Alecto (Ancient Greek: Ἀληκτώ, "Unceasing anger") is one of the Erinyes or Furies in classical mythology. In early Greek accounts the Erinyes arise from the blood of castrated Uranus; later Roman tradition individualizes three sisters — Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera — as snake-haired avengers. Alecto's special role is to punish moral crimes among mortals, especially anger against others; her most famous appearance is in Virgil's Aeneid, where Juno sends her to kindle war in Latium against Aeneas.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Alecto" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family and description
According to early Greek accounts such as Hesiod's, the Erinyes were daughters of Gaea fertilized by the blood spilled from Uranus when Cronus castrated him. In later Roman accounts, like Virgil's, they are depicted in individualized form as three sisters: Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. These three Furies had snakes for hair and blood dripped from their eyes; they also had wings.
Alecto's job as a Fury is castigating the moral crimes (such as anger) of humans, especially if they are against others. Her function is similar to Nemesis, with the difference that Nemesis castigates crimes against the gods, not mortals. Her punishment for mortals was Madness.
II.In mythology
In Virgil's Aeneid (Book VII), Juno commanded the Fury Allecto (spelled with two l's) to prevent the Trojans from settling peacefully in Latium. Allecto's mission is to wreak havoc on the Trojans and cause their downfall through war. To do this, Allecto takes over the body of Queen Amata, who clamors for the Latin mothers to riot against the Trojans.
She disguises herself as Juno's priestess Calybe and appears to Turnus in a dream, persuading him to begin war against the Trojans. Met with a mocking response, Allecto abandons persuasion and attacks Turnus with a torch, causing his blood to "boil with the passion for war." When she asks to provoke still more strife, Juno replies that she will manage the rest of the war herself and sends Allecto back.