View source for Litae

{{Short description|Ancient Greek divinities with moral function, daughters of Zeus}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| name = The Litae
| deity_of = Personifications of Prayers
| abode = [[Mount Olympus]] (possibly)
| parents = [[Zeus]]<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' 9.450; [[Quintus Smyrnaeus]], ''[[Posthomerica]]'' 10.300</ref>
| siblings = [[Atë]]
}}
{{Greek deities (personifications)}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Litae''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|aɪ|t|iː}}; [[Ancient Greek]]: Λιταί means 'prayers') were [[personification]]s of prayers offered up in repentance and were ministers of the god [[Zeus]]. They were described as hobbling, old women. Their opposite number was [[Atë|Ate]], the spirit of delusion and folly, in whose wake they followed.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 9.502; [[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] ''ad Homer'' p. 768</ref><ref>[[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]] ''s.v.'' Aigai, calls them Aetae, which however is probably only a mistake in the name</ref>

== Family ==
[[Homer]] describes them as ''kourai'' "maidens" of Zeus rather than ''thugateres'' "daughters", so it is not clear if they were his literal daughters.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:9.492-9.537 9.502].</ref>

This is supported by [[Quintus Smyrnaeus]], who attests that they were the children of the king of the gods:<blockquote>([[Paris (mythology)|Paris]] addresses his former wife [[Oenone|Oinone]]): 'Remember not those pangs of jealousy, nor leave me by a cruel doom to die low fallen at thy feet! This should offend the Litai (Prayers), the daughters of the Thunderer Zeus, whose anger followeth unrelenting pride with vengeance, and the [[Erinyes|Erinnys]] (Fury) executes their wrath.'<ref>[[Quintus Smyrnaeus]], ''Posthomerica'' [https://archive.org/details/falloftroy00quin/page/440/mode/2up?view=theater 10.301 (pp. 440, 441)]. {{PD-notice}}</ref></blockquote>

== Mythology ==
They appear in [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]'' in Book 9 as the lame and wrinkled daughters of [[Zeus]] who follow after Zeus' exiled daughter [[Atë]] ("Folly") as healers but who cannot keep up with the fast-running Atë. They bring great advantage to those who venerate them, but if someone dishonors them, they go to Zeus and ask that Atë be sent against that person.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 9.502 ff.</ref><blockquote>The very immortals can be moved; their virtue and honour and strength are greater than ours are, and yet with sacrifices and offerings for endearment, with libations and with savour men turn back even the immortals in supplication, when any man does wrong and transgresses. For there are also Litai (Spirits of Prayer), the daughters (''kourai'') of great Zeus, and they are lame of their feet, and wrinkled, and cast their eyes sidelong, who toil on their way left far behind by the spirit of Ruin (Ate): but she, Ate (Ruin), is strong and sound on her feet, and therefore far outruns all Litai (Prayers), and wins into every country to force men astray; and the Litai (Prayers) follow as healers after her. If a man venerates these daughters of Zeus as they draw near, such a man they bring great advantage, and hear his entreaty; but if a man shall deny them, and stubbornly with a harsh word refuse, they go to Zeus, son of [[Cronus|Kronos]], in supplication that Ate (Ruin) may over take this man, that he be hurt, and punished. So [[Achilles|Akhilleus]]: grant, you also, that Zeus' daughters be given their honour, which, lordly though they be, curbs the will of others.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 9.498 ff. {{PD-notice}}</ref></blockquote>This is an obvious allegory on the supposed power of prayer to mitigate the misfortunes into which one's folly has led one.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==

* [[Homer]], [[Iliad|''The Iliad'']] with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. {{ISBN|978-0674995796|}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* [[Quintus Smyrnaeus]], ''Quintus Smyrnaeus: The Fall of Troy'', translated by A. S. Way, Cambridge, Massachusetts, [[Harvard University Press]], 1913. [https://archive.org/stream/falloftroy00quin#page/n5/mode/2up Internet Archive].

{{Greek mythology (deities)|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Greek goddesses]]
[[Category:Personifications in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Daughters of Zeus]]
[[Category:Deities in the Iliad]]