The work of almost every great artist is unthinkable without the presence of a woman who inspires him - the muse.
Raphael's immortal works were painted using images that his lover, the model Fornarina, helped create; Michelangelo enjoyed a platonic relationship with the famous Italian poetess Vittoria Colonna. The beauty of Simonetta Vespucci was immortalized by Sandro Botticelli, and the famous Gala inspired the great Salvador Dali.
Who are the muses?
The ancient Greeks believed that every area of their life that they considered most important had its own patron, a muse. In accordance with their ideas, the list of muses of ancient Greece looked like this:
Calliope is the muse of epic poetry;
Clio is the muse of history;
Melpomene - the muse of tragedy;
Thalia is the muse of comedy;
Polyhymnia - the muse of sacred hymns;
Terpsichore - muse of dance;
Euterpe is the muse of poetry and lyricism;
Erato - the muse of love and wedding poetry;
Urania is the muse of science.
According to classical Greek mythology, nine daughters were born to the supreme god Zeus and Mnemosyne, daughter of the titans Uranus and Gaia. Since Mnemosyne was the goddess of memory, it is not surprising that her daughters began to be called muses, translated from Greek this means “thinking”.
It was assumed that the favorite habitat of the muses was Mount Parnassus and Helicon, where in the shady groves, to the sound of clear springs, they formed Apollo's retinue. They sang and danced to the sound of his lyre.
This subject was loved by many Renaissance artists. Raphael used it in his famous paintings of the Vatican halls. The work of Andrea Montegna "Parnassus", which depicts Apollo surrounded by muses dancing for the gods supreme Olympus, can be seen in the Louvre.
The famous sarcophagus of the Muses is also located there. It was found in the 18th century in Roman excavations, its lower bas-relief is decorated with an excellent image of all 9 muses.
From left to right: Calliope (with a scroll), Thalia (with a mask in her hand), Erato, Euterpe (with a wind musical instrument), Polyhymnia, Clio, Terpsichore (with a cithara), Urania (with a staff and globe), Melpomene (with a theatrical mask on the head)
Museyons
In honor of the muses, special temples were built - museions, which were the focus of cultural and artistic life Hellas. The Alexandria Museum is the most famous. This name formed the basis for everything famous word"museum".
Alexander the Great founded Alexandria as a center of Hellenistic culture in the Egypt he conquered. After his death, his body was brought here to a tomb specially built for him. But, unfortunately, then the remains of the great king disappeared and have not yet been found.
One of the associates of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy I Soter, who laid the foundation for the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded a museum in Alexandria, which combined a research center, an observatory, Botanical Garden, menagerie, museum, famous library. Archimedes, Euclid, Eratosthenes, Herophilus, Plotinus and other great minds of Hellas worked under its arches. For successful work the most favorable conditions, scientists could meet each other, have long conversations, and as a result, greatest discoveries, which have not lost their significance even now.
The muses were always depicted as young, beautiful women; they had the ability to see the past and predict the future. The greatest favor of these beautiful creatures used by singers, poets, artists, muses encouraged them in creativity and served as a source of inspiration.
Clio, the "Glory-Giving" Muse of History
Her constant attribute was a parchment scroll or a board with writing, where she wrote down all events in order to preserve them in the memory of descendants. As the ancient Greek historian Diodorus said about her: “The greatest of muses inspires love for the past.” According to mythology, Clio was friends with Calliope. The surviving sculptural and pictorial images of these muses are very similar, often made by the same master.
There is a myth about a quarrel that arose between Aphrodite and Clio. Possessing strict morals, the goddess of history did not know love and condemned Aphrodite, who was the wife of the god Hephaestus, for tender feelings to the young god Dionysus. Aphrodite ordered her son Eros to shoot two arrows, the one that kindled love hit Clio, and the one that killed her went to Pieron. Suffering from unrequited love convinced the strict muse not to judge anyone anymore for their feelings.
