How many muses did God have? Muse Clio - patroness of history

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis– Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbirth. She was never married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she knew no pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. She protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

Athena(Pallada, Parthenos) - daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full military armor. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Athena. Statue. Hermitage Museum. Athena Hall.

Description:

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, just war and patroness of crafts.

Statue of Athena made by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd century. Based on a Greek original from the late 5th century. BC e. Entered the Hermitage in 1862. Previously it was in the collection of the Marquis Campana in Rome. It is one of the most interesting exhibits in the Athena Hall.

Everything about Athena, starting from her birth, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife because she predicted that after her daughter she would give birth to a son who would become the ruler of heaven and deprive him of power. Soon Zeus had an unbearable headache. He became gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hastened to leave, for they knew from experience what Zeus was like when he was in a bad mood. The pain did not go away. The Lord of Olympus could not find a place for himself. Zeus asked Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a blacksmith's hammer. From the split head of Zeus, announcing Olympus with a war cry, an adult maiden jumped out in full warrior clothes and with a spear in her hand and stood next to her parent. The eyes of the young, beautiful and majestic goddess shone with wisdom.

Aphrodite(Kytherea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Aphrodite (Venus Tauride)

Description:

According to Hesiod’s “Theogony,” Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname “foam-born”). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she sailed there herself, since she did not like Cythera), where she, emerging from sea ​​waves, and met Ora.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus of Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered his most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of bathing Venus (height 167 cm), modeled after the Aphrodite of Cnidus or the Capitoline Venus. The hands of the statue and a fragment of the nose are lost. Before entering State Hermitage Museum it decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, “Venus Tauride” was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription made on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was given by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid sent to the Pope by Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. depicted the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth lines of the silhouette, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception female beauty. Along with calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fractionality and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (V - IV centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the 3rd century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head - tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).

Aphrodite (Venus). Statue. Hermitage

Description:

Statue of Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love

Roman copy based on a Greek original from the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC.

In 1851, through the Venetian antiquarian A. Sanquirico, the Hermitage received a beautiful statue of Aphrodite, which had previously been part of the collection of the Venetian Nani family. In a rare publication from the era of the Napoleonic Wars - "Collection of all antiquities stored in the Venetian Museum of Nani" - we read about this sculpture: "It lay prostrate for a long time in neglect ... but was recalled from oblivion when Mr. Jacopo Nani saw it and placed it in his famous museum, presenting it to the judgment of the famous Canova, who strongly praised the new acquisition." The statue of Aphrodite is distinguished by the complexity of body movement and exquisite harmony of proportions. It reflects the trends of Hellenistic art, characteristic of the art of the Antonine dynasty (96-193).

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid

Description:

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid.

The sculpture perhaps talks about a tragic moment. The rose, a flower sacred to Venus, was originally white, but, according to one traditional view, at the moment when Venus was hurrying to her lover, a thorn dug into her leg and drops of blood fell on the white petals, staining them. While they were pulling out the splinter, a wild boar killed her beloved Adonis - the young beautiful god of spring, personifying the annual dying and revival of nature. Venus is usually depicted sitting, she is trying to remove the splinter from her leg, Cupid helps her.

Aphrodite on a dolphin. Sculpture. Hermitage

Description:

Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, was dedicated to myrtle, rose, poppy and apple; as the goddess of fertility - a sparrow and a dove; as a sea goddess - a dolphin; The swallow and the linden tree were dedicated to her. According to legend, the secret of her charm was hidden in a magic belt.

Venus in the shell. Sculpture. Hermitage Museum.

Description:

Venus in the shell.

Sculpture by Carlo Finelli (Finelli, 1782-1853) - Italian sculptor, one of the most gifted followers of the classical movement.

Aphrodite (Greek) - Venus (Roman)

Classical Aphrodite emerged naked from the airy sea foam. The breeze on the shell brought it to the shores of Cyprus.

Hebe- daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate- goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers.

Gemera- goddess of daylight, personification of the day, born of Nikta and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera- the supreme Olympian goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia- goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia- mother earth, foremother of all gods and people.

