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| Homeric world
(12)
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Graces or Charites
The goddesses of grace (Il. 17.51, Od. 6.18). They were the followers and handmaids of Aphrodite (Od. 8.364, 18.194), who weaved her peplos (Il. 5.338). Homer does not number them, however he names only one of them, Pasithea (Od. 14.269 & 275).
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...But he himself came to Athens and celebrated the games of the Panathenian festival,
in which Androgeus, son of Minos, vanquished all comers. Him Aegeus sent against
the bull of Marathon, by which he was destroyed. But some say that as he journeyed
to Thebes to take part in the games in honor of Laius, he was waylaid and murdered
by the jealous competitors. But when the tidings of his death were brought to
Minos, as he was sacrificing to the Graces in Paros, he threw away the garland
from his head and stopped the music of the flute, but nevertheless completed the
sacrifice; hence down to this day they sacrifice to the Graces in Paros without
flutes and garlands.
| This extract is from: Apollodorus, Library and Epitome (ed. Sir James George Frazer, 1921). Cited Mar 2003 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains comments & interesting hyperlinks. |
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Charites or Gratiae (Graces). Goddesses of grace, and of everything
which lends charm and beauty to nature and human life. According to Hesiod, they
are the offspring of Zeus and the daughter of Oceanus and Eurynome. Their names
are Euphrosyne (Joy), Thalia (Bloom), and Aglaia (Brilliance). Aglaia is the youngest,
and the wife of Hephaestus; for the inspiration of the Graces was deemed as necessary
to the plastic arts as to music, poetry, science, eloquence, beauty, and enjoyment
of life. Accordingly, the Graces are intimate with the Muses, with whom they live
together on Olympus. They are associated, too, with Apollo, Athene, Hermes, and
Peitho, but especially with Eros, Aphrodite, and Dionysus. Bright and blithe-hearted,
they were also called the daughters of the Sun and of Aegle (Gleam). They were
worshipped in conjunction with Aphrodite and Dionysus at Orchomenus in Boeotia,
where their shrine was accounted the oldest in the place, and where their most
ancient images were found in the shape of stones said to have fallen from heaven.
It was here that the feast of the Charitesia was held in their honour, with musical
contests. At Sparta, as at Athens, two Charites only were worshipped, Cleta, or
Sound, and Phaenna, or Light; at Athens their names were Auxo (Increase) and Hegemone
(Queen). It was by these goddesses, and by Agraulos daughter of Cecrops, that
the Athenian youths, on receiving their spear and shield, swore faith to their
country. The Charites were represented in the form of beautiful maidens, the three
being generally linked hand in hand. In the older representations they are clothed;
in the later, they are loosely clad or entirely undraped.
| This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks |
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Graces (Charites)
Three goddesses of happiness, beauty and feasts. The nymph Eurynome
and Zeus were their parents and their names were Aglaia (Splendour), Euphrosyne
(Delight) and Thalia (Blossom). They served Aphrodite and Eros and sang and danced
for the gods together with the Muses to the music of Apollo's lyre.
| This text is cited Sept 2003 from the In2Greece URL below. |
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Pasithea
One of the Graces, that Hera promised to give as wife to Sleep (Il. 14.269 & 276).
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Pasithea. One of the Charites, or Graces, also called Aglaia.
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Aglaea, Grace
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Euphrosyne, Grace
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Thaleia, Grace
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