Eurynomos (daemon)

Eurynomos was, in Greek mythology, a daemon of the underworld, specifically associated with the rotting corpses of the dead. He is primarily known from a single, brief mention in Pausanias' Description of Greece.

According to Pausanias, Eurynomos was depicted in a painting by Polygnotus in the sanctuary of Delphi, specifically within the Lesche of the Cnidians. This painting, part of a larger cycle illustrating scenes from the underworld, showed Eurynomos as having a bluish-black complexion, indicative of decay. The description paints a picture of a ghastly figure feeding on corpses, rather than a judge or tormentor of the dead.

Information regarding Eurynomos is scarce. Unlike more prominent figures of the underworld such as Hades, Persephone, or even Charon, Eurynomos appears to have played a relatively minor role in Greek beliefs about the afterlife. His sole description by Pausanias offers a glimpse into the more gruesome and less commonly explored aspects of the Greek underworld, emphasizing the physical decay of the body rather than the moral judgment of the soul. There are no surviving myths or legends that detail his origins, functions, or interactions with other deities or figures.