Each nation has its own legends telling about the origin of the world, about the appearance of the first man, about gods and glorious heroes who perform wonderful feats in the name of goodness and justice.

By creating these legends, ancient people tried to understand the world around them. The legends of the ancient Greeks about their gods, spirits and heroes are called myths. The Greeks imagined the gods in the form of people, only more perfect, with great strength, beauty and immortality.

In all other respects, the gods of the ancient Greeks were very similar to ordinary people: they fought, quarreled, suffered, loved, had fun, drank. But the gods themselves, as the Greeks believed, did not appear immediately.

At the beginning of all beginnings, as the myths tell, there was only one endless Chaos. Born from Chaos Love. and thanks to her great power, the world began to be created.

Nine Muses

Apollo. the adored leader of the nine muses - the daughters of Jupiter and the titanides Mnemosyne. goddess of memory, - had the nickname Musaget.

From time to time, all the muses united to sing one grand song. A glorious community of Muses gathered on Mount Parnassus or Mount Helikon, where they held scholarly discussions about poetry, science and music.

Each of the muses had their own duties.

Clio. the muse of history, wrote down all the great and heroic deeds, as well as the names of those who committed them, and therefore was depicted with a laurel wreath on her head and with a book and a pen in her hand, which indicated her readiness to record everything important that happened in the lives of mortal people or immortal gods.

Euterpe. graceful goddess of singing, depicted with a flute and with garlands of fragrant flowers in her hands.

Waist. muse of pastoral poetry, held a shepherd's staff and a mask and wore a wreath of wildflowers.

Her middle sister Melpomene. goddess of tragedy, wore a golden crown on her head, and held a scepter in her hands, and Terpsichore. light-footed muse of dance, depicted as lightly fluttering through the air.

Erato. which preferred lyric poetry to all other types of poetry, was depicted with a lyre, and polyhymnia. the muse of rhetoric, held a scepter in her hand as a sign that no one can resist the power of eloquence.

calliope. muse of heroic poetry, also wore a laurel wreath on her head, and Urania. the muse of astronomy, held mathematical tools in her hands - evidence of her love for the exact sciences.

The Muses are the ancient Greek goddesses of the arts and sciences.

All Muses are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Habitat together with their leader god Apollo Mount Parnassus.

Different sources name a different number of muses. Some researchers believe that at first, among the ancient Greeks, one muse was responsible for creativity, then three Hesiod already calls nine music, namely:

Euterpe music and lyric poetry;

Terpsichore dances;

Clio history;

Comedy Waist;

Melpomene tragedy;

Erato of love poetry;

Polyhymnia of eloquence and hymns;

Urania astronomy;

Calliope of the heroic epic.

The Muses had their temples, which were called museions, hence the term museum came from.

In addition to these deities, Hellas created a host of secondary gods. Each stream, grove, valley had its own deity. which sometimes appeared to people, had an influence on their affairs and occupations. Great gods transformed walked the earth. Zeus himself did not hesitate to take the form of even a bull in order to kidnap his beloved woman; sometimes he descended like a golden rain, sometimes he appeared as a swan, sometimes in the form of a misty cloud.

Nine Muses

The Greeks believed that all the most important things that accompany a person on the path of life belong to Zeus. In order for people to always be accompanied by beauty and inspiration, Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, gave birth to Zeus nine daughters - muses.

The Muses became the inspirers of talents. “As soon as their chosen one is born, they begin to feed him with tender heavenly dew, and words sweet as honey pour from his mouth,” says the myth. This means that the seal of talent marks a person at birth. You just need to notice it.

The daughters of Zeus divided among themselves all the arts and sciences considered by the Greeks to be the main ones. And in order to distinguish the muses from each other, each was given special attributes.

Clio, the muse of history, was depicted with a scroll of parchment in her hands.

Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, always sat in a dreamy pose, holding a waxed tablet and a sharp stick - a stylus. This stylus could only write in a beautiful style. Calliope inspired Homer to write the Iliad and the Odyssey.

A tragic mask in her hands, a laurel wreath on her head and cothurnas on her feet distinguished Melpomene, the muse of tragedies.

Terpsichore became the patroness of all dances and dancers. She, like Melpomene, is crowned with laurels, and in her hands she has a harp, the sounds of which are heard only by talented dancers.

