Litae

"Prayers." A personification of the prayers offered up in repentance. They are described as the daughters of Zeus, and as following closely behind crime [Ate], and endeavoring to make amends for what has been done; but whoever disdains to receive them, has himself to atone for the crime that has been committed.

"For prayers are as daughters to great Jove; halt, wrinkled, with eyes askance, they follow in the footsteps of sin [Ate], who, being fierce and fleet of foot, leaves them far behind him, and ever baneful to mankind outstrips them even to the ends of the world; but nevertheless the prayers come hobbling and healing after. If a man has pity upon these daughters of Jove when they draw near him, they will bless him and hear him too when he is praying; but if he deny them and will not listen to them, they go to Jove the son of Saturn and pray that he may presently fall into sin — to his ruing bitterly hereafter." — Homer. Iliad, ix, 502 ff.

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References

Sources

  • Eustathius on Homer, p. 768.
  • Hesychius, s.v. αἶγαι, calls them Aetae, which however is probably only a mistake in the name.
  • Homer. Iliad ix, 502 ff.
  • Smith, William. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: Taylor, Walton, and Maberly.

This article incorporates text from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) by William Smith, which is in the public domain.