Melpomene, muse of tragedy
Her two daughters had magical voices and decided to challenge the muses, but they lost and, in order to punish them for their pride, Zeus or Poseidon (opinions differ here) turned them into sirens. The same ones that almost killed the Argonauts.
Melpomene vowed to forever regret their fate and all those who challenge the will of heaven.
She is always wrapped in a theatrical robe, and her symbol is a mournful mask, which she holds in right hand. In her left hand is a sword, symbolizing punishment for insolence.
Thalia, muse of comedy
Melpomene's sister, but never accepted her sister's unconditional belief that punishment was inevitable, this often became the cause of their quarrels. She is always depicted with a comedy mask in her hands, her head is decorated with an ivy wreath, and she has a cheerful disposition and optimism.
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Both sisters symbolize life experience and reflect the way of thinking characteristic of the inhabitants of ancient Greece that the whole world is a theater of the gods, and people in it only perform their assigned roles.
Polyhymnia, muse of sacred hymns and faith expressed in music
The patroness of speakers, the fervor of their speeches and the interest of listeners depended on her favor. On the eve of the performance, one should ask the muse for help, then she would condescend to the person asking and instill in him the gift of eloquence, the ability to penetrate every soul. The constant attribute of Polyhymnia is the lyre.
Euterpe - muse of poetry and lyricism
She stood out as special among other muses, sensory perception poetry.
To the quiet accompaniment of Orpheus' harp, her poems delighted the ears of the gods on the Olympian hill. Considered the most beautiful and feminine of the muses, she became the savior of his soul for him, who had lost Eurydice. Euterpe's attribute is a double flute and a wreath of fresh flowers. As a rule, she was depicted surrounded by forest nymphs.
Terpsichore, the muse of the dance, which is performed in the same rhythm as the heartbeat
The perfect art of Terpsichore's dance expressed complete harmony natural origin, movements human body and emotional emotions. The muse was depicted in a simple tunic, with an ivy wreath on her head and with a lyre in her hands.
Erato, muse of love and wedding poetry
Her song is that there is no force that can separate loving hearts.
Songwriters called on the muse to inspire them to create new beautiful works. Erato's attribute is a lyre or tambourine; her head is decorated with wonderful roses as a symbol of eternal love.
Calliope (Greek for “beautiful-voiced”) - the muse of epic poetry
The eldest of the children of Zeus and Mnemosyne and, in addition, the mother of Orpheus, from her the son inherited a subtle understanding of music. She was always depicted in the pose of a beautiful dreamer, who was holding in her hands a wax tablet and a wooden stick - a stylus, which is why it appeared famous expression"write high style" The ancient poet Dionysius Medny called poetry “the cry of Calliope.”
Urania - the ninth muse of astronomy, the wisest of the daughters of Zeus
He holds in his hands a symbol of the celestial sphere - a globe and a compass, which helps determine the distances between celestial bodies. The name was given to the muse in honor of the god of heaven, Uranus, who existed even before Zeus. Interestingly, Urania, the goddess of science, is among the muses associated with different types arts Why? According to Pythagoras' teaching about "harmony celestial spheres", dimensional ratios musical sounds comparable to the distances between heavenly bodies. Without knowing one, it is impossible to achieve harmony in the other. As the goddess of science, Urania is still revered today.
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: precisely 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.
It has long been the case that the appearance of muses foreshadows inspiration, inspiration, the onset of something long-awaited and desired. The importance of the muse in the work of poets cannot be overestimated. She has always been a source of creative impulse, inspiration and insight. No wonder her image acquired the features of a young beauty, airy, charming, full of a certain mystery and grace.
By the way, little is known about the origin of the muses. There are many views on this matter. The ancient Greek theory deserves attention.
The life of the ancient Greeks was closely connected with the muses: poets and storytellers invariably appealed to them for protection; guiding friends on a long journey, the Greeks often said: “May the muses be with you!”; and information about the existence of the Temple of the Muses in the Acropolis - Museion - has survived to this day. For the first time, we learn about the existence of muses from the works of Herodotus. The very concept of “muse” is translated from Greek as “thinking.” The Muses, according to the ancient Greeks, are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory.
