IIARMONIA, wife of Cadmus, said to have been the daughter of Zeus and Electra, while her brother Iasion was the founder of the mystic rites which were celebrated annually on the island of Samothrace. When Cadmus came there, and was initiated, he received Harmonla as his wife. The gods honored the wedding with their presence; Athene presented the bride with a pcplus and necklace; Electra gave the mystic rites of the mother of the gods. According to the scholiast on Euripides, Cadmus, with the aid of Athena carried off Harmonia; and iu the mysteries, the lost Harmonia is regularly sought for. • We have here an exact parallel to the Eleusiniau legends. Electra and Harmonia are mere varieties. of Demeter and Core. Cadmus like Pluto carries off the bright daughter of the goddess to the world below to spend there the dreary winter. Hence, in the Theban tale, Cadmus and Harmonia leave Thebes to go away among the Eneheleis- the snake people are themselves changed into serpents, and are finally trans lated to the oly-sian fields. We then understand, too, why (according to Pausanias,
ix. 16, 6) Cadmus dwelt at Thebes in the temple of Demeter Thesmophoros. The neck lace, wrought by Hepluestns, which Harmonia received as a marriage gift, may be C0111 pared with the cestus of Aphrodite; for it is difficult to draw a line between Harmonia or Core and Aphrodite. Then it seems to be mythic representation of some phenomenon like the halo of dawn or the rainbow. Like the works of the German dwarfs, this necklace carried with it ill-luck, and the legends give it a history of woe. With it Polynices bribed Eriphyle to betray her husband Amphiarans. It brought death at last to her son Alcmmon. Dedicated in the temple of Athene Pronoia at Delphi, it was given by the tyrant Phayllus (332 u.c.) to his mistress; her son going mad, set fire to the house, and she perished in the conflagration.