In Greek mythology, the Charites ( ), singular ''Charis'', or Graces, were three or more goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility.

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...

names three – Aglaea ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Joy"), and

Thalia Thalia, Thalía, Thaleia or Thalian may refer to: People * Thalia (given name), including a list of people with the name * Thalía (born 1971), Mexican singer and actress Mythological and fictional characters * Thalia (Grace), one of the three ...

("Blooming")

, '' Theogony''
907 ff
– and names Aglaea as the youngest and the wife of Hephaestus. In Roman mythology they were known as the , the "Graces". Some sources use the appellation "Charis" as the name of one of the Charites, and equate her with Aglaea, as she too is referred to as the wife of Hephaestus. The Charites were usually considered the daughters of Zeus and

Oceanid In Greek mythology, the Oceanids or Oceanides (; grc, Ὠκεανίδες, Ōkeanídes, pl. of grc, Ὠκεανίς, Ōkeanís, label=none) are the nymphs who were the three thousand (a number interpreted as meaning "innumerable") daughters o ...

Eurynome. Rarely, they were said to be daughters of

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

and Coronis or of

Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the deity, god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyper ...

and the

Naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who ...

Aegle Aegle may refer to: * Aegle (mythology), a number of characters from Greek mythology * 96 Aegle Aegle ( minor planet designation: 96 Aegle) is a carbonaceous asteroid and the namesake of the Aegle family located in the outer regions of the ast ...

Pausanias, ''Description of Greece''
9.35.5
or of

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; grc-gre, Ἥρα, Hḗrā; grc, Ἥρη, Hḗrē, label=none in Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she ...

by an unnamed father. Other possible names of their mother by Zeus are Eurydome, Eurymedousa, or Euanthe. Homer identified them as part of the

retinue A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers. Etymology The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...

of Aphrodite. The Charites were also associated with the

Greek underworld In mythology, the Greek underworld, or Hades, is a distinct realm (one of the three realms that makes up the cosmos) where an individual goes after death. The earliest idea of afterlife in Greek myth is that, at the moment of death, an individ ...

and the Eleusinian Mysteries. In post-classical painting and sculpture, the three Charites are often depicted naked or almost naked, but during the

Archaic Archaic is a period of time preceding a designated classical period, or something from an older period of time that is also not found or used currently: *List of archaeological periods **Archaic Sumerian language, spoken between 31st - 26th cent ...

and Classical periods of Greece, they were typically depicted as fully clothed.

Mythology

Sandro Botticelli - Three Graces in Primavera

Members of the Charites

The name and number of goddesses associated with the Charites varied, although they usually numbered three. Alternate names to Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia given in literature included: Damia ("Earth Mother"), Auxesia ("Spring Growth"),

Cleta In Greek mythology, Cleta (; Ancient Greek: Κλήτα ''Klḗtā'' means 'the glorious') was one of the Charites (Graces). The Laconia, Lakedaemonians, say that the Charites are two, who gave them the names of Cleta and Phaenna. Her name means "r ...

("Renowned"), Phaenna ("Bright"),

Hegemone In Greek mythology, Hegemone ( grc, Ἡγεμόνη means "mastery" derived from ''hegemon'' "leader, ruler, queen") was a Greek goddess of plants, specifically making them bloom and bear fruit. According to Pausanias, Hegemone was a name given by ...

("Leader"), Peitho ("Persuasion"), Paregoros ("Consolation"), Pasithea ("Relaxation"),

Charis In Greek mythology, the Charites ( ), singular ''Charis'', or Graces, were three or more goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility. Hesiod names three – Aglaea ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Joy"), and Thalia ...

("Grace"), and

Kale Kale (), or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head ...

("Beauty"). Alternatively, an ancient

vase painting Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

attests the following names as:

Antheia Antheia ( grc, Ἀνθεία) was one of the Charites, or Graces, of Greek mythology and was the goddess of swamps and flowery wreaths. She is the daughter of Zeus and Eurynome. She was depicted in Athenian vase painting as one of the attendant ...

("Blossoms"),

Eudaimonia Eudaimonia (Greek: εὐδαιμονία ; sometimes anglicized as eudaemonia or eudemonia, ) is a Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of 'good spirit', and which is commonly translated as 'happiness' or 'welfare'. In wor ...

("Happiness"), Euthymia ("Good Mood"),

Eutychia Eutychia is a female name of Greek origin which derives from the Ancient Greek name Εὐτύχιος (Eutychios), which originated from the Ancient Greek adjective εὐτυχής (eutyches) "the one whose fortune favors". Eutychia may refer to: ...