Not only tragedy, comedy also had its own muse - Thalia. Instead of a headdress, she had a wreath of ivy, in one hand a comic mask, and in the other a tympanum, a kind of harp.

Erato never parted with a light, sweet-sounding lyre, because she was the muse of love poetry. The muse of Erato guides us when we say beautiful words of love, press our hand to our heart or gently hug our loved one.

And Euterpe, the muse of lyric poetry and music, was always portrayed with a flute.

Among the Muses, there is one that has no distinctive attributes. She just stands, leaning on a rock, and looks thoughtfully into the distance. This is the goddess of hymns to the gods and orators for which Ancient Greece, Polyhymnia, was famous.

And finally, astronomers and astrologers had their own muse - Urania. At her feet is a circle of the earth, and in her hands is a wooden compass, which was used by astrologers to determine the place of stars in the firmament of heaven.

All the Muses loved to live near Mount Helikon. There were beautiful shady groves, cool caves and the source of Hippocrene dedicated to them. It is worth swimming in its “violet-dark waters”, as wonderful songs are born in the soul by themselves. This spring knocked out the winged horse Pegasus with its hoof.

The Muses come to Olympus in the retinue of Apollo. He strikes the golden strings of the cithara, the muses begin to sing and dance. And all the gods start to dance, sing songs and sing hymns to themselves.

Sources: sashka.inf.ua, www.mifyrima.ru, vikent.ru, legendami.ru, nsportal.ru

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Very often in our life there are such phrases as: “the muse visited”, “the muse of poetry” and many others in which the word muse is mentioned. However, what does it mean? This concept comes from ancient mythology. The Greek Muses are nine sisters, patrons of the arts and sciences. They are the daughters of Zeus himself and each of them has their own unique divine powers. Let's look at them in more detail.

So, as mentioned earlier, the Muses are the daughters of Zeus and the Titanides Mnemosyne, who is the goddess of memory. The very word muses (muses) comes from the Greek word for “thinking”. The Muses were usually portrayed as young and beautiful women. They possessed a prophetic gift and favorably treated creative people: poets, artists, artists, encouraging and helping them in their activities in every possible way. However, for special offenses, the muses could deprive a person of inspiration. To prevent this from happening, the ancient Greeks built special temples in honor of the muses, which were called museions. It is from this word that the word “museum” comes from. The patron of the Muses themselves was the god Apollo. Let's now look at each of the muses in more detail.

Muse Calliope - muse of epic poetry

The name of this muse from Greek can be translated as "having a beautiful voice." According to Diodorus, this name arose at the moment when the “beautiful word” (kalen opa) was uttered. She is the eldest daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne.

Calliope is the mother of Orpheus, the muse of heroic poetry and eloquence. It evokes a sense of sacrifice that encourages a person to overcome his selfishness and fear of fate. Calliope wears a golden crown on her forehead - a sign that she dominates other muses, thanks to her ability to introduce a person to the first steps towards his liberation. Calliope was depicted with a waxed tablet or scroll and a slate stick in her hands - a stylus, which was a bronze rod, the pointed end of which was used to write text on a tablet covered with wax. The opposite end was made flat to erase what was written.

Muse Clio - patroness of history

The accompanying attributes of this muse are a scroll of parchment or a tablet - a board with letters. Clio reminds of what a person can achieve, helps to find his destiny.

According to Diodorus, the name comes from the word "Cleos" - "glory". The etymology of the name is “giving glory”. From Pier, the Greek muse Clio had a son, Hyacinthus. Love for Pier was inspired by Aphrodite for condemning her love for Adonis.

Muse of Melpomene - muse of tragedy

In Greek mythology, Melpomene is considered the muse of the tragic genre. The name, according to Diodorus, means "a melody that pleases the listeners." The image is anthropomorphic - it was described as a woman with a bandage, grape or ivy wreath on her head. It always has permanent paraphernalia in the form of a tragic mask, sword or club. The weapon carries the symbolism of the inevitability of divine punishment.

Melpomene is the mother of sirens - sea creatures who personified a deceptive but charming sea surface, under which sharp cliffs or shallows are hidden. From their mother muse, the sirens inherited the divine voice with which they lured sailors.

Muse Thalia - muse of comedy

Thalia or, in another version, Phalia - in Greek mythology, the muse of comedy and light poetry, the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Depicted with a comic mask in her hands and a wreath of ivy on her head.

