symbol of messengers, and a pitcher of water for the gods.