The goddess Hecate, the Hecateion and the Charites, Archaeological Museum of Venice

“Hecate – the Hecateion and the Charites”

The goddess Hecate, the Hekateion and the Charites at the Archaeological Museum of Venice in Italy

Hekateion and Charites Sculpture – Pentelic marble (Height 65 cm) 2nd century BC

Hecate was a goddess with many attributes.

She was credited with providing assistance and aid on land, in the sky and at sea.

Hecate also brought health and victory, whilst bestowing wisdom – what more could one ask for?

Hecate, born on the island of Delos, was the daughter of the Titan Perseus and the goddess of the starry night, Asteria.

Hekateion and Charites Hecate had helped Demeter find her daughter Persephone, who had been abducted by Hades, the king of the dead.

Hecate is always depicted as a triple goddess, with three bodies whose faces are turned in different directions, to clearly show her many protective aspects.

Her three-headed depictions in the form of the Hekateion thus made her the protective guardian of crossroads, as she could see everywhere at once!

In this sculpture, Hecate’s face has small, almond-shaped eyes that are almost Asian in appearance, as well as a small mouth.

As with most Greek goddesses, a parting divides her curly hair into two symmetrical sections that fall over her shoulders.

Hekateion and Charites The Three Charites, three young girls wearing a calathos and holding hands, are leaning against each of Hecate’s three bodies.

The Calathos was a basket made of rushes or wicker, relatively narrow and flaring outwards at the top, which women often wore on their heads.

By analogy, it became the modius crowning certain goddesses, including Hecate.

These three Charites emphasise here the positive and protective aspect of the goddess Hecate.

Goddesses Aphrodite | Artemis | Athena | Demeter | Hecate | Hermafroditus
Artworks The Goddesses | The Dignitaries
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