From Thalia and Apollo, the Corybantes were born - the mythical predecessors of the priests of Cybele or Rhea in Phrygia, in wild enthusiasm, with music and dances, serving the great mother of the gods. According to Diodorus, she received her name from prosperity (thallein) glorified in poetic works for many years.

Zeus, turning into a kite, took Thalia as his wife. Out of fear of Hera's jealousy, the muse hid in the bowels of the earth, where demonic creatures were born from her - sticks (in this myth she is called the nymph of Etna).

Muse Polyhymnia - muse of solemn hymns

Polyhymnia is the muse of solemn hymns in Greek mythology. According to Diodorus, she got her name from the creation by many praises (diapolles chimneseos) of fame to those whose name poetry immortalized with glory. She patronizes hymn writers. It is believed that she keeps in mind all the hymns, songs and ritual dances that praise the Olympian gods, it is also believed that she invented the lyre.

Polyhymnia is often depicted with a scroll in her hands, in a thoughtful pose. Polyhymnia patronizes the study of rhetoric and oratory by people, which turns the orator into an instrument of truth. She personifies the power of speech and makes a person's speech life-giving. Polyhymnia helps to recognize the mystery of the word as a real power, with which you can inspire and revive, but at the same time hurt and kill. This power of speech is inspiring on the path to truth.

Muse Terpsichore - muse of dance

Terpsichore is the muse of dance. According to Diodorus, she got her name from the enjoyment (terpein) of the audience by the benefits that are in art. Tsets also calls her name among the Muses. Considered the patroness of dancing and choral singing. Depicted as a young woman, with a smile on her face, sometimes in the pose of a dancer, more often sitting and playing the lyre.

Characteristic attributes: a wreath on the head; in one hand she held a lyre, and in the other a plectrum. This muse is associated with Dionysus, attributing to her the attribute of this god - ivy (as the inscription on Helicon dedicated to Terpsichore says).

Muse Urania - muse of astronomy

Urania is the muse of astronomy. The attributes of Urania were: a celestial globe and a compass. According to Diodorus, she received her name from the aspiration to heaven (ouranos) of those who comprehended her art. According to one version, Urania is the mother of Hymen.

Urania personifies the power of contemplation, she calls us to leave the external chaos in which a person exists and plunge into the contemplation of the majestic run of the stars, which is a reflection of fate. This is the power of knowledge, the power that draws to the mysterious, draws to the high and beautiful - to the Sky and the Stars.

Muse of Euterpe - muse of lyric poetry

Euterpe (ancient Greek Εὐτέρπη "entertaining") - in Greek mythology, one of the nine muses, the daughters of Zeus and the Titanides Mnemosyne, the muse of lyrical poetry and music. Depicted with a lyre or flute in her hands.

Mother of Res by the river god Strymon. According to the etymology of Diodora, she received her name from the enjoyment (terpein) of listeners who receive the benefits of education. Tsets also calls her name among the Muses.

Muse Erato - muse of love poetry

Erato is the muse of lyrical and love poetry. Her name is derived from the name of the god of love Eros. According to Diodorus, she received the name in honor of the ability to be “eperasta” (desired for love and passion).

She was born as a result of the union of Mnemosyne and Zeus. From Mala Erato gave birth to Cleophema. The attribute of the muse is cithara. This divine heroine of Greek mythology is often mentioned in the legends of the Hellenes.

In addition, Virgil and Apollonius of Rhodes resort to the symbolism associated with the image of the Greek muse Erato in their works. She knows how to breathe into the soul love for everything living with her art to transform everything into beauty, hidden beyond the physical.

According to Wikipedia

Alexander Pushkin
"Muse"
In my infancy she loved me
And she handed me a seven-barreled forearm.
She listened to me with a smile - and slightly,
Through the ringing wells of empty reeds,
I have already played with weak fingers
And important hymns inspired by the gods,
And the peaceful songs of the Phrygian shepherds.
From morning to evening in the silent shade of oaks
Diligently I heeded the lessons of the virgin of mystery,
And, delighting me with a random reward,
Throwing back the curls from the sweet forehead,
She herself took the flute from my hands.
The reed was animated by the divine breath
And filled my heart with holy charm.

