The Muses

Who Are the Nine Greek Muses?
Greek mythology is rich with gods and goddesses, but none were as influential as the nine Muses who were created to give inspiration, knowledge, artistry, and music to the ancient world. Each of the nine Greek Muses are listed below:

The Nine Greek Muses
1. Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry
2. Clio, the Muse of history
3. Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry
4. Euterpe, the Muse of music
5. Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy
6. Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred poetry
7. Terpsichore, the Muse of dance and chorus
8. Thalia, the Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry
9. Urania, the Muse of astronomy

The Muses were nine beautiful young women who were the goddesses and embodiments of science, literature, and the arts. In ancient culture, they were the source of orally related knowledge of poetic lyrics and myths, and were considered to be the personification of knowledge and of the arts, especially dance, literature and music.

The Muses were believed to live on Mount Olympus, where they entertained the Olympian gods with their artistry, but later tradition placed them on Mount Helicon or Mount Parnassus.

The Birth of the Nine Muses

The muses were the nine daughters of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the Titaness Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They were conceived after the two slept together for nine consecutive nights. Sometimes the Muses are referred to as water nymphs having been born from the four sacred springs on Helicon that flowed from the ground after Pegasus, the winged horse, stomped his hooves there.

Representation of the Nine Muses
It was not until the Renaissance and Neoclassical arts movements began that the representation of the Muses was standardized. From then on, each of the nine Muses could be readily identified by one name and image. They were represented in sculptures and paintings holding certain props, known as emblems, and were mentioned in literature, poetry, and song.

Cults of the Nine Muses
Local cults of the nine Muses were often associated with fountains or springs. Muse worshipers hosted festivals where poetic recitals were followed by sacrifices to the Muses. There were even attempts in the 18th century to revive cults of the Muses by many well know figures of the day.

Who Are the Nine Muses and What Do They Represent?
The following is a list of each of the nine Muses along with details of their origins and representations. This list also includes some information on the "Tenth Muse."