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The Furies

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Ancient Greek avenging deities who pursue those guilty of kin-slaying or oath-breaking, embodying inescapable retribution.

Detailed Definition
Also called Erinyes, they pursued Orestes for matricide until acquitted by Athena. They represent primal justice and moral order. Poets reference the Furies to symbolize guilt, retribution, and the inescapable consequences of blood crimes, often as forces haunting the conscience.
Example
Example in poetry:
Aeschylus’s Oresteia dramatizes the Furies’ pursuit of Orestes for matricide; Virgil’s Aeneid portrays them as agents of divine vengeance in the underworld; Ovid’s Metamorphoses references their role in punishing oath-breakers; Later allegory uses the Furies to symbolize guilty conscience; In Christianized poetry, they become demons of retribution; Their name evokes relentless, chthonic justice.
Additional Notes
The Furies (Erinyes)—Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone—punish blood crimes, especially matricide. Aeschylus’s Oresteia transforms them into Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”), symbolizing justice’s evolution. Students should note their snaky hair and torches as emblems of relentless vengeance. Later, they represent conscience and retribution. Related: Orestes, underworld, divine justice.
Also Known As
The Furies the Avenging Ones Erinyes of Blood-Guilt Tormentors of Oath-Breakers Dark Sisters—Alecto Megaera Tisiphone
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