Demeter- goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Ilithia- patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris- winged goddess, assistant of Hera, messenger of the gods.

Calliope- muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera- demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing troubles and death to people.

Clio- one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clio. Muse of history

Description:

Clio - the muse of history in ancient greek mythology. Depicted with a papyrus scroll or a case for scrolls. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne - goddess of memory. According to Diodorus, it received its name from the fact that chanting in poetry gives great glory to those praised (kleos).

Clotho(“spinner”) - one of the moiras that spins the thread of human life.

Lachesis- one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven Pleiades - the daughters of Atlas, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene- muse of tragedy.

Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy)

Description:

Statue of Melpomene. Roman copy according to the Greek model of the 2nd century. BC e.

In ancient Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy (Greek: “singing”). At first, Melpomene was considered the muse of song, then of sad song, and later she became the patroness of theater in general, the personification of tragic stage art. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, mother of the terrible sirens.

She was depicted as a woman with a bandage on her head and a wreath of grape or ivy leaves, in a theatrical robe, with a tragic mask in one hand and a sword or club in the other (a symbol of the inevitability of punishment for a person who violates the will of the gods).

Metis- goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne- mother of nine muses, goddess of memory.

Moira- goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

Naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika- personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs- lower deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta- one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night.

Orestiades- mountain nymphs.

Ory- goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- goddess of persuasion, companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.

Persephone- daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

Polyhymnia- the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys- daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Ocean and mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens- female demons, half-woman, half-bird, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Waist- the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- muse of dance art.

Terpsichore. Muse of dancing

Description:

The statue of "Terpsichore" is a Roman copy of a Greek original from the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC.

Terpsichore was considered a muse choral singing and dance, was depicted as a young woman in the pose of a dancer, with a smile on her face. She had a wreath on her head, in one hand she held a lyre, and in the other a plectrum. She is “enjoying round dances.”

Tisiphone- one of the Erinyes.

Quiet- goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and a ship's rudder in her hands.

Urania- one of the nine muses, patroness of astronomy.

Themis- Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites- goddess of female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

Eumenides- another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence, who prevented misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nikta, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes- goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato- Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

Euterpe- muse of lyrical chant. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.

Zeus and Mnemosyne. - Distinctive features of Muses. - Place of residence of the Muses. - Daughters of Pier. - The Muses are the winners of the Sirens.

Zeus and Mnemosyne

The Muses were originally nothing more than inspiring nymphs of the springs. The Muses endowed people with poetic talent and taught them rhythmic meter in poetry.

The number of Muses also underwent changes. At first, only three Muses are mentioned: Meleta - reflection, Mneme - memory and Aeda - song. According to the ancient Greek poet Hesiod, their nine sisters, all Muses, are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (goddess of memory).

The Muses were born at the foot of Olympus, they are beautiful maidens, their hearts are pure and virgin. The Muses have wonderful voices, and they sing harmonious songs at the feasts of the gods, entertaining the gods. The muses also sing about the divine duties of the inhabitants of Olympus and about the great, insurmountable laws of nature. The muses inspire the poet and put songs into his soul.

“When these daughters of the great Zeus want to endow a mortal with talents, as soon as their chosen one is born, they begin to feed him with tender heavenly dew, and words sweet as honey flow from his lips” (Hesiod).

The Muses love and patronize poets and singers who admit that they owe their talents only to the Muses, and punish the daring who imagine that they can compete with the Muses in singing.

The muses were given great honor, and their cult was spread everywhere. In order to understand why the Muses were so revered, we must remember that in ancient times poetry was a powerful factor in civilization.

Distinctive features of the Muses

Subsequently, the influence of the Muses was extended to all branches of art and sciences; each of the Muses was assigned a specific circle of activity and each was given special distinctive attributes.

