Iris, Zephyros and Eros: A genealogy of winged beings and winds

Abstract

In a lesser known mythological tradition Eros is the son of Iris and Zephyros. His mother, Iris, belongs to a lineage of winged beings who are connected to a pre-cosmic dimension that precedes the historical reality ruled and guaranteed by Zeus. His father, Zephyros, is a wind and also a winged being whose story is linked to the birth of other superhuman beings who contribute to the foundation of a reality not yet fully established. Equally, Eros is a primordial superhuman being, whose nature at a mythical level is that of preceding the foundation of the cosmos. The purpose of this work is to investigate – through the meanders of mythological heritage – which elements of the narratives referring to these characters are relevant to classical Greek culture.