In ancient Greece, not only the gods who made up the host were revered, but also their children, the deities of the third generation of Olympians. Greece was an enlightened country: the sages, scientists, philosophers of antiquity left a deep mark on the history of the whole world. It is noteworthy that the muses in Greece did not always mean a symbol of inspiration for the beautiful: music, love, poetry.

The nine daughters of the father of the gods Zeus clearly demonstrate the triad: a symbol of absolute harmony. They combined three types: science, handicraft and real art. The triad is symbolic in Greece, where poetry was as highly valued as the ability to read the stars.

Sages and philosophers rightly believed that each of the muses is necessary for prosperity.

Calliope was the mother of Orpheus, from her son inherited the ability to feel music. The mother taught her son that every word in poetry should bring the soul of the fallen hero back to life, inspire faith and nurture nobility. The scroll and slate in her hands were not just symbols. Young warriors leaving for battle could swear that they could hear Calliope writing a new work.

The Greeks considered Calliope the queen of all the muses, No wonder she has a crowned crown or a laurel wreath on her head. Apollo himself did not dare to interrupt the Queen of the Muses when she spoke fiery speeches about the honor, nobility, courage and purity of the soul of a true warrior. The muse can be considered a symbol of love for one's Motherland, one's land. Therefore, at one time the Greeks ordered miniature images of Calliope before distant wanderings. They say that Pallas herself gave such a miniature to her beloved Odysseus so that his heart would always be filled with purity of thoughts and the desire to return to his native shores.

The ancient Greek historian and keeper of mythology Diodorus wrote about her: “The greatest of muses inspires love for the past”. History is priceless for any nation, and especially for the people of Greece. Clio, it was believed, wrote down on her scrolls every, even an insignificant event, so that none of the descendants would forget their past.

The mythology describes the conflict between the muse and the beautiful Aphrodite. The muse of history had strict morals, but she never knew love. Aphrodite, being the wife of the god Hephaestus, had tender feelings for the young Dionysus. The implacable muse condemned the goddess for her love for a mortal. Aphrodite ordered her little son Eros to shoot two arrows: one, kindling love, in Clio, and the second, killing feelings, in Pieron. Suffering from unrequited love enlightened the muse; Clio no longer dared to judge anyone for feelings.

Being engaged in the study of history, we compiled, in which we tried to take into account all the features of each of the gods.

According to the myths, Clio was friendly with Calliope, which is understandable: the muse of patriotism is inseparable from the muse of history. They were portrayed in almost the same way, often the Greeks ordered busts of these muses from only one master.

Melpomene is not only the muse of tragedy, as symbolized by the mournful mask in her right hand. Muse is the mother of the fatal sirens who almost killed the Argonauts. Although according to another version, Terpsichore was the mother of the sirens.

It is interesting that the origin of the sirens is described extremely poorly, as if they appeared from the air. The two daughters of Melpomene had marvelous voices from birth, but pride destroyed them: in the absence of their mother, they challenged the muses and lost. They were punished for this: according to one version, the Thunderer himself turned them into sirens, according to another, turning into birds was the work of Poseidon.

Melpomene vowed to grieve forever for the fate of her daughters and those who dare to go against the will of heaven. He is always depicted in the robes of theatre-goers, with the same mask in his hands. But in the second hand there can be either a sword as a symbol of punishment for disobedience and insolence, or a scroll of parchment. The mantle on it exactly reflects the spirit of Greece of that era: people are toys in the hands of the gods and only take part in the theater of the gods.

Thalia was closest to Melpomene, the muse of tragedies, but she never understood her unconditional faith in the inevitability of punishment. According to Cicero, the Muses often quarreled because of this.

In contrast to her sister, Thalia was portrayed with a comedy mask in her hands and wearing a wreath of plain ivy. The muse never claimed special attention, but she had a cheerful disposition and was distinguished by optimism. According to mythology, it was believed that the comedy mask in her hands was a symbol of laughter, but according to another version, the mask meant about the same as the mask in the hands of Melpomene: the life of people is just a play for the gods.

Thalia was the wife of Apollo, but, according to the myth, she was kidnapped by the Thunderer to make his wife. But the muse knew Hera, the wife of Zeus, and understood what awaited her. Horror made her seek refuge from the lord of the dead world of Hades. The gloomy god hid the muse deep underground.