• Clio, the Muse of history, was depicted with a roll of parchment in her hand.
• Calliope, the Muse of the epic, in a dreamy pose, holds in her hands waxed tablets and a sharp stick (stylos, style).
• Tragic mask, Bacchic wreath, buskins - here features Melpomene, Muses of tragedy. Sometimes Melpomene is given the attributes of Hercules to express horror, and the Bacchic wreath is meant to recall that tragedies were played out for the first time at the festivals of Bacchus (Dionysus). The Louvre houses a beautiful antique statue of Melpomene.
• Terpsichore- Muse of dancing. Terpsichore is crowned with laurels and strikes the strings of a large lyre like a harp, reviving and inspiring those dancing with these sounds.
• A comic mask, an ivy wreath, a shepherd's crook, a tympanum (a type of gusli) are the usual attributes Waist, Muses of Comedy and Bucolic Poetry.
• Erato- Muse of love poetry. Erato holds in light in your hands, a small lyre. Very often Eros (Cupid) was depicted next to Erato.
• Euterpe always depicted with a flute. Euterpe - Muse of lyric poetry and music.
• Polymnia, or Polyhymnia, - Muse of eloquence and hymns. Polymnia has no attributes, but she is easily recognized among her sisters by her thoughtful gaze and by the fact that Polymnia is leaning on a rock.
• Finally, Urania- Muse of stargazing (astronomy). At Urania’s feet there is a globe, and in her hands is a radius stick, which was used by ancient astrologers to indicate the stars visible in the firmament.

Place of residence of the Muses

The original cult of the Muses appeared in ancient tribe Thracian singers who lived in Pieria, near Olympus, and then moved to Boeotia, near Mount Helicon. This mountain, like Parnassus, was the favorite place of the Muses. There were beautiful shady groves, cool caves and clear springs of Aganippus and Hippocrene, dedicated to the Muses.

On many ancient monuments of art, Apollo is depicted accompanied by nine Muses. The same plot is often reproduced by Renaissance artists. Located in the Louvre famous picture Mantegna's "Parnassus", it depicts Apollo making the Muses dance to the sounds of his lyre in the presence of Mars, Venus and Cupid.

Rafael in his famous fresco in the Vatican presented Apollo among the Muses. In the painting by Giulio Romano, the god of poetry himself dances with the Muses.

The Muses were often depicted on Roman sarcophagi, as well as theatrical masks, because the ancients looked at life as a role that people played as if in passing on earth, and the one who played his role well ended up on the islands of Bliss (the Righteous).

The beautiful sarcophagus, known as the Sarcophagus of the Muses, now in the Louvre, was discovered in the 18th century during excavations near Rome. On the lower bas-relief there is a beautiful image of the nine Muses with their attributes.

Pier's Daughters

The Muses, like Apollo, did not leave unpunished those who dared to compete with them.

The Macedonian king Pierus had nine daughters who were so proud of their musical abilities that they decided to challenge the Muses to a competition. They began to sing about the battle of the gods with the giants, ridiculing the former for the fact that many of them turned into animals in order to escape the terrible Typhaon.

Hearing this, the Muses and their companions were indignant, but since the nymphs of the whole country were invited to this competition, the Muses also had to sing. Calliope, tuning her lyre, began to sing about the mysterious abduction of Persephone and the grief of Demeter.

The nymphs unanimously recognized Calliope as the winner, but the Pierides did not want to recognize the decisions of the very nymphs whom they had chosen as their judges, and they forgot themselves to the point of trying to strike the divine Muses.

Kara was quick to respond: the Pierids were turned into forty. Having retained their innate talkativeness and vanity in this form, they began to ring out the forests and fields with their sharp cries.

This ancient greek myth perfectly characterizes the passion and bitterness of those competing with each other art schools ancient Greece.

Muses - winners of the Sirens

The Muses also had other rivals - the Sirens, they were called the Muses of Death. On primitive art monuments, Sirens were depicted with the head and arms of a woman and the body of a bird. In subsequent images, the Sirens were represented as women with the wings and paws of birds. The gods gave the Sirens wings and a torch when they went looking for Persephone.

Homer calls the Sirens charming women who seduce all men who dare to listen to their singing. “Whoever carelessly stops and listens to the singing of the Sirens will no longer see either his wife or his beloved children: the Sirens will enchant him with their harmonious voices and destroy him. Around these enchantresses lie the bones and dried skeletons of their victims" (Odyssey).