Ancient Greece was an enlightened country that enriched the history of the whole world. Poetry among the Greeks was valued as highly as natural Sciences. And the daughters of Zeus are a symbol of perfect harmony. The muses divided among themselves the arts and sciences, which were considered the main ones among the Greeks. Each image was complemented characteristic attribute. There are nine muses in total: Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Thalia, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia, Urania.
Calliope, muse of selflessness, patriotism, epic poetry.
She is depicted with a tablet and a “stick” for writing - a stylus. She wears a laurel wreath on her head - a sign that she was considered the queen of all muses. Interrupting her hot speeches about honor, dignity, fearlessness and the good name of a real warrior, even for Apollo, was considered insolence. She inspired sacrifice and heroic deeds, helped to overcome the feeling of fear, inspired heroism. The image of Calliope was depicted in miniatures and presented before long hikes. So that the wanderer's heart is full of clear thoughts and the desire to return. Therefore, the Muse was personified with a manifestation of love for the native land.
Clio, muse of history
A scroll of parchment is her attribute. This muse inspires love for the past. The importance of Greek history for its inhabitants is invaluable. And such a muse as Clio included information even about insignificant facts in her scrolls. From mythology we know about the discord between Aphrodite and the muse. The muse adhered to strict ways and was never in love. And Aphrodite burned with passion for Dionysus, although she was the wife of the god Hephaestus. The unyielding muse condemned the goddess. Then, by order of Aphrodite, her son Eros shot two arrows: one at Clio, which generates feelings, and the other at Pieron, which kills love. Having experienced the torment of unrequited love, Clio no longer condemned anyone for their feelings.
Clio does not allow a person to forget about his achievements, helps him find his calling and determine his place in life.
Melpomene, muse of tragedy
Her symbol is a mournful mask in her right hand. And in the left hand they depict either a sword as a symbol of retribution for disobedience, or a scroll of parchment. This muse is the patroness of deadly sirens. Her two daughters were destroyed by pride, and as punishment they were turned into sirens. Melpomene forever mourns the loss of her daughters.
Thalia, muse of comedy
A comedy mask in hand and a wreath of simple ivy are the attributes of this muse. The muse never sought attention to herself; she was reputed to have a cheerful, cheerful, joyful nature. The comedy mask in her hands can be interpreted as a symbol of laughter. But there is another version: the mask means that people’s lives are just a performance for the gods.
Euterpe, muse of poetry and lyricism
Her distinctive feature considered an exquisite perception of poetry, grace and elegant beauty. Her attribute is a flute and a wreath of fresh flowers, which emphasize her femininity and sensuality. She was considered the most charming, irresistible, charming of the muses.
Erato, muse of love and wedding poetry
Its symbol is a musical instrument, most often depicted as a lyre or tambourine. The muse's head was decorated with roses - a symbol of the eternity of love. Erato praised the struggle for true love. Her songs sound: “And even dark kingdom Aida is not able to separate loving hearts; they are forever connected by a strong thread.” Muse founded a previously unknown musical direction in Greece - wedding.
Terpsichore, muse of dance
The muse is depicted with a lyre in her hands and an ivy wreath on her head. Terpsichore's dance is the absolute perfection of the movements of the soul and body.
Polyhymnia, muse of hymns
Polyhymnia personifies modesty and patience, an appeal to the holy and inviolable, its attribute is the lyre. Polyhymnia was the patroness of speakers; it was she who could transform speech, make it fiery and hot, forcing people to follow the speaker. They believed that by pronouncing her name before an important report, Polyhymnia would condescend to the one asking and bestow the skill of oratory.