("Good Luck"), Paidia ("Play"), Pandaisia ("Banquet"), and Pannychis ("Night Festivities"), all refer to the Charites as patronesses of amusement and festivities. Pausanias interrupts his ''Description of Greece'' (Book 9.35.1–7) to expand upon the various conceptions of the Charites that developed in different parts of mainland Greece and

Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...

: Nonnus gives their three names as Pasithea, Peitho and Aglaia. Sostratus gives the names as Pasithea, Cale ("Beauty") and Euphrosyne; Pasithea for Thalia and Cale for Aglaia, Euphrosyne is unchanged. In Sparta, only Cleta and Phaenna were counted.

Role in mythology

The Charites' major mythological role was to attend the other Olympians, particularly during feasts and dances. They attended Aphrodite by bathing and anointing her in Paphos before her seduction of Ankhises and after she left Olympus when her affair with Ares is found out. Additionally, they are said to weave or dye her peplos. Along with Peitho, they presented

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

with necklaces to make her more enticing. Pindar stated the Charites arranged feasts and dances for the Olympians. Pindar, Olympian Ode 14
1-20
/ref> They also danced in celebration of the birth of Apollo with Aphrodite, Hebe, and Harmonia. They were often referenced as dancing and singing with Apollo and the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the p ...

. Pindar also referred to them as the guardians of the ancient Minyans and the queens of Orchomenus who have their thrones beside Apollo's. The Charites appear to have a connection to

, where some ancient authors reference her as their nurse. In the Iliad, as part of her plan to seduce Zeus to distract him from the Trojan War, she offers to arrange Hypnos's marriage to Pasithea, who is referred to as one of the younger Charites. Aglaea or Charis had a role as the wife of the smith god Hephaestus. In the Iliad, Aglaea invites Thetis into their shared home on Olympus so that the latter may ask for Hephaestus to forge armor for her son Achilles. Some scholars have interpreted this marriage as occurring after Hephaestus's divorce from Aphrodite due to her affair with Ares being exposed. Notably, however, some scholars, such as Walter Burkert, support that the marriage of Hephaestus and Aphrodite as an invention of the Odyssey, since it is not represented within other

or Classical era literature or arts, and it does not appear to have a connection to cult.

Cult

The cult of the Charites is very old, with their name appearing to be of Pelasgian, or pre-Greek, origin rather than being brought to Greece by Proto-Indo-Europeans. The purpose of their cult appears to be similar to that of nymphs, primary based around fertility and nature with a particular connection to springs and rivers. One of the earliest centres of worship for the Charites was the

Cycladic Islands The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name ...

including Paros, with epigraphical evidence for a cult to the Charites dating to the sixth century B.C.E. on the island of Thera. Scholars have interpreted them as chthonic deities connected to fertility due to the absence of wreaths and flutes in ceremonies. An aetiological explanation for the lack of music and garlands was from a myth involving

Minos In Greek mythology, Minos (; grc-gre, Μίνως, ) was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten ...

. He was said to have been sacrificing to the Charites on the island of Paros when he learned of his son's death in Athens and stopped the music and ripped off his garlands in grief. Dance, however, appears to be strongly connected with their cult, which is similar to the cults of

and Artemis. Although the Charites were most commonly depicted in the sanctuaries of other gods, there were at least four temples exclusively dedicated to them in Greece. The temple regarded as their perhaps most important was that in Orkhomenos in Boeotia, where their cult was thought to have originated. There were also temples to the Charites in Hermione, Sparta, and Elis. A temple was dedicated to the Charites near the Tiasa river in Amyclae,

Laconia Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word ''laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...

that was reportedly founded by the ancient King of Sparta, Lacedaemon. Les Trois Graces LP 5

In Orkhomenos, the goddesses were worshipped at a very ancient site with a trio of stones, which is similar to other Boiotian cults to Eros and Herakles. The local river Kephisos and the Akidalia (or Argaphia) spring was sacred to the three goddesses. Orkhomenos was an agriculturally prosperous city because of the marshy Kopaic plain, and the Charites were offered a portion of the produce. Regarding the foundation of their cult in Orkhomenos,

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

wrote: In cult, the Charites were particularly connected with Apollo and appear to be connect to his cult on

Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island are ...