The Sirens dared to compete with the Muses, but were defeated by them and mercilessly plucked. In memory of this victory, the Muses were often depicted with feathers on their heads. The unfortunate, plucked Sirens rushed into the water out of shame and grief - this, perhaps, is the reason why newest artists They confuse them with the Tritonids and depict them as women with fish tails.

ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from Latin and ancient Greek; all rights reserved.

Muse of epic poetry,
Euterpe - the muse of lyric poetry,
Erato - the muse of love poetry,
Thalia (Falia) - the muse of comedy,
Melpomene - the muse of tragedy,
Terpsichore - the muse of dance,
Clio - the muse of history,
Urania - muse of astronomy,
Polyhymnia (Polymnia) - first the muse of dance, then pantomime and hymns.

The muses were believed to have the gift of prediction. As you can see, the Greeks and Romans classified history and astronomy as arts, while they considered sculpture and painting as a craft that did not have patron muses.
The Muses were depicted as young beautiful women with spiritual faces and attributes corresponding to the art of each; Calliope with
wax tablets and a pointed writing stick, Euterpe with a flute, Erato with a cithara, Thalia with a comic mask and an ivy wreath, Melpomene with a tragic mask and a wreath of vine leaves, Terpsichore with a lyre and in a dancer's pose, Clito with a papyrus scroll, Urania with a globe and compass, Polyhymnia in the form of a girl wrapped in a blanket with a dreamy face. How the goddesses of art the muses were associated with their
leader of the god Apollo. They amused the gods with their songs and dances. The Muses treated people kindly and kindly, especially their favorites - poets, playwrights, singers and actors. But they could also take revenge for insult and deception. Just like the other gods, the muses had their own temples, which were called museions. From this word comes the modern designation of buildings where collections of works of art or other monuments of past times are exhibited for viewing.

The poet Proclus introduced the Muses this way: Muses, I pray - from the crowd of the sinful city of men
Eternally draw the wandering soul to the sacred light!
Let the honey of your honeycomb weigh heavily on her, strengthening the mind,
A soul whose glory lies in one thing - in the mind-bewitching wisdom.

MUSES, Muses (“thinking”), Aonids, Aonian sisters, Parnasids, Castalids, Ipokrenids, Pierids (nicknames from the habitats of M.), Muses - goddesses of poetry, arts and sciences, nine sisters born in Pieria and bearing the name “Olympic” "(Hes. Theog. 52-54, 915-917; Hymn. Nosh. Ill 429 seq.). Their names: Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Thalia, Polyhymnia, Urania; all of them, with the exception of U ranni (“heavenly”) and Clio (“bestowing glory”), indicate a connection with singing, dancing, music, pleasure. These Olympic M. go back to the archaic M. - chthonic creatures. According to Pausanias, the first who honored M. and made sacrifices to them on Helicon were not poets and singers, but the terrible giants of the load - Ot and Ephialtes. They introduced the cult of M. and gave them names, believing that there were only three M.: Meleta (“experience”), Mnema (“memory”), Aoida (“song”). Over time, Pier (after whom the mountain was named) arrived from Macedonia, he established the number M. (nine) and gave them names. The poet Mimnermus claimed that there were the eldest M. - the daughters of Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth) and the younger ones - the daughters of Zeus (Paus. IX 29 1-5).
The chthonic past of M. is also evidenced by the offspring that M, being daughters of the land of Gaia, gave birth to both Zeus and Apollo. From Zeus and Calliope [(Strab. X 3, 19), according to another version, from Thalia and Apollo (Apollod. I 3, 4)] were born Corybantes . The children of the zoomorphic Zeus the kite and Thalia were Sicilian paliki . From the marriage of Melpomene and the river god Achelous, sirens are born. - mixanthropic monstrous creatures that attract travelers with their singing and devour them (Apollod. I 3, 4). Archaic M. were called “stormy”, “violent” (Greek thoyrides, the same root from lat.
furia), as reported by Hesychius (v. thoyrides). M. were called nurses of Dionysus (Eustath. 1816, 4) and his companions
wanderings (Diod. IV 4), like the Maenads. M. and maenads are sometimes put on the same level (for example, King Lycurgus was punished by Dionysus for persecuting the maenads and M., Soph. Antig. 962 next). The Helikonian inscription compares Terpsichore and Dionysus Bromius, she has the gift of inspiration and ivy, he has the ability to enchant and a flute. Orpheus, who established the Mysteries of Dionysus, son of Calliope and Eagra (Apollod. I 3, 2-3). Singer Lin. son of Calliope (or Urania) and Amphimarus, son of Poseidon. The stormy and ecstatic M. was led by Dionysus Musaget - “the driver of M.” Dionysus Melpomenes (CIA III 274) was revered in Acharnae (Paus. I 31, 6); he, like Apollo, led round dances (I 2, 5). M. are cruel and severely punish anyone who dares to compete with them. They blinded and deprived Thamirides of the gift of singing and playing the cithara (Apollod. I 3, 3).
The Olympian Meps of classical mythology are the daughters of Zeus, they live on Helicon, chanting all generations of gods - Gaia, Kronos, Ocean, Night, Helios, Zeus himself and his offspring, i.e. they connect the past and the present. They know the past, present and future. They are the patrons of singers and musicians and pass on their gift to them. They instruct and console people, endow them with persuasive words, glorify the laws and glorify the good morals of the gods. The classical Muses are inseparable from the orderliness and harmony of the Olympian world (Hes. Theog. 1-103).

