Editing Graeae (section)

==Mythology==
[[File:Fuseli perseus.jpg|thumb|190px|''[[Perseus]] Returning the Eye of the Graiai'' by [[Henry Fuseli]]]]
The Graeae were daughters of the sea-deities [[Ceto]] and [[Phorcys]] (from which their name the Phorcydes derived) and sisters to the [[Gorgon]]s.<ref name="Harris">Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzner. ''Classical Mythology: Images and Insights'' (Third Edition). California State University, Sacramento. Mayfield Publishing Company. 2000, 1998, 1995, pp. 273–274, 1039.</ref> The Graeae took the form of old, grey-haired women. Their age was so great that a human childhood for them was hardly conceivable. In ''[[Theogony]]'', however, [[Hesiod]] describes the Graeae as being "fair-cheeked". In ''Prometheus Bound'', the Graeae are described as being [[swan]]-shaped ("{{lang|grc|κυκνόμορφοι}}").<ref>[[Aeschylus]], ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0009%3Acard%3D780 795].</ref>

[[Hesiod]] names only two Graeae, the  "well-clad" "Pemphredo" ({{lang|grc|Πεμφρηδώ}} "alarm")<ref>Sometimes also spelled Peuphredo ({{lang|grc|Πευφρηδώ}}) or Pephredo ({{lang|grc|Πεφρηδώ}}) (see M. Hofinger, [https://books.google.com/books?id=UW8eAAAAIAAJ ''Lexicon Hesiodeum cum Indice Inverso''], p. 533). Alternatively, the name could be derived from [https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%BC%CF%86%CF%81%CE%B7%CE%B4%CF%8E%CE%BD πεμφρηδών], a kind of wasp living in hollow oaks or underground.</ref> and the "saffron-robed" Enyo ({{lang|grc|Ἐνυώ}}),<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D270 270-274]</ref> while [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]] lists Deino ({{lang|grc|Δεινώ}} "dread", the dreadful anticipation of horror) as a third.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+2.4.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 2.4.2].</ref> Calling them "Phorcides", [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], in addition to Pemphredo and Enyo, adds '''Persis''', noting that "for this last others say Dino".<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html Preface]</ref>

They shared one eye and one tooth, which they took turns using. By stealing their eye while they were passing it among themselves, the hero [[Perseus (mythology)|Perseus]] forced them to tell the whereabouts of the three objects needed to kill [[Medusa]] (in other versions, the whereabouts of Medusa) by ransoming their shared eye for the information.<ref name="Harris" />