Urania, muse of astronomy
The last and wisest of all the daughters of Zeus, not including Athena. It is believed that it was named after Uranus, the god of the heavens, who reigned long before Zeus. The symbols of the muse are a globe and a compass. Using a compass, Urania calculates the distances between stars. According to the Greeks, Urania patronizes all sciences, even those that are far from heavenly. This muse is still revered today; even in Russia, a Urania Museum has been created at the Moscow Planetarium.
The muses embodied all the sciences and arts and symbolized the hidden talents in man. They gave hope to touch the Divine. Thus, the muses played the role of a so-called intermediary between the divine and man. Since ancient times, the ancient Greeks, and then the ancient Romans, the inhabitants of the Middle Ages and especially the Renaissance, appealed to the great muses. The muse visits not only the elite. She gives us hope that our desires can be realized.
Ancient Greek muses are patrons of art and science. They inspired the creation of masterpieces, helped to focus on the main and valuable things, to see beauty even in the most familiar and simple things. One of the nine sisters, the muse of Erato, was associated with love lyrics and wedding songs. She inspired to express and praise the best of feelings, taught to selflessly surrender to love.
Versions of origin
In Greek mythology, there are several versions of the legend about the origin of the muses, as well as various information about their quantity. One version says that the virgins were the daughters of Uranus and Gaia. They are called today archaic muses. According to Pausanias, the cult of these creatures was founded by the giants of Aloada, whose names were Ot and Ephialtes. There were only three muses: Meleta (which means “experience”), Mneme (“memory”), Aoida (“song”).
Ancient sources indicate that nine goddesses appeared after the arrival of Pierus from Macedonia. He established the number of muses familiar to us today and gave them names. There is also an opinion in ancient texts that there were senior and junior patronesses of the arts. The first were the daughters of Gaia and Uranus, the second - Zeus. The Olympic muses (those most often mentioned by poets and writers) can be said to be the heirs of the archaic ones. According to the version most familiar today, the father of all nine was Zeus.
Daughters of the Thunderer
In this tradition, the mother of the muses is considered to be Mnemosyne (or Mnemosyne), a Titanide, daughter of Uranus and Gaia. The goddess in the mythology of the ancient Greeks was the personification of memory. Zeus, in the form of a shepherd, visited Mnemosyne for nine nights, and soon she gave birth. beautiful muses. Daughters took over from their mother the ability to remember the past, know the present and see the future.
Nine sisters: the muse Erato, Clio, Terpsichore, Calliope, Euterpe, Polyhymnia (Polymnia), Urania, Melpomene and Thalia - each patronized a certain type arts They gave inspiration to those they favored and severely punished anyone who insulted or disappointed them. The favorites of the muses were poets, musicians and dancers, as well as historians and astronomers. The ancient Greeks considered painting and sculpture less valuable and classified them as crafts.
Muses and their symbols
It is easy to recognize each of the nine sisters by the objects they hold in their hands. Clio, in charge of history, is most often depicted with a scroll of parchment. Sometimes she holds sundial: history and time are two inextricably linked categories.
The muse of epic poetry, Calliope, usually appears as a dreamy girl with a stylus (a stick used to press out characters on wax tablets) and a writing board. Her sister Terpsichore, patron of dancers, does not part with her musical instruments. As a rule, this is a lyre or harp. Decorates her head
Melpomene and Thalia are muses especially revered in the theater. Tragedy and comedy are under their auspices. Melpomene can be recognized by the sad mask that the muse holds in one hand. The second is often occupied by a dagger or sword - a reminder of the punishment that awaits people who disobey the divine will. Thalia also keeps a mask, but a cheerful one. In addition, the muse of comedy is often depicted with a staff or tympanum in her hands.
The attribute of Euterpe, who is responsible for lyric poetry, is the flute. The muse of solemn hymns, Polyhymnia, is depicted by painters and sculptors frozen in thought and leaning on a rock. Often her hands hold a scroll.
