Eucleia

In Greek mythology, Eucleia or Eukleia (Ancient Greek: Ευκλεία) was the female personification of glory and good repute.^[1]

Family

Along with her sisters, Eupheme, Euthenia and Philophrosyne, Eucleia was likely regarded as a member of the younger Charites.^[2] According to Plutarch, Eucleia was also used as an epithet of Artemis.^[3]

According to an Orphic rhapsody fragment, Eucleia's parents were Hephaestus and Aglaea.^[4] Alternatively, Plutarch stated that Eucleia was sometimes considered a separate goddess and the daughter of Heracles and Myrto, and as she died a virgin, she came to be venerated as a goddess.^[3]

Mythology

In Greek vase paintings, particularly from 5th century Athens, Eucleia is frequently shown among the attendants of Aphrodite, where she represents the good repute of a chaste bride or is performing stereotypically feminine tasks.^[5]^[1] She was also referred by ancient Greek author Bacchylides as "garland-loving".^[6]

Cult

Eucleia was worshipped in Locris and Boeotia.^[7] Plutarch states that all cities in these areas had an image and altar of her, and this is where brides and grooms would perform a sacrifice.^[3] At Thebes, her statue was created by Skopas.^[8] In Athens, a temple was dedicated to Artemis-Eucleia in honor of those who fought in the Battle of Marathon, which is referenced by Greek author Plutarch and Roman geographer Pausanias.^[3]^[9] It is likely that Eucleia was worshipped together with Eunomia at Athens, as they were served by one priest.^[10]

In Paros and Epiros, military generals (stratêgoi) offered dedications to Eucleia along with Aphrodite, Zeus (Aphrodisios), Hermes, and Artemis.^[11]

There was a sanctuary dedicated to Eucleia at Aigai (Aegae), the ancient capital of Macedonia.^[12] The sanctuary consisted of a 4th-century Doric temple, a small Hellenistic era temple, and two stoas.^[8] At least two statue bases were votive offerings by Eurydice, paternal grandmother of Alexander the Great; it has been suggested that these offerings were made to commemorate Philip II's victory at Chaeronea in 338 B.C.E.^[8] It is possible that there was a statue of Eucliea in the sanctuary.^[8] In the area surround the sanctuary, at least three burials of significant people, who were crowned with golden oak leaf wreathes, have been discovered.^[13]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Smith, Amy C. (2005). "The politics of weddings at Athens: an iconographic assessment" (PDF). Leeds International Classical Studies. 4 (1): 1–32.
^ Atsma, Aaron J. (2017). "EUKLEIA". Theoi Project.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Plutarch, Aristides, 20.5-6
^ Orphic fr. 182 Kern, p. 213 (English translation).
^ Mylonopoulos, Joannis (2013). "Amy C. Smith, Polis and Personnification in Classical Athenian Art". Chronique des activités scientifiques Revue des livres. 26: 391–396 – via Kernos.
^ Bacchylides, Fragment 13
^ Borza, p. 192
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Palagia, Olga (2016). "Visualising the gods in Macedonia: from Philip II to Perseus". Pharos. 22: 73–98.
^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.14.5
^ Stafford, E. J. (1994). Greek cults of deified abstractions (Doctoral dissertation, University of London).
^ Budin, Stephanie Lynn (2010). "Aphrodite Enoplion". In Smith, Amy C.; Pickup, Sadie (eds.). Brill's Companion to Aphrodite. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. p. 85. ISBN 978-90-04-18003-1.
^ Drougou, Stella (2011). "Vergina—The Ancient City of Aegae". In Lane Fox, Robin J. (ed.). Brill's Companion to Ancient Macedon. Boston, MA: Brill. pp. 243-256. ISBN 978-9004206502.
^ Kyriakou, Athanasia (2014). "Exceptional burials at the sanctuary of Eukleia at Aegae (Vergina): the gold oak wreath". Annual of the British School at Athens. 109: 251–285. doi:10.1017/S0068245414000082. S2CID 194950425.