Definition

Proper noun 1. One of the three Furies (Erinyes) in Greek mythology: Tisiphone is a goddess of vengeance, specifically responsible for punishing crimes of murder, particularly fratricide and patricide. Her name means "Avenger of Murder."

Usage

• Tisiphone is always capitalized as it is a proper name.
• It is used in the context of classical mythology, literature, and discussions of ancient religion or archetypal figures representing vengeance.

Examples

• In Virgil's , Tisiphone is described as guarding the gates of Tartarus.
• The three sisters, Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, were feared as the relentless Furies.
• The myth tells that Tisiphone pursued Orestes for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra.

Advanced Usage

• As an archetype: In literary analysis, Tisiphone can be referenced as an archetype of relentless, divine retribution.
  • The character in the novel serves as a modern Tisiphone, haunting the corrupt official for his crimes.

Variants and Related Words

• Fury / Erinyes (pl. Erinyes): The general name for the trio of vengeance goddesses to which Tisiphone belongs.
• Eumenides ("the Kindly Ones"): A euphemistic name later used for the Furies, particularly in Aeschylus's play of that name.

Synonyms

• Avenger
• Retributor (in the specific mythological context)

Related Idioms or Phrases

• To be pursued by the Furies: To be tormented by guilt or the consequences of a grave wrong, often a blood crime. While this idiom uses the group name, Tisiphone is implicitly part of this pursuit.
  • After the betrayal, he felt as if he were being pursued by the Furies.

Noun

1. one of the three Furies