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Charis (/ˈkærɪs/;Ancient Greek:Χάρις, orKharis, "Grace"), is a goddess inGreek mythology. She is a member of theCharites (Ancient Greek:Χάριτες) — or Gratiae (Graces) inRoman mythology — who are goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, creativity and fertility. While the termCharis can refer to a member of this group generically, the name Charis is also used for specific goddesses in surviving sources.
Charis is the wife ofHephaestus, as described inHomer'sIliad (written ~8th century BCE),[1] as well as in the laterDialogues of the Gods byLucian (2nd century CE)[2] and theDionysiaca byNonnus (5th century CE).[3] In theIliad, Charis lives with Hephaestus in a bronze-wrought home onMount Olympus, into which she welcomesThetis so that the latter may ask for Hephaestus to forge armor for her sonAchilles.[1]
This is not the only tradition of Hephaestus' spouse, however. In Homer'sOdyssey, the poetDemodocus sings that Hephaestus was married toAphrodite, whom he caught having an affair withAres.[4] Nonnus reconciles these by depicting Charis as the jealous bride of Hephaestus, whom he married after separating from Aphrodite.[3] Lucian provides an alternative explanation in a dialogue betweenApollo andHermes, saying that Hephaestus is married to Aphrodite and Charis at the same time, one inLemnos and one in Heaven (which way round is not stated), although this is before Hephaestus exposes Aphrodite's affair with Ares.[2]
Hesiod names the member of the Charites who is married to Hephaestus asAglaea,[5] and some scholars conclude that references to Aglaea and Charis refer to the same goddess under different names.[6] However, Aglaea appears in theDionysiaca, and although she is referred to generically as "the Charis" when carrying out orders fromAphrodite, she also explicitly refers to Charis as a separate (and less loyal) attendant of Aphrodite when speaking toEros.[7]
TheDionysiaca refers to Charis several other times.Typhon refers to her—alongside Aphrodite (called by the epithets Cythereia and Paphian),Hera,Leto,Athena,Artemis, andHebe—among goddesses that he expects to serve him after he conquersZeus (which never happens).[8]Harmonia, daughter of Aphrodite andAres, is compared to Charis and referred to by that name by the Libyan army.[3] Later, Charis herself accompanies Aphrodite when visiting Harmonia.[9]