The functions of the Muses were gradually differentiated as the arts differentiated, and in the Hellenistic era the Muses turned into symbolic images: Erato - Muse of lyric poetry with a lyre in her hands, Euterpe with a flute accompanies a lyrical song, Calliope - Muse of epic poetry and knowledge with a scroll and writing stick, Clio - Muse of history with the same attributes, Melpomene - Muse of tragedy with a tragic mask and a wreath of ivy, Polyhymnia - Muse of serious hymn poetry, Terpsichore - Muse of dance with a lyre and plectrum Thalia - Muse of comedy with a comic mask, Urania - Muse of astronomy with the celestial vault and compass. The Muses usually perform under the leadership of the god of arts Apollo, who received the name Musaget

We have reached this day. The Greek pantheon of gods itself is quite interesting and entertaining, and the stories from the “life” of the celestials are captivating and amazing. The ancient Greeks believed that every phenomenon, object and sphere of human activity is protected by a separate deity or mythical creature. There are an incredible variety of gods and demigods in the culture of this people, and sometimes it is difficult to remember the “specialization” of each of them. Melpomene is a muse or goddess, what is she the patroness of?

Myths of Ancient Greece

According to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, as a result of the union of the supreme god Zeus and Mnemosyne, nine daughters were born. These are goddess-muses who patronize sciences and art. Each of the sisters was the patroness of a specific area or genre: Clio - history, Euterpe - music and poetry, Thalia - comedy, Melpomene - tragedy (and later in general), Terpsichore - dance, Erat - love-lyrical literary work, Polyhymnia - pantomimes and hymns, Urania - studies of the stars and celestial bodies, Calliope - folk tales and epics. According to some sources, initially Melpomene was the patroness of songs, and later sad melodies. Over time, the muse began to be considered the personification of tragedies in theatrical productions, and later the entire theater as a phenomenon was “given” to her.

Melpomene's appearance and talents

The patroness of tragedy and theater is usually depicted wearing a wreath of grape leaves and a headband. Melpomene is a muse, always dressed in a robe and holding a tragic mask in one hand. In the other hand, the woman holds a sword or club as a symbol of retribution, which always overtakes people who go against the divine will. However, it is important to understand that Melpomene is not a punishing goddess, but rather one who empathizes with people and is ready to remind them that acting is only appropriate in the theater. Interesting fact: she is the mother of the sirens, whom she gave birth to from Achelous. IN modern culture Melpomene is most often the patroness of the theater, but it is appropriate to mention her as the deity of tragedies.

This article began with a conversation between two schoolchildren, accidentally overheard in the corridors educational institution. Two boys were desperately arguing about who was the muse of the dance - Urania or Terpsichore. They gave reasons and even referred to a certain chapter in the history textbook. The students were getting excited, and it seemed like a fight was brewing. But, finally, the debaters looked into the saving Internet and went home. Do you know the answer to the question that caused the boys’ discord? If not, then our article will be very useful to you.