Urania is the muse of astronomy. She is perhaps the easiest to recognize. The attributes of the muse are a compass and a globe. And finally, Erato is the muse of love and wedding poetry. She always holds a lyre (or cithara), capable of producing the most tender and beautiful sounds.
Muse of Erato: biography
Erato, like her eight sisters, is also considered Mnemosyne. With other muses she loved to dance in circles near mountains and springs clean water. The habitat of the muses is often called Parnassus with the Castalian spring at the foot or Helikon in the place where the source of Hippocrene flows.
Erato had a lover Mal (from Eupidaurus), with whom she gave birth to a daughter, Cleophema.
Life as art
Reading the myths, an observant person will not lose sight of the fact that the muses did not just give inspiration to their favorites. They explained how the best way handle one or another aspect of reality, showed what in life is worthy of close attention. Thus, Urania called to get away from vanity and turn one’s gaze to the eternal and primordial: divine laws, the movement of celestial bodies. Polyhymnia taught that a word is not just letters in in a certain order, but a powerful force, and it can be controlled.
Beautiful as love itself
Erato - muse love lyrics. Of course, she favored poets and romantics, but that's not all. It was Erato who taught to speak ardently and passionately about love, and inspired men and women to make frank confessions. Her very name speaks of the connection between the muse and the ancient Greek god Eros, the son of Aphrodite. Erato taught to rejoice, gave love not only to men or women, but to the world in all its diverse manifestations. Like her sisters, she condemned vanity and self-interest, and patronized only those who were capable of true and deep feelings.
Gamelion
Erato - muse love poetry and inspirational songs. She is invisibly present, according to ancient Greek ideas, wherever they sing and talk about a wonderful feeling. It is not surprising, therefore, that she is credited with creating special kind songs, gamelion. They were performed only during the wedding ceremony. A magnificent celebration in Greece was never complete without music and singing. The muse of Erato, invisibly present during the first meetings and passionate confessions, accompanies both the bride and groom, decorating the wedding with singing and playing the cithara. True, only if the triumph is the result of mutual attraction and love, and not calculation.
Purity and inspiration
As already mentioned, the muse of Erato did not like those who sought only profit in feelings, poetry and marriage. The ancient Greeks associated it with purity, including purity of thoughts and spirit. Erato was often depicted in white translucent clothes. Her head was decorated with roses. The Greeks believed that the muse of Erato was able to give the ability to see beauty in everything, transform the space around oneself, spiritualize it and fill it with joy. This state is familiar to all lovers: every object and person becomes, as it were, glowing from within, a warm, uncontrollable stream flows from the heart and you want to create. This is the state that fills Erato, the muse of love songs. It helps to heal the wounds of the soul and heart, transforms beyond recognition the world, filling it with celebration and bright colors. Erato grants the ability to speak from the heart with feeling and insight, and not delve feverishly into your head in search of another word. We can say that the muse of wedding songs teaches love as a way of being, poetry as a method of expressing thoughts, inspiration as inexhaustible source ideas.
All ancient greek myths talk about the interpenetration of the divine and earthly worlds. The muses are a kind connecting links in this process. They empower ordinary people particles divine power, help them create on a par with the immortal Olympians. If we remember what Erato’s muse is responsible for and try to feel this state of “inspiration in love,” then its closeness to the divine, that is, standing above the ordinary, immeasurable in depth and transformative power, becomes more than obvious.
Today, all nine companions of Apollo - and Mnemosyne - are well known to us from the huge number of paintings and sculptures depicting them. Even today, poets, artists and other masters do not hesitate to dedicate their works to the muses. Of course, they are attracted by the colorfulness of the image, and perhaps they hope that in the modern world it will be useful to enlist the support of such ancient and beautiful goddesses.
What would be modern art and a culture without the great heritage of the past? Without the sublime Renaissance, strict classicism and, of course, beautiful antiquity, which became a kind of starting point in the history of creativity of all mankind?
