An image of the Three Graces in Botticelli’s painting, Primavera (c. 1475-78). |
Charites
Roman name: Gratiae or Graces
The personification of grace and beauty in nature and culture.
The three Charites or Graces are: Aglaea (‘Splendour’), Thalia (‘Good Cheer’), and Euphrosyne (‘Mirth’). They are the goddesses of nature, fertility, beauty and human creativity They are variously said to be the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome (the seniority of these parents implying the Charites’ centrality to human life) or the daughters of Dionysus and Aphrodite (thereby implying that beauty and charm derive from love and merrymaking).
The Charites bestowed talent upon mortals and, along with the Muses, they inspired artistic and poetic creativity. They were believed to be present at all weddings and, according to Homer, they served attendance upon Aphrodite, the goddess of love.