The Story of a Goddess: How Eirene Became the Season of Spring

In Greek mythology, Eirene was the goddess of peace and security.

To give peace and safety to the people of ancient Greece during wartime, she was known as Eirene, which gave her the name “the seasons of spring’ because of when she came into existence.

Over time, however, this meaning became unclear.

In Greek mythology, Eirene had no real children who were her own distinct characters.

She was part of a larger pantheon and appeared in several stories, but no one character stood out as hers alone. As such, the idea that she represented spring became less prominent with time and eventually went unnoticed.

However, Eirene remains an important figure in many cultures today because her story touches on themes relevant to all humans in varying circumstances:

how to stay positive even when the world is against you;

how to turn adversity into something beautiful;

and how even the smallest actions can make a difference over time if we allow them to do so.

Origins

The Babylonians and Egyptians had a god called Inanna (or Ishtar) who was associated with fertility and therefore the season of spring. Inanna was also associated with the planet Venus and with the colour blue.

The Greeks, however, did not begin to associate Eirene with the seasons of spring until much later, making her a relatively new goddess. The earliest stories about Eirene are from the second millennium BCE.

The earliest is a story, which appears in the Cypria and the Little Iliad, about how Eirene was born from the marriage of the goddess Aphrodite and the god Ares. Aphrodite fell in love with Ares while he was fighting in a war, but Ares did not love her back.

The two agreed to be married in secret; for their wedding, Aphrodite asked for a special gift from Ares: a sign that he loved her. Because Aphrodite was the goddess of love, she knew that he did not truly love her, so what she really wanted was a sign that would let her know that he cared.

Aphrodite fell for the gift and when she was pregnant, she gave birth to a daughter, Eirene.

Significance in the Story of Eirene

Overall, the story of Eirene can be seen as showing how even in a world full of turmoil, our actions can bring peace, love, and joy. Aphrodite’s desire for a sign of love made her look at the bigger picture and see how her actions mattered to her.

This is a valuable lesson for all of us, especially during stressful times. Even though the story of Aphrodite and Ares is primarily about their marriage, it can also be interpreted as a story about how even in the most stressful of circumstances, we can find beauty in life.

Aphrodite and Ares fell in love at first sight, but this didn’t mean that their love was instant. Like the blooming of a beautiful flower, their relationship grew over time. And just like a flower, each moment of their relationship was special.

Mythology: How Eirene Came to Be the Season of Spring

The spring season is one of the few in which the weather is not affected by the movement of the sun across the sky—so much so that it’s been referred to as the “indirect season.”

It’s also often one of the wettest seasons, with rain or even snow falling almost every day. If a spring storm or blizzard were to hit during this season, it would be particularly hard on the people of this time of year, who were already struggling to get by during the winter.

So how did the ancient Greeks get around these challenges? By turning Eirene into the season of spring. Like the Babylonians and Egyptians before them, the ancient Greeks also associated Eirene with the colour blue. And as it happens, the blue colour of the sky is often associated with spring.

Also, in Greek mythology, Aphrodite’s daughter, the goddess Persephone, was associated with the season of spring.

Persephone was said to spend winter with the mortals, and spring and summer with the gods, and Eirene and Persephone sharing the same name in mythology allowed the ancient Greeks to connect peace and spring with Aphrodite, one of the most well-known goddesses in their pantheon.

How We Know Stories About Peace and Safety Stay Alive

The ancient Greeks also believed that stories about peace and safety staying alive, like the story of Eirene, would help to keep their culture positive.

When people were in wartime or were experiencing other hardships, they needed a positive outlook on life more than ever, and they found it in stories about the goddess Eirene.

By telling these stories, the ancient Greeks could show their people that even in the worst of circumstances, there was a beauty to be found and that they weren’t alone in their struggles.

Conclusion

Eirene, the goddess of peace and safety, was born in the marriage of Aphrodite and Ares. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, sought a sign of love from Ares, the god of war.

So, she gave birth to Eirene—daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, lover of peace and the seasons of spring. Eirene is the goddess of spring, summer, and autumn.

The stories about her and her importance in ancient mythology show us that, even in the most stressful of circumstances, we can find beauty in life and make a difference over time if we allow it to happen.

Eirene is a great example of how even the smallest actions, when repeated often, can make a big difference.

I'll be narrating this article to my nan when I see her next. Who's name is Irene. That should make her smile.