Who are the muses

Absolutely all people have heard about these ephemeral creatures. Ancient Greek goddesses inspired people to create incredible works of art and generously endowed them with talents. Who really are these women who combine all the brightest, gentlest and most beautiful things in this world?

The ancient Greeks considered the beautiful muses to be the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. She herself was born from the titans Uranus and Gaia, and was a very revered goddess of memory in Hellas. According to legend, Zeus was fascinated by Mnemosyne and from their love nine beautiful daughters were born, called muses. Translated from Greek, this word is translated as “thinking.” And it is not surprising if we remember that their mother was the goddess of memory.

The muses were so important in the life of the Hellenes that each of them was given one of the spheres of life ordinary people. Moreover, even people who did not have special talents revered the daughters of Mnemosyne and asked for their blessings for certain actions.

Muses: how many were there?

Today it is generally accepted that there have always been nine muses. But in fact, there are many mysteries in this issue. Homer first mentioned the muses, but he did not name their number or names. In his immortal works It was written about one or several goddesses. Later the muses got names, and their number increased to three. In some written sources Four muses were also mentioned, but quite often they were confused with the Charites, goddesses of fertility. Some time later, Hesiod, in his poem dedicated to the muses, listed them all along with their names. It is in this form that they have survived to this day:

• Calliope.
• Clio.
• Melpomene.
• Waist.
• Polyhymnia.
• Terpsichore.
• Euterpe.
• Erato.
• Urania is the muse of science.

Usually goddesses appeared before people in the form of young and beautiful girls who had a lot of talents. The Hellenes especially appreciated the incredible ability of the muses to look into the past and future. They could predict the fate of those they favored.

The muses treated poets, artists and musicians with special love. They came to them in dreams or in reality and bestowed inspiration, after which it became much easier to create. Standing a little apart in this group of patrons of the arts is Urania, the muse of astronomy. But we'll talk about it a little later.

Where did the muses live?

The Hellenes believed that all muses live under the protection of Apollo. On Mount Parnassus, in the shade of evergreen trees, they indulge in fun, sing and dance. At the foot of the mountain there is a spring - the Kastalsky spring. If the muses treated someone with water from this sacred source, then he acquired the ability to create and give people his creativity.

Quite often, ancient Greek masters depicted the muses together with Apollo, who controls their noisy round dance. This plot was found on bas-reliefs in the houses of the nobility and on various utensils. Archaeologists also found it in the ruins of temples dedicated to Apollo.

Often the muses took part in the festivals of Dionysus. They sang and danced for him, and also inspired many gods to do various things for the benefit of people.

Cult of the Muses

The muses were considered extraordinary creatures that connect the world of people and the world of the gods of Olympus. All of them, cheerful and noisy (and even the serious muse Urania), watched over the purity of human thoughts. After all, only a person who is ready to renounce everything dark and vain can count on the help of the ancient Greek muses.

The Muses were so revered in Greece that temples were built in their honor. They were built according to a special architectural plan, and the praise of the goddesses took place in a very unusual way. Temples in honor of the muses, museions, were not so much a place of worship, but rather the center of cultural and scientific life.

Archaeologists have found the ruins of the temple of the muses in the sanctuary of Pythagoras. Nine sculptures of muses surrounded the goddess Hestia and personified one of the sciences. For example, it was believed that Urania, the ninth muse of astronomy and astrology, occupies one of the most important roles in this temple. She blesses those who watch starry sky, describes the constellations and makes various maps.

Alexandria Museyon

The most famous among all the temples dedicated to the muses was the Alexandria Museion. It was like an extensive research center. On a large area under the arches of the temple there were libraries, philosophical halls, menageries and museums. The most famous figures of Hellas came here, they had the opportunity to communicate, work together and make discoveries. Nowadays, the works of Euclid and Archimedes, who worked precisely in the Alexandria Museion, are widely known. According to legend, after the death of Alexander the Great, his body in a sarcophagus was transferred to this building, but later the body of the great commander disappeared and his whereabouts have not yet been found.

