Euphrosyne

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Euphrosyne
Goddess of good cheer, joy and mirth
Member of The Charites
A statue of Euphrosyne in Achilleion palace, Corfu.
AffiliationAphrodite
Major cult centreBoeotia
AbodeMount Olympus
Personal information
ParentsZeus and Eurynome
Nox and Erebus[1]
Siblings
by Zeus and Eurynome

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Euphrosyne (/jˈfrɒzɪn/; Ancient Greek: Εὐφροσύνη), is a goddess, one of the three Charites, known in ancient Rome as the Gratiae (Graces). She was sometimes called Euthymia (Ancient Greek: Εὐθυμία, lit.'good cheer') or Eutychia (Ancient Greek: Εὐτυχία, lit.'happiness').[2]

Family[edit]

According to Hesiod, Euphrosyne and her sisters Thalia and Aglaea are the daughters of Zeus and the Oceanid nymph Eurynome.[3] Alternative parentage may be Zeus and Eurydome, Eurymedousa, or Euanthe;[4] Dionysus and Coronis;[5] or Helios and the Naiad Aegle.[6]

The Roman author Hyginus, in his Fabulae, also mentions a figure named Euphrosyne, who is the daughter of Nox (Night) and Erebus (Darkness).[7]

Mythology[edit]

Euphrosyne is a goddess of good cheer, joy and mirth.[8] Her name is the female version of the word euphrosynos, "merriment". Pindar wrote that these goddesses were created to fill the world with pleasant moments and good will.[9] The Charites attended the goddess of beauty Aphrodite.[10]

In art, Euphrosyne is usually depicted with her sisters dancing.[8]

Euphrosyne (left) depicted with her sisters on The Three Graces sculpture at the Hermitage, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Cults[edit]

Euphrosyne and her sisters' main cult was located in Athens, Sparta, or Boetia.[8][11]

Legacy[edit]

In art and literature[edit]

Mrs Mary Hale as Euphrosyne, painted by Joshua Reynolds

In science[edit]


Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface.
  2. ^ Pindar, fr. 155
  3. ^ Hesiod, Theogony 907
  4. ^ Cornutus, Compendium of Greek Theology 15
  5. ^ Nonnus, Dionysiaca 15.87 & 48.530
  6. ^ Pausanias, 9.35.5
  7. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae Preface.
  8. ^ a b c Larson, Jennifer (2007). Ancient Greek Cults. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-0415491020.
  9. ^ Pindar, Olympian Ode 14.1-20
  10. ^ Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 58
  11. ^ "www.britannica.com". Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  12. ^ The Three Graces. Victoria & Albert Museum, 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  13. ^ "Milton, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso Archived 2019-03-06 at the Wayback Machine"

References[edit]