Euterpe stood out among other muses with a special refinement in the perception of poetry. Her poems could be listened to for hours by the whole host of Olympians, to the quiet accompaniment of the harp of Orpheus. Her attribute is a double flute and a wreath of fresh flowers. She could be depicted surrounded by forest nymphs, according to the records, she became the comforter of the soul of the unfortunate Orpheus after he lost his Eurydice twice.
She was considered the most beautiful of the muses, possessing a special sensuality and femininity.

Erato is always depicted with some kind of cheerful and perky musical instrument: lyre, tambourine. She was glorified by songwriters, calling to inspire inspiration. The head of the muse is decorated with beautiful roses as a symbol of the eternity of love.

Erato has become a symbol of the struggle of true love for their rights. The muse sang that even the dark kingdom of Hades could not separate loving hearts, they were forever connected by a strong thread. Muse became the creator of a new direction in the music of Greece - wedding. Legend has it that charming Erato got bored at one of the weddings. She held out her lyre to the blind musician and whispered something to him.

Magical music sounded in the huge hall, all the lovers present felt an irresistible desire to be together before and after death. The wondrous music spread further and further, and now the muse of Terpsichore is listening to the music, and her chiseled legs are beating a new rhythm of the dance.

Terpsichore is not just the muse of dances, including wedding ones. Dance should express not just emotions, but a special connection with nature, show unity with the culture of their homeland. The dance of Terpsichore is the absolute perfection of the movements of the soul and body. Since ancient times, the Greeks, learning to dance, learned to listen to music and dance to the rhythm of heartbeats. Each dancer wanted to learn the perfect movements of the muse, but this was not given to everyone.

Terpsichore, according to legend, accompanied the god Dionysus everywhere. The god himself was distinguished by the simplicity of the image, so his environment also did not stand out for pomp and pretentiousness. Muse appears in a simple tunic with a lyre in her hands, on her head a wreath of ivy.

Polyhymnia, muse of hymns

Polyhymnia was the patroness of speakers, it was in her will to make the speech fiery and life-giving, or people not to hear the speaker's voice at all. It was believed that it was worth pronouncing the name of the muse before an important performance, Polyhymnia would go down to the supplicant and spend the whole night instructing and inspiring the gift of voice. Without the patronage of the muse of oratory, it is impossible to reach the hearts, none of the Greeks doubted this at all.

Muse of hymns to the gods. This should be understood as the muse of prayers that people send daily to higher powers and their ardor also depends on the will of the daughter of Zeus.

The ninth and wisest of all the daughters of the Thunderer, not counting Athena. It is believed that her name was given to her by her father in honor of Uranus, the god of heaven, long before the appearance of Zeus.

The muse always holds a globe and a compass in her hands. The latter helps her determine the distances between stars. It was she who stood near Piazzi, suggesting to him the discovery of the first asteroid. The Roman did not immediately hear the muse, but the daughter of Zeus always got her way from her ward scientists. The Greeks considered her the patroness of even those sciences that were far from heavenly.
This muse is revered to this day, and everywhere. Even in Russia there is a museum of Urania and in some cities there are full-fledged statues.

The religion of ancient Greece is amazing. It is strikingly different from other religions, causing a growing interest in itself. A journey into their world always leaves a mark in the memory of a person, no matter if he is Greek by origin.

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Classmates

Muses the Greeks considered Calliope, the muse of sacrifice and patriotism. Calliope symbolized love for the motherland and inspired warriors before the battle. She was also called the muse of epic poetry and was depicted with a scroll and a stylus in her hands.

Clio, the muse of history, was friendly with Calliope. She was depicted with tablets, where she wrote down any, even the most insignificant event that took place in the world. No one should forget their past, because without the past there is no future - this is Clio's motto.

Another patroness of science, Urania, was considered the wisest of Zeus. The muse holds in her hands a celestial sphere and a compass, which determines the distance between the stars. Urania symbolizes not only astronomy, but also the desire for knowledge, craving for the stars.

Modern patrons, the muse of tragedy Melpomene and the muse of comedy Thalia personified the theater of life in ancient Greece, in which people play their roles at the will of the gods. Melpomene is traditionally depicted with a tragic mask in her hand, but in the other hand she may hold a sword that punishes the guilty at the end of the play. Thalia, with a comedy mask in her hands, stood up for the possibility of a happy ending for any story. She was optimistic and infectious.

