HARMONIA (goddess of harmony and concord)

Her marriage to Cadmus, whom she believed to be mortal, was celebrated in seven-gated Thebes in connection with the founding of the city.^{8,9,10,4,1,11} The gods descended to the Cadmea to celebrate her marriage, bringing gifts and providing a feast, which was the first for which gods provided a feast, and the sons of heaven attended the ceremony.^1,11,10 Apollo played the lyre while the Muses played their flutes and sang during the wedding celebration, as the sons of Cronus gave gifts for Harmonia's espousal.^11,12,4 Ares created a circlet for Harmonia's bridal dowry to address his deceit, and Grief, Passions, and Anguish moulded the circlet rather than divine artisans.¹³ The circlet contained emeralds, adamant, Gorgon eyes, thunderbolt embers, the fruit of the Hesperides, and Phrixus' golden fleece, and it was anointed with lunar foam and the poison of delight.¹³

Harmonia received a golden necklace and a robe from Aphrodite, and a renowned necklace, a robe, and a flute from Athena.^14,15,11 Electra gave Harmonia cymbals, kettledrums, and other ritual instruments, while Cadmus presented her with a robe and a necklace made by Hephaestus.^11,1 A necklace was originally given to Harmonia, though Pherecydes claims Europa gave the necklace to Cadmus after receiving it from Zeus.^1,16 Polyneices possessed the golden necklace that had been given to Harmonia, and he gave the necklace to Eriphyle to persuade her husband to join the war.¹⁴ The necklace was dedicated in a sanctuary in Amathus, Cyprus.¹⁶

With Cadmus, Harmonia bore Semele, Ino, Autonoe, Agave, and Polydorus, and legend says she gave birth to the nine Muses.^2,9,3 The Thebans identify ruins of her bridal chamber on their citadel, and Harmonia was led to her home by a procession of brothers carrying torches.^12,17 She left Thebes with Cadmus to travel to the Encheleans, where she served as a leader for the Encheleans against the Illyrians.¹⁸ Harmonia was traveling with Cadmus while carrying the remains of Pentheus and accompanying Epirus, the daughter of Echion, on a journey.¹⁹ In some accounts, Cadmus fled away with her after taking her, and she was described as a slave belonging to the king.²⁰

Harmonia was transformed into a serpent alongside Cadmus, and she was sent to the Elysian Fields by Zeus.^18,8 Ares will protect her and settle her life in the land of the blessed, and she will be brought to the altars and tombs of Hellas.⁸ Her tomb is located near the city of Pola on the Illyrian river, and she was present at the gathering of the gods on Olympus.^21,22,23 Harmonia gave Aphrodite the specific epithet Heavenly, and she knew of crimes committed by both foreigners and Greeks, including those similar to those attributed to Phaedra and the Thracian Tereus.^24,25 She danced with the Graces, Seasons, Hebe, and Aphrodite, holding the wrists of the other goddesses, and in some accounts served as a cupbearer for the gods.^23,5