It was the ancient canons that became classical for us, the most sublime and complete. The mythology of ancient Greece and Rome still amazes with its richness and grandeur of the pantheon, variety of subjects and images. Perhaps there is not a person in the world who would not have an idea about Zeus, the greatest of the gods of Olympus. Or, for example, about Hephaestus.
Humanity remembers the beautiful nymphs, naiads and nereids, but what can we say about the heroes, a shining example who can be called the great Hercules?
Between heaven and earth
Of course, there was an almost insurmountable gap between the unattainable peak of divinity and earthly existence, but there were also those who were in the intermediate world, connecting two cosmos: the earthly and the divine. This role was played by the muses of Ancient Greece, which will be discussed further.
Who are the muses
First of all, it should be noted that, despite the rather close contact with the earthly world, the muses still had a divine origin. All nine sisters were born by the goddess Mnemosyne from the supreme god Zeus.
Born from such a union, the 9 muses of Ancient Greece represented a kind of bridge between the past and the present: the first pantheon (headed by Kronos) and the second, at the top of which stood the great Zeus.
What did the muses do?
Like everything in this world, the fate and purpose of the muses has changed over time. If we turn to mythology, we can find that modern understanding these unearthly creatures were significantly different from the present one.
Today, the muses of Ancient Greece are perceived exclusively as some kind of inspiration. It is especially worth emphasizing the fact that today contact with these creatures is attributed only to artists (artists, poets, directors). In fact, there were also muses who were patrons of the sciences, which humanity had conveniently forgotten about.
Initially, the 9 muses of Ancient Greece were supposed to give people a much-needed convincing word, guide them on the right path and console them in moments of despair. In addition, their purpose included, of course, the chanting of the good morals of the gods who existed from the creation of the world.
Over time, the muses of Ancient Greece began to perform smaller functions, acquiring more and more symbolic character.
Something about the leader of the muses
Before talking about the muses themselves, it is worth talking about their leader, since it was he who may have become the reason that the names of the nine muses of Ancient Greece are now mentioned only in direct connection with art.
The muses were dominated by none other than the son of Zeus and the goddess Leto, Apollo. Conscious modern humanity it is this representative of the ancient Greek pantheon that is the embodiment of beauty, grace and sublimity.
Perhaps it was thanks to the Sun God that the names of the muses of Ancient Greece began to be associated exclusively with art. To be fair, it should be noted that Apollo himself, in addition to the fine arts, also patronized medicine, but in the modern world this is not given much importance.
Such different sisters
If you pay attention to the myths of Ancient Greece, the muses mainly appear in them as a kind of unity, one phenomenon. However, this does not mean at all that they were no different from each other.
In fact, each of the muses played a special role, performed strictly certain functions, patronized a specific phenomenon.
As mentioned earlier, in Greek mythology there is evidence of the existence of nine muses.
What was patronized?
In the very general view The sphere of influence of the nine muses can be divided into three significant sectors: science, poetry and music, and finally the theater. Of course, such a division is not complete and gives only a vague idea of such a deity as the muse.
Turning to specifics, we note that the ancient Greeks were very attentive to various details, circumstances, subtleties that to modern man would seem insignificant. All ancient art amazes with its clarity and severity of forms.
It is not surprising that the same approach of the Greeks was applied to the muses. For example, the epic and lyric poetry there were separate patronesses. The same applied to tragedy and comedy.
Now that we're in general outline Having figured out what the muses of Ancient Greece patronized, let’s talk about each of them separately.
Muse of History
As mentioned earlier, in the ancient worldview the muses were responsible not only for art, but also for science. History, for example, was the area of influence of the Muse Clio, who is most often depicted wearing a laurel wreath, holding a scroll and a writing stick.
Just like other muses of Ancient Greece, Clio was engaged specific activities, namely the recording of all the great feats accomplished both in earthly and in divine world. The scroll that she holds in her hands in all the images is necessary so that the muse can instantly capture what happened in history.