The muse of poetry, Euterpe, was considered the most beautiful of the muses - the gods at the Olympic feast could listen to her poems for hours. She was depicted with a flute and a wreath from, often surrounded by forest nymphs, since nature itself prompted poetry and music to her.

Erato was in charge of love poetry. She urged all lovers to fight for their feelings and keep them carefully. When a person pronounces words of love or hugs a loved one, Erato's muse plays a gentle melody on her lyre.

Terpsichore is the patroness of dance, and dance in ancient Greece expressed a special connection with nature, the unity of soul and body in motion. In her hands, the muse holds a harp, the sounds of which are heard only by talented dancers.

The only muse without distinctive symbols was Polyhymnia. She favored speakers. At her will, the speaker's speech could light a fire in the hearts of listeners or be ridiculed. Polyhymnia was also the muse of prayers and hymns addressed to the gods.

Inhabitants of Parnassus

The Muses were companions of the god Apollo and lived on Mount Parnassus, at the foot of which the Kastalsky key beat. A sip of water from this source gave inspiration, because the muses patronized everyone who aspired to beauty.

The nine sister goddesses were revered throughout Greece and temples were built for them, called museums. It is from the museums that the name of modern museums comes - repositories of works of art, the creation of which was inspired by the muses.

Muses Muses

(Musae, Μου̃σαι). Daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. There were nine of them, and each of them had an influence on a certain branch of the arts and sciences. They were as follows: Calliope - the muse of the epic, Clio - history, Erato - love poetry and facial expressions, Euterpe - lyric poetry, Melpomene - tragedy, Polyhymnia - hymns, Terpsichore - dances, Phalia - comedy and Urania - astronomy. Mount Helikon in Boeotia, where the sacred springs of Aganippus and Hippocrenes were located, was considered their favorite place. Mount Parnassus was also considered the sacred mountain of the Muses, and they loved the Castalia spring at its foot. As goddesses of singing, the Muses are in close connection with Apollo, who was called the leader of the Muses, or Muzaget. The Roman Kamenae are the same as the Greek Muses, who were originally nymphs of the springs.

(Source: "A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

MUSES

muses (Μοΰσαι, “thinking”), aonids, Aonian sisters, parnasids, castalides, ipocrenids, pierids (nicknames from the habitats of M.), in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosynes. M. - 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 next). Their names are: Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Thalia, Polyhymnia, Urania; all of them, with the exception of U ranni ("heavenly") and Clio ("giving glory"), indicate a connection with singing, dancing, music, pleasure. These Olympic M. go back to archaic M. - chthonic creatures. According to Pausanias, the first who honored M. and made sacrifices to them on Helikon were not poets and singers, but terrible giants aloads - From 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”). In the course of time, Pier (after whom the mountain was named) arrived from Macedonia, he established the number of M. (nine) and gave them names. The poet Mimnerm claimed that there were older M. - daughters of Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth) and younger ones - daughters of Zeus (Paus. IX 29 1-5).
The chthonic past of M. is also evidenced by the offspring that M ", being the 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 sticks. From the marriage of Melpomene and the river god Aheloy are born sirens. - mixanthropic monstrous creatures, attracting travelers with their singing and devouring them (Apollod. I 3, 4). Archaic M. were called “stormy”, “violent” (Greek thoyrides, of the same root with Latin furia), as Hesychius (v. thoyrides) reports. M. was called the nurse of Dionysus (Eustath. 1816, 4) and companions of his wanderings (Diod. IV 4), like maenads. M. and maenads are sometimes placed in the same row (for example, King Lycurgus was punished by Dionysus for persecuting maenads and M., Soph. Antig. 962 following). In the Helicon inscription, Terpsichore and Dionysus Bromius are compared, the gift of inspiration and ivy are inherent in it, the ability to charm and a flute are inherent in it. Orpheus, who established the mysteries of Dionysus, the son of Calliope and Eagra (Apollod. I 3, 2-3). Singer Lin. son of Calliope (or Urania) and Amphimar, son of Poseidon. Stormy and ecstatic M. was headed 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 the gift of singing and playing the kithara Famiris(Apollod. I 3, 3).
The Olympic M. of classical mythology are the daughters of Zeus, they live on Helikon, singing all the generations of the gods - Gaia, Kronos, Oceanus, Night, Helios, Zeus himself and his offspring, that is, they connect the past and the present. They know the past, present and future. They are the patrons of singers and musicians, they pass on their gift to them. They instruct and console people, endow them with a persuasive word, sing of the laws and glorify the good morals of the gods. Classical M. are inseparable from the orderliness and harmony of the Olympic world (Hes. Theog. 1-103).
The functions of M. gradually delimited as the arts differentiated, and in the Hellenistic era M. turned into symbolic images: Erato - M. of lyric poetry with a lyre in his hands, Euterpe with a flute accompanies a lyrical song, Calliope - M. of epic poetry and knowledge with a scroll and stick for writing, Clio - M. history with the same attributes, Melpomene - M. tragedy with a tragic mask and an ivy wreath, Polyhymnia - M. serious hymn poetry, Terpsichore - M. dance with lyre and plectrum Thalia - M. comedy with comic mask, Urania - M. astronomy with a firmament and a compass. M. usually perform under the guidance of the god of arts Apollo, who received the name Musaget (I 2, 5).

