Eucleia

Eucleia or Eukleia (Greek: Ευκλεια) was the ancient Greek female personification of glory and good repute.[1] Along with her sisters, Eupheme, Philophrosyne and Euthenia, she was likely regarded as a member of the younger Charites.[2] According to Plutarch, Eucleia may have also been used as an epithet of Artemis.[3]

According to an Orphic rhapsody fragment, Eucleia's parents were Hephaestus and Aglaea.[2] 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]

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.[4][1] She was also referred by ancient Greek author Bacchylides as "garland-loving".[5]

Cult in Greece and Macedonia

Eucleia was worshipped in Locris and Boeotia.[6] Plutarch states that all cities in these areas had an image and alter of her, and this is where brides and grooms would perform a sacrifice.[3] At Thebes, her statue was created by Skopas.[7] 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][8] It is likely that Eucleia was worshipped together with Eunomia at Athens, as they were served by one priest.[9]

In Paros and Epiros, military generals (stratêgoi) offered dedications to Eucleia along with Aphrodite, Zeus (Aphrodisios), Hermes, and Artemis.[10]

There was a sanctuary dedicated to Eucleia at Aigai (Aegae), the ancient capital of Macedonia.[11] The sanctuary consisted of a 4th century Doric temple, a small Hellenistic era temple, and two stoas.[7] At least two statute 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.[7] It is possible that there was a statute of Eucliea in the sanctuary.[7] In the area surround the sanctuary, at least three burials of significant people, who were crowned with golden oak leaf wreathes, have been discovered.[12]

Notes
  1. Smith, Amy C. (2005). "The politics of weddings at Athens: an iconographic assessment". Leeds international classical Studies. 4.1: 1–32.
  2. Atsma, Aaron J. (2017). "EUKLEIA". Theoi Project.
  3. Plutarch, Aristides, 20.5-6
  4. 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.
  5. Bacchylides, Fragment 13
  6. Borza, p. 192
  7. Palagia, Olga (2016). "Visualising the gods in Macedonia: from Philip II to Perseus". Pharos. 22: 73–98.
  8. Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.14.5
  9. Stafford, E. J. (1994). Greek cults of deified abstractions (Doctoral dissertation, University of London).
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.

References
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