Throughout the territory of Ancient Greece, archaeologists have found the ruins of museums, and similar structures were also found among Roman temple complexes. This suggests that scientific thought developed in part thanks to fictitious goddesses who united scientists in one area and inspired their work.

Muses of Ancient Greece: Urania

Urania was considered the youngest daughter of Mnemosyne. She was very different from her sisters and was the most serious of them. It seems a little strange to many of our contemporaries that the serious Urania, the muse of astronomy, was among the host of cheerful and talented girls. The history of the emergence of this science and the attitude of the ancient Greeks to it can shed light on this mystery.

In fact, astronomy for the Hellenes is a basic science that served as an explanation of the universe and the source of many philosophical ideas and currents. This science was studied in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Babylon. It was through it that the ancient Greeks sought to penetrate the great secrets of the cosmos.

The muse Urania called to reject everything earthly and plunge into absolute new world, open only to a select few. It was to them that the goddess was ready to help and bless them in every possible way. hard labour scientific research.

Urania, the muse of astronomy in ancient Greek mythology: description

Archaeologists have found a large number of images of the patroness scientific disciplines. Usually the muse Urania on canvases and found bas-reliefs is a serious girl with a sphere and a measuring device. With its help, she determines the distance between celestial bodies.

Her parents named her in honor of the god Uranus, because he was one of the most ancient deities of this world, and even the great Zeus treated him with great respect. The muse Urania patronized not only astronomy, but also other sciences. Therefore, the Hellenes believed that it represents complete harmony and perfection. After all, science cannot be separated from art, the ancient Greek thinkers were convinced of this. It was Urania who was the most powerful soothsayer among her sisters. She knew how to penetrate into the subtlest layers of the past and future faster and more accurately than all other goddesses.

The muses themselves considered Urania the most knowledgeable and strict; she was the goddess who punished stupid people for competing with the muses. And in this she was cold-blooded and ruthless.

The Legend of the Daughters of Pier

The myths preserve the story of King Pier, who lived in Macedonia and had nine beautiful daughters. The girls were not only amazingly beautiful, but also talented. Each of them had a pleasant voice and perfect musical ear. One day, the vain princesses decided to compete with the muses themselves and challenged them to a creative duel. However, in this competition of talents, Calliope won the championship, but the stubborn girls refused to recognize her victory and declared the results of the competition invalid. In response to such insolence, Urania turned nine beauties into forty, who were called upon to forever announce the surroundings with their harsh and unpleasant voices.

That is why the Hellenes believed that only with pure thoughts and you can turn to the muses with your heart.

The image of Urania in art

Many museums around the world display sculptures and bas-reliefs depicting muses, including Urania. But few people know that poets often dedicated poems and prose to her. For example, Lomonosov mentioned the muse in one of his odes to the empress. And Fyodor Tyutchev and Joseph Brodsky released a whole series of poems, dedicated to the muse astronomy and sciences.

Ancient Greek mythology is extremely confusing, and the uninitiated can easily become confused by the pantheon of gods and various ephemeral creatures. But muses are a special page in myths Ancient world. Few people have any idea how important place Urania occupied among her sisters and other goddesses. We have collected the most Interesting Facts about the patroness of sciences:

• Urania, together with the goddesses of the sea, accompanied the dead souls to the Island of the Happy.
• There is a Urania Museum on the territory of our country.
• Pythagoras wrote treatise, where he explained the similarity of construction rules musical compositions with the distance between the celestial spheres, which the muse of astronomy knew how to measure.
• Urania was often compared to Pallas Athena, the patroness of Greek Athens.
• In ancient myths there is a mention that Apollo himself was captivated by the mind of Urania and fell in love with her, from this union she gave birth to a son.

Many contemporaries believe that the story of the ancient Greek muses is not without meaning. And in our current age of progress, it would not hurt for humanity to come up with another muse that would guide and inspire us. But it’s hardly worth inventing something new where everything has already been done for us. After all, the muse Urania is not only the patroness of the sciences, but also of everything that they give. And, therefore, it is she who can be considered the muse of progress caused by the scientific revolution in the minds of people.