| Bia | |
|---|---|
Personification of violence | |
_at_the_National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens_on_May_22%2c_2022.jpg) Mural of Bia at theNational and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Pallas andStyx |
| Siblings | Nike,Kratos, andZelus |
InGreek mythology,Bia (/ˈbaɪə/;Ancient Greek:Βία[bí.aː],'force, strength') is the personification of violence.[1]
Bia was the daughter of theTitanPallas andOceanidStyx,[2] and sister ofNike,Kratos, andZelus.[3]
Bia and her siblings were constant companions ofZeus.[4] They achieved this honour after supporting him in theTitan War along with their mother.[5] Bia is one of the characters named in the Greek tragedyPrometheus Bound, attributed toAeschylus, whereHephaestus is compelled by the gods to bindPrometheus after he was caught stealing fire and offering the gift to mortals. Although she appears alongside her brother Kratos, she does not speak.
Along with their mother, Bia and her siblings helped Zeus in his war against the Titans. The war, which was referred to as theTitanomachy, lasted for ten years, with the Olympian gods emerging victorious. Due to their heroic actions during the war, the four siblings won Zeus's respect and became his constant companions. They were almost always by his side as he sat on his throne in Mount Olympus, and they were tasked with enforcing Zeus's orders whenever he required an act of strength.[6]
Bia is not as well known as her siblings Kratos or Nike, and when she appears in myths, she is usually silent. However, she does play a pivotal role in the story of Prometheus. Prometheus was one of the Titans and was often in conflict with Zeus. Eventually, he angered Zeus so much that he decided to punish him for all of eternity. He ordered that Prometheus be chained to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains. Bia and her brother, Kratos, were sent to carry out this task, but Bia was the only one strong enough to actually bind Prometheus to the rock with the unbreakable chains. Each day, an eagle would pluck out Prometheus's liver and eat it in front of him. Each night his liver would regrow, and the cycle would begin again, leaving him in perpetual torment.[7]
According toPausanias, there was a sanctuary to Bia andAnanke nearAcrocorinth.[8]
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