Eucleia
Encyclopedia
Eucleia was the ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...

 female spirit of glory and good repute. She was the sister of Eupheme
Eupheme
Eupheme was the ancient Greek female spirit of words of good omen, praise, acclaims, shouts of triumph, and applause. Her opposite was Momus and her sisters were Euthenia, Eucleia, and Philophrosyne. Along with her sisters, she was regarded as a member of the younger Charites...

, Philophrosyne
Philophrosyne
Philophrosyne was the ancient Greek female spirit of welcome, friendliness, and kindness. Her sisters were Euthenia, Eupheme, and Eucleia. Along with her sisters, she was regarded as a member of the younger Charites...

 and Euthenia
Euthenia
Euthenia was the ancient Greek female spirit of prosperity. Her opposite was Penia and her sisters entailed Eucleia, Philophrosyne, and Eupheme. Along with her siblings, she was regarded as a member of the younger Charites. According to the Orphic fragments, her parents were Hephaestus and Aglaea....

. Along with her sisters, she was regarded as a member of the younger Charites
Charites
In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...

. In Greek vase paintings, Eucleia is frequently shown among the attendants of Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....

 where she represents the good repute of a chaste bride.

She had a sanctuary in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, which was dedicated to her in honor of those who fought in the Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 battle. She was at time identified with Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...

. She was mentioned by ancient Greek authors such as Bacchylides
Bacchylides
Bacchylides was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of nine lyric poets which included his uncle Simonides. The elegance and polished style of his lyrics have been a commonplace of Bacchylidean scholarship since at least Longinus...

 (Fragment 113) and Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...

 (Life of Aristides).

According to the Orphic
Orphism (religion)
Orphism is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and the Hellenistic world, as well as by the Thracians, associated with literature ascribed to the mythical poet Orpheus, who descended into Hades and returned...

 rhapsody fragments, Eucleia's parents were Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...

 and Aglaea
Aglaea
Aglaea or Aglaïa is the name of several figures in Greek mythology.-Charis:The youngest of the Charites, Aglaea or Aglaia was one of three daughters of Zeus and the Oceanid Eurynome. Her other two sisters were Euphrosyne, and Thalia. Together they were known as the Three Graces, or the Charites...

. However, Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...

 stated that her parents were Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...

 and Myrto
Myrto (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the name Myrto may refer to one of the following characters:* Myrto, one of the Maenads* Myrto, a possible eponym for the Myrtoan Sea* Myrto, an Amazon and one of the possible mothers of Myrtilus by Hermes....

, that she died a virgin and came to be venerated as a goddess She was worshipped in Locris
Locris
Locris was a region of ancient Greece, the homeland of the Locrians, made up of three distinct districts.-Locrian tribe:...

, Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...

 and Macedonia.
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