Lit.; Losev A.F., Olympic mythology in its socio-historical development, “Scientific notes of the Moscow City Pedagogical Institute. Lenin”, 1953. v. 72, c. 3, p. 37-40; his own. Ancient mythology in its historical development, M., 1957, p. 306-13; Vouanse R., Le culte des muses chez les philosophes grecs, P.. 1937; Curtiue E. R., Die Musen, in his book: Europäischen Literatur und lateinisches Mittelalter, 2 Aufl., Bonn, , s. 235-52; Otto W. B.. Die Musen und der göttliche Ursprung des Singens und Sagens, .
A. F. Losev.

(Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world".)

Muses

The daughters of the god Zeus and the titanides Mnemosyne, the goddesses living on Parnassus - the patroness of sciences, poetry and the arts: Euterpe - lyric poetry, Clio - history, Thalia - comedies, Melpomene - tragedies, Terpsichore - dances, Erato - love poetry, Polyhymnia - pantomime and hymns , Urania - astronomy, Calliope - epic poetry. The Muses had their own temples, which were called museyons (from this word came the "museum").

// A.S. PUSHKIN: Muse // N.A. Kuhn: APOLLO AND THE MUSES

(Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary Reference." EdwART, 2009.)

MUSES

in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne, the goddess of the arts and sciences.

(Source: Dictionary of Spirits and Gods of Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Maya and Aztec Mythologies.)

See what "Muses" are in other dictionaries:

Greek musa. The ancient Greeks had nine sisters who patronized the sciences and arts: Klie (with a bundle) the muse of history, Calliope the muse of heroic poetry, Melpomene (with a tragic mask) the muse of tragedy, Thalia (with a shepherd's crook and comic ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Muses- Muses. Fragment of the painting of the white-backed lekythos by the artist Achilles: Muse with a lyre on Mount Helikon. OK. 440 BC Private collection. MUSES (Muses), in Greek mythology, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, nine sisters, goddesses of sciences, poetry and arts: Euterpe ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (muses) in the myths of the ancient Greeks, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, nine sisters, goddesses of science, poetry and arts: Euterpe of lyric poetry, Clio of history, Thalia of comedy, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of dances, Erato of love poetry, Polyhymnia of hymns, ... ... Historical dictionary

Deities of the Greek religion, personifying poetic and musical inspiration. At the heart of ideas about M. are the beliefs of the chthonic religion, which saw the source of all inspiration and mysterious knowledge in underground and water forces. M. ... ... Literary Encyclopedia

In Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the patron goddess of sciences, poetry and the arts: Euterpe of lyric poetry, Clio of history, Thalia of comedy, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of dances, Erato of love poetry, Polyhymnia of hymns, Urania ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Kameny Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary

- (Mousai) mythical female creatures among the ancient Greeks. Homer (in the Iliad) and the most ancient poetry more often name only one M., who knows everything that a person longs to know about the gods, the secrets of the universe and the fate of heroes; she gives a message about all this to those who sing ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

This term has other meanings, see Muse (meanings). Sarcophagus of the Muses (II century AD ... Wikipedia

Muses- (Greek Musai) in Greek mythology, the patron goddess of songs, poetry, arts and sciences, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne (or Uranus and Gaia). Hesiod