Horae


In Greek mythology the Horae or Horai or Hours were the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time.

Etymology

The word "Horae" comes from the Proto-Indo-European stem *Hioh1-r- "year."

Function

They were originally the personifications of nature in its different seasonal aspects, but in later times they were regarded as goddesses of order in general and natural justice. "They bring and bestow ripeness, they come and go in accordance with the firm law of the periodicities of nature and of life", Karl Kerenyi observed: "Hora means 'the correct moment'." Traditionally, they guarded the gates of Olympus, promoted the fertility of the earth, and rallied the stars and constellations. The course of the seasons was also symbolically described as the dance of the Horae, and they were accordingly given the attributes of spring flowers, fragrance and graceful freshness. For example, in Hesiod's Works and Days, the fair-haired Horai, together with the Charites and Peitho crown Pandora—she of "all gifts"—with garlands of flowers. Similarly Aphrodite, emerging from the sea and coming ashore at Cyprus, is dressed and adorned by the Horai, and, according to a surviving fragment of the epic Cypria, Aphrodite wore clothing made for her by the Charites and Horai, dyed with spring flowers, such as the Horai themselves wear.

Names and numbers

The number of Horae varied according to different sources, but was most commonly three: either the trio of Thallo, Auxo and Carpo or Eunomia and her sisters Dike and Eirene.

The earlier Argive Horae

In Argos, two Horae, rather than three, were recognised presumably winter and summer: Auxesia and Damia.
In late euhemerist interpretations, they were seen as Cretan maidens who were worshipped as goddesses after they had been wrongfully stoned to death.

The classical Horae triads

The earliest written mention of Horai is in the Iliad where they appear as keepers of Zeus's cloud gates. "Hardly any traces of that function are found in the subsequent tradition," Karl Galinsky remarked in passing. They were daughters of Zeus and Themis, half-sisters to the Moirai.
The Horai are mentioned in two aspects in Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns:
Of the first, more familiar, triad associated with Aphrodite and Zeus is their origins as emblems of times of life, growth :
At Athens, two Horae: Thallo and Carpo, also appear in rites of Attica noted by Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. Thallo, Auxo and Carpo are often accompanied by Chione, a daughter of Boreas and Orithyia/ Oreithyia, and the goddess/personification of snow and winter. Along with Chione, Thallo, Auxo and Carpo were a part of the entourage of the goddess of the turn of the seasons, Persephone.

Second triad

Of the second triad associated to Themis and Zeus for law and order:
The last triad of Horae was identified by Hyginus:
in his Dionysiaca mentions a distinct set of four Horae, the daughters of Helios. Quintus Smyrnaeus also attributes the Horae as the daughters of Helios and Selene, and describes them as the four handmaidens of Hera. The seasons were personified by the ancients, the Greeks represented them generally as women but on some antique monuments they are depicted as winged children with attributes peculiar to each season. The Greek words for the four seasons of year:
NamePersonifiedDescription
EiarSpringCrowned with flowers, holding either a kid or a sheep, and having near to her a budding shrub: she is also characterised by Mercury, and by a ram.
TherosSummerCrowned with ears of corn, holding a bundle of them in one hand and a sickle in the other: she is also characterised by Apollo, and by a serpent.
PhthinoporonAutumnEither holds bunches of grapes, or has a basket of fruits upon her head: she is also characterised by Bacchus, and by a lizard or hare.
KheimonWinterWell clothed, and the head covered, stands near a tree deprived of foliage, with dried and withered fruits in one hand and water-fowls in the other: she is also characterised by Hercules, and by a salamander.  

Modern influence

Poussin has represented the four seasons by subjects drawn from the bible: Spring is portrayed by Adam and Eve in paradise: Summer, by Ruth gleaning: Autumn, by Joshua and Caleb bearing grapes from the promised land; and Winter, by the deluge.
In more modern representations the seasons are often surrounding Apollo: Spring, as Flora, crowned with flowers, and in a shaded green drapery over a white robe: Summer, standing under the lion in the zodiac, with a gold-coloured drapery over a white gauze vestment, the edges of which are tinged by the yellow rays of the sun, holding a sickle, having near her a wheat-sheaf : Autumn, as a Bacchante, in a violet-coloured garment, pressing grapes with one band into a golden cup, which she holds in the other; and Winter as an aged person, placed in the shade at a great distance from the god.