Muse of Astronomy
Since ancient times, the Greeks were interested in the world around them, especially with regard to space, which for them had a lot of higher value than for modern man.
Because of this, astronomy was considered one of the most important sciences, which was studied compulsorily along with mathematics and, by the way, music. Based on this, it is not at all surprising that among the 9 muses of Ancient Greece there was a place for Urania, the patroness of astronomy.
This muse was depicted with a compass and the vault of heaven in her hands, which in to the maximum extent reflected its purpose.
Muse of epic poetry and knowledge
If you look at the photo, the muses of Ancient Greece are quite similar to each other. Thus, the patroness of history, Clio, can easily be confused by the inexperienced with Calliope, who is also traditionally depicted with a scroll and a writing stick.
Unlike her sister, Calliope is the patron of epic poetry and knowledge. Perhaps this is the reason for the external similarity, because it is precisely the epic work of ancient Greece that cannot be imagined without the underlying plot historical event. IN in this case we're talking about not necessarily about real fact history - a fictitious fact may also be subject to coverage.
Lyric muses
Along with epic poetry, there was, of course, lyric poetry. It is noteworthy that she was patronized not by one, but by two divine sisters: Erato and Euterpe.
These two muses of art of ancient Greece only at first glance patronized the same reality. Erato's medium of influence was considered to be love and lyrical poetry. She was depicted with a lyre in her hands.
As for her sister Euterpe, she also added music to directly lyrical poetry, and the flute was considered the instrument of the muse, according to images and descriptions that have survived to this day.
Another musical muse
The significance of music for the ancient Greeks can be easily determined at least by the number of muses who patronized it. So, along with those listed earlier, there was also Polyhymnia, which was dominated by solemn chants.
The art of dance
Continuing to list the names of the 9 muses of Ancient Greece, let us turn to the cult of the beauty of the human body. Obeying the principle of kalokagathia, the ancient Greeks paid extremely much attention to the art of dance, so it is not at all surprising that choreography was patronized by a separate muse. Light-footed Terpsichore was often associated with the cult of Dionysus, which is why ivy could almost always be seen among her attributes. Most often, the muse of dance was depicted with a lyre in her hands.
The Great Theater of the Ancient Greeks
It is difficult to imagine the era of antiquity without theater. It was he who in many ways became the first step in the development of art. It should be noted that Greek comedy and tragedy existed in some sense separately from each other. The reason for this was the division of all art into high and low. Thus, comedy was considered a low genre and was mainly associated with the cult of Dionysus, while tragedy was patronized by the beautiful Apollo.
As for the muses, of course, there were two. High Greek tragedy existed and developed thanks to Melpomene, and the patroness of comedy for the ancient Greeks was the muse Thalia.
What the muses looked like
Something about appearance The nine muses have already been said, but it wouldn’t hurt to sum it up so that the impression of these creatures is complete.
If you look at the surviving ancient sculptures or their photographs, the muses of Ancient Greece looked almost the same. First of all, this is, of course, a beautiful body. The principle of kalokagathia, which was mentioned above, was that what was beautiful on the outside was certainly beautiful on the inside. That is why such benign creatures as the muses simply could not have an unsightly appearance.
They differed from each other mostly in attributes, which spoke of the “areas of responsibility” of the divine beauties.
Legacy of the Nine Muses
IN in a broad sense Mankind inherited art itself from the muses. Nevertheless, what seems more curious is the fact that the creatures of heavenly beauty gave birth to creatures from the Greek gods who can hardly be characterized in the same way.
Moreover, the children of the muses, according to myths, posed a danger to humans. The Sirens, who killed so many sailors with their wondrous singing, were born by Melpomene from Achelous. Other creatures - the Palicki twins, according to some myths, were born from Thalia.
The names of the muses of Ancient Greece are not heard very often today, however, the very concept, the idea of them has been preserved in the memory of mankind forever. “The world will be saved by beauty,” said the great Dostoevsky. And what is beauty if not art, which is always patronized by a beautiful muse?