The Muse Erato used to be worshiped by cursed lovers and sentimentalists in hopes for a better love life. Instead of a trumpet, which would stress her function as a messenger, she was given a scroll, which more accurately depicts her duty as Olympus’ own divine chronicler. Hyacinthus, the handsome young Spartan who was a lover of Apollo and after whom the hyacinth flower was called after his death, is thought to have been the son of Clio.įurthermore in some less well-known versions of the popular Adonis myth, Clio was the one who killed Adonis over a dispute involving the goddess Aphrodite.Ĭlio is typically seen in artworks with a trumpet in her left hand or a scroll in her right. In Greek, kleos means “glory,” which is where her name comes from. Clio: the Muse of HistoryĬlio is the historian’s muse and is also known as “The Proclaimer.” She documents acts of valor and honors past achievements of many accomplished soldiers and great warriors in history. The Greek poet Homer is said to have sought inspiration from the Muse Calliope before composing his famous work the Iliad and the Odyssey. Calliope is also sometimes depicted with a headpiece on her head to emphasize her royal status. Many representations of Calliope have her clutching a stone tablet to her chest. In other accounts, she is the mother of the Sirens by Achelous, the god of the Achelous River. In some accounts, she is believed to be the mother of Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or the Thracian king Oeagrus. Like many of her sisters, Calliope was associated with the Greek god Apollo. It was then ruled that Adonis spend a third of the year with each goddess. When a fierce conflict broke out between Greek goddesses Persephone and Aphrodite over the handsome youth Adonis, Zeus dispatched Calliope to resolve the dispute. This feature of her is the reason why she was believed to preside over eloquence as well. The Greek aspects of her given name, kallos, which means “wonderful voice,” provide a unique name known as “The One with a Beautiful Voice”. This was evident when she turned the daughters of King Pierus of Thessaly into magpies. Hesiod and other ancient Greek poets recognized her as the “Chief of all Muses” because of her role in inspiring epic poetry and her being the eldest. Image: The Muse Calliope from the painting “The Muses Urania and Calliope” by French painter Simon Vouet.Ĭalliope is the muse with the longest history hence she is one of the most well-known of the nine original muses. To ancient authors like Hesiod and Ovid, Calliope was the foremost of all the Muses. Who are the Nine Muses in Greek Mythology?Ĭalliope’s realm of influence in Greek mythology is epic poetry. For example, in the ancient Greek region of Boeotia (located in present day Central Greece), only three Muses were recognized – Mneme, Aoede, and Melete. The Muses underwent a complete name and number change as a result of regional changes over time. It was originally believed that the Muses lived on Mount Olympus, close to their place of birth however, over time, other locations, such as Mount Helicon (where their shrine was located) and Mount Parnassus (which is near and dear to the god Apollo), were proposed as more likely dwelling places.Īlthough Hesiod’s claim of there being nine Muses came to be the commonly accepted account, the ancient Greek world genuinely celebrated a far wider range of Muses. In some alternative accounts, Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, is seen as the mother of the Muses. This explains why the nine sisters are sometimes collectively referred to as the Pierian Muses. It was believed that the Nine Muses were all born in the region of Pieria, at the foot of Mount Olympus. A Titan goddess, Mnemosyne was born to Uranus (sky) and Gaia (earth). Zeus is the king of the Greek Olympians, while Mnemosyne is considered the personification of memory. The Origin StoryĪccording to ancient Greek poet Hesiod, the Muses are the children of Zeus and Mnemosyne. But first, here is a quick look at their origin story. Who were the Nine Muses? And what fields of study did they exemplify?īelow, World History Edu presents the origin story, symbols and meaning of the Nine Muses in ancient Greek religion. According to the myths, the Muses had a guiding hand in the creative and scientific endeavors of humanity, frequently assisting hardworking individuals on their way to great achievements. In ancient Greece, it was believed that the Muses were the source of inspiration.
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