The Hours

Finally, a quite separate suite of Horae personified the twelve hours, as tutelary goddesses of the times of day. The hours run from just before sunrise to just after sunset, thus winter hours are short, summer hours are long:

The nine Hours

According to Hyginus, the list is only of nine, borrowed from the three classical triads alternated:
NamePersonifiedTriad
Auco or perhaps AuxoGrowth1st triad
EunomiaOrder2nd triad
PherusaSubstance3rd triad
CarpoFruit1st triad
DikéJustice2nd triad
Euporie or EuporiaAbundance3rd triad
Eirene or IrenePeace2nd triad
Orthosie or OrthosiaProsperity, from the 3rd triad)3rd triad
ThalloFlora1st triad

The ten or twelve Hours

A distinct set of ten or twelve Hours is much less known and they are described as daughters of Chronos :
NameDescription
Augefirst light,
Anatolê or Anatoliasunrise
Mousikê or Musicathe morning hour of music and study
Gymnastikê, Gymnastica or Gymnasiathe morning hour of education, training, gymnastics/exercise
Nymphê or Nymphathe morning hour of ablutions
Mesembrianoon
Spondelibations poured after lunch
Eleteprayer, the first of the afternoon work hours
Aktê, Acte or Cypriseating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours
Hesperisend of the afternoon work hours, start of evening
Dysissunset
Arktos or Arctusnight sky, constellation

The twenty-four Hours

The last set of hours of the day and night is allegorically represented in the following:
HoursDescriptionRuling Planet
Hours of MorningThe ancients supposed each of the hours to be governed by a separate planet.Ruling Planet
First hourRepresented as a young girl, her head adorned with light flowing hair; she is clad in a short dress of rose-colour, resembling the tints of the clouds before the
rising of the sun; her wings are like those of a butterfly, and she holds the Sun and a bunch of full-blown roses.
Sun
Second hourAppears to have wings like the preceding; her hair is of a darker hue, and her dress of a deep gold colour; she is surrounded by light clouds, indicating the vapours
which the sun exhales from the earth; her attributes are the planet Venus and a sunflower.
Venus
Third hourHer hair is brown, and her drapery is white, shaded with red; she holds the planet Mercury and a sun-dial.Mercury
Fourth hourConsidered to be time best calculated for gathering herbs, as the heat of the sun had by then dissipated the clouds, and sufficiently dried the earth; its
personification was therefore clothed entirely in white, and bore a hyacinth and the figure of the Moon.
Moon
Fifth hourHer robe was tinged with lemon colour, denoting the golden brightness of the sun as it advances towards the meridian; in her hand was the planet SaturnSaturn
Sixth hourTurns her face to the beholder, and as the sun has now attained its greatest power, her dress is red and flaming; her accompaniments are the planet Jupiter and a
lotus, which, like the sunflower, follows the course of the sun.
Jupiter
Seventh hourHer dress is orange, tinged with red; she holds the planet Mars and a lupin, a plant that, according to Pliny, served to indicate the time to the country people
on a cloudy day.
Mars
Eight hourWears a variegated robe of orange and white, showing the diminution of light, now beginning to be apparent; the Sun is in her hands.Sun
Ninth hourHer attitude and that of the two preceding hours, inclines towards the horizon; her dress is lemon-coloured; she bears the planet Venus and a branch of olive, a tree said by Pliny to shed its leaves during the solstice.Venus
Tenth hourShe is dressed in yellow, tinged with brown; she holds the planet Mercury and a branch of poplar.Mercury
Eleventh hourAs the day draws to its close, appeared to be precipitating her flight; her drapery is dark yellow, and her attributes are a moon and a clepsydra, or hour-glass, which marks the time without the sun's assistance.Moon
Twelfth hourSeems in the act of plunging beneath the horizon, thus denoting the setting of the sun; she is dressed in a robe of dark violet colour, and holds the planet Saturn and a branch of willow.Saturn
Hours of NightThese, like the hours of the day, are depicted with wings, and in the attitude of flying; they differ from each other only in the colour of their drapery, and in their various attributes.
First hourHer robe is of the hue of the horizon during twilight; she bears in her hands the planet Jupiter and a bat.Jupiter
Second hourHabited in dark gray, and holds the planet Mars and a screech owl.Mars
Third hourClad in black, carries an owl and the Sun.Sun
Fourth hourHer dress is not quite so dark as that of the preceding, because the light of the heavenly bodies now diminishes in some measure the obscurity of night; she holds the planet Venus and an hour-glass.Venus
Fifth hourHer attributes are the planet Mercury and a bunch of poppies.Mercury
Sixth hourShe is enveloped in a thick black drapery, and holds the Moon and a which has the faculty of seeing in the dark.Moon
Seventh hourHer robe is deep blue; she bears the planet.Saturn and a badger, that animal being much disposed to sleep.Saturn
Eight hourClad in a lighter blue, holds the planet Jupiter and a dormouse.Jupiter
Ninth hourDressed in violet colour, to denote the approach of morning, and is characterised by the planet Mars and an owl.Mars
Tenth hourHer robe is of a paler shade of violet; she bears the Sun and a clock surmounted by a bell.Sun
Eleventh hourHabited in blue, and accompanied by a cock, holds the planet Venus.Venus
Twelfth hourHer attitude of flying precipitately behind the horizon; her drapery is of mixed colours, white, blue, and violet; she bears in her hand the planet Mercury, and leads a swan, which, by its white plumage, indicates the brightness of the coming day. Mercury