, however, this connection is not present in other cults to Apollo. In the Classical era and beyond, the Charites were associated with Aphrodite in connection to civic matters. There was a festival in honour of the Charites which was called ''Charisia'' (Χαρίσια). During this festival there were dances all night and at the end a cake was given to those who remained awake during the whole time.

Visual art

Despite the Charites often being depicted naked entwined in an embrace, this appears to be a later development, as in depictions from

and

Classical Greece Classical Greece was a period of around 200 years (the 5th and 4th centuries BC) in Ancient Greece,The "Classical Age" is "the modern designation of the period from about 500 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C." ( Thomas R. Marti ...

, they are finely dressed. In contrast, third century B.C.E. poets Callimachus and Euphorion describe the trio as being nude. The earliest representation of these goddesses was found in a temple of Apollo in

Thermon Thermos (; also known as Thermon or Thermum; grc-gre, Θέρμος) was an ancient Greek sanctuary, which served as the regular meeting place of the Aetolian League. Its focal point was the temple of Apollo Thermios, famous for the archaic terr ...

dated to the seventh to sixth century B.C.E. It is possible, however, that the Charites are represented on a Mycenean golden seal ring that depicts two female figures dancing in the presence of a male figure, who has been interpreted as Hermes or Dionysus. Another early representation of the Charites, from a relief at the Paros colony of Thasos dated to the beginning of the fifth century B.C.E., shows the Charites with Hermes and either Aphrodite or Peitho, which marked the entrance to the old city. The opposite side of the relief shows Apollo being crowned by Artemis with nymphs in the background. At the entrance of the

Akropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

, there was a famous Classical era relief of the Charities and Hermes, and the popular belief was that the sculptor was

Sokrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no tex ...

, although this is very unlikely. One of the earliest known Roman representations of the Graces was a wall painting in Boscoreale dated to 40 B.C.E, which also depicted Aphrodite with Eros and

with Ariadne. The group may have also appeared on a small number of coins to symbolize the union between Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Minor and on other coins they were depicted in the hands of

Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods *Juno (film), ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno'' *Ju ...

or Venus. The Graces were common subject matter on Roman sarcophagi, and they were depicted on several mirrors. On the representation of the Graces, second century C.E. geographer Pausanias wrote:

During the Renaissance, the Roman statue group of the three graces in the Piccolomini library in Duomo di Siena inspired most themes. The Charites are depicted together with several other mythological figures in Sandro Botticelli's painting '' Primavera''. Raphael also pictured them in a painting now housed in

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France * Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department ** US Chantilly, a football club * Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States *Chantilly, Miss ...

in France. Among other artistic depictions, they are the subject of famous sculptures by

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cl ...

and

Bertel Thorvaldsen Bertel Thorvaldsen (; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish and Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–1838) in Italy. Thorvaldsen was born in ...

. A group of three trees in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park are named "The Three Graces" after the Charites.

List of notable artworks with images resembling the three Charites

* Anonymous * Anonymous *

Jean Arp Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp (16 September 1886 – 7 June 1966), better known as Jean Arp in English, was a German-French sculptor, painter, and poet. He was known as a Dadaist and an abstract artist. Early life Arp was born in Straßburg (now Stras ...

(16 September 18867 June 1966) ''The Three Graces'' (1961) * Francesco Bartolozzi *

Jacques Blanchard Jacques Blanchard (1600–1638), also known as Jacques Blanchart, was a French baroque painter who was born in Paris. He was raised and taught by his uncle, the painter (ca. 1560–1630). Jacques’s brother and son, Jean-Baptiste Blanchar ...

(1631–33) ''Man surprising Sleeping Venus and Graces'' *

Giulio di Antonio Bonasone Giulio Bonasone (c. 1498 – after 1574) (or ''Giulio de Antonio Buonasone'' or ''Julio Bonoso'') was an Italian painter and engraver born in Bologna. He possibly studied painting under Lorenzo Sabbatini, and painted a ''Purgatory'' for the ch ...

* Sandro Botticelli (1482); detail of '' Primavera''; * Marie Bracquemond (1880) ''

Trois femmes aux ombrelles ''Three Women with Parasols'' (french: Trois femmes aux ombrelles), also known as ''The Three Graces'', is an 1880 oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Marie Bracquemond. The painting depicts three women wearing the then fashionable style of ...

'' *

(1799) '' The Three Graces'' *

Agostino Carracci Agostino Carracci (or Caracci) (16 August 1557 – 22 March 1602) was an Italian painter, printmaker, tapestry designer, and art teacher. He was, together with his brother, Annibale Carracci, and cousin, Ludovico Carracci, one of the founders of ...

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...

Antonio da Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...

(1518); *

Francesco del Cossa Francesco del Cossa (c. 1430 – c. 1477) was an Italian Renaissance painter of the School of Ferrara, who after 1470 worked in Bologna. Cossa is best known for his frescoes, especially his collaboration with Cosimo Tura on a cycle of the mont ...

, Allegory of April, Palazzo Schifanoia,

School of Ferrara The School of Ferrara was a group of painters which flourished in the Duchy of Ferrara during the Renaissance. Ferrara was ruled by the Este family, well known for its patronage of the arts. Patronage was extended with the ascent of Ercole d'Este I ...

. * Maurice Raphael Drouart *

Ewen Feuillâtre Ewen is a male given name, most common throughout Scotland as well as Canada, due to the immigration of Scottish people. It is an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic name, Eòghann. It is possibly a derivative of the Pictish name, ''Uuen'' (or 'W ...

''The Three Graces : Aglaea, Euphrosyne & Thalia'' (2020) * Hans Baldung Grien (1540) * Ludwig Von Hofmann * Laura Knight *

Jean-Baptiste van Loo Jean-Baptiste van Loo (14 January 1684 – 19 December 1745) was a French subject and portrait painter. Life and career He was born in Aix-en-Provence, and was instructed in art by his father Louis-Abraham van Loo, son of Jacob van Loo. Hav ...

(1684–1745) at the

Château de Chenonceau The Château de Chenonceau () is a French château spanning the river Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire. It is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire Valley. The estate of Chenonceau is firs ...

* Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1348–50) ''Allegory of Good Government'' * Jacob Matham * Arthur Frank Mathews * Bruce Peebles & Co. advertisement (c. 1900) * Pablo Picasso ''The Three Graces'' (1925) *

Germain Pilon Germain Pilon (c. 1525 – 3 February 1590)Connat & Colombier 1951; Thirion 1996. was a French Renaissance sculptor. Biography He was born in Paris and trained with his father, Andre Pilon. Documents show that he and his father executed severa ...

* Jacopo Pontormo (1535) *

James Pradier James Pradier (born Jean-Jacques Pradier, ; 23 May 1790 – 4 June 1852) was a Genevan-born French sculpture, sculptor best known for his work in the neoclassicism, neoclassical style. Life and work Born in Geneva (then Republic of Geneva), Prad ...

(1831) ''Les Trois Grâces'' *

Jean-Baptiste Regnault Jean-Baptiste Regnault (9 October 1754 – 12 November 1829) was a French painter. Biography Regnault was born in Paris, and began life at sea in a merchant vessel. At the age of fifteen his talent attracted attention, and he was sent to I ...

''Les Trois Grâces'' (1797–1798) * Peter Paul Rubens * Raphael Sanzio * Anna Soghomonyan, ''Three Graces'' (2020) * Cosimo Tura (1476–84) detail of ''Allegory of April'' * Unknown artist, '' The Three Graces'' sculpture in Indianapolis *

Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley (born February 28, 1977)"Kehinde Wiley"
''Artnet''. Retrieved October 13, 2010. i ...

''Three Graces'' * Joel-Peter Witkin

References

''(The Imagebase links are all broken)''

Bibliography

* Colluthus, ''The Rape of Helen'' in ''Oppian, Colluthus, Tryphiodorus'', translated by A. W. Mair,

Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a series of books originally published by Heinemann in London, but is currently published by Harvard University Press. The library contains important works of ancient Greek and L ...

No. 219, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1928.
Online version at Harvard University Press
* Fisher, Nick, "Kharis, Kharites, festivals, and social peace in the classical Greek city," in Ralph M. Rosen and Ineke Sluiter (Eds), ''Valuing Others in Classical Antiquity'' (Leiden, Brill, 2010) (Mnemosyne Supplements, 323), * Grimal, Pierre
''The Dictionary of Classical Mythology''
Wiley-Blackwell, 1996,
"Charites" p. 99
* Smith, William; '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', London (1873)
"Charis"

External links

— art article (Spanish)
Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (ca 300 images of the Charites)
{{Authority control Arts goddesses Fertility goddesses Greek goddesses Nature goddesses Children of Zeus Triple goddesses Beauty goddesses Children of Helios Children of Dionysus Children of Hera Women in Greek mythology Characters in Greek mythology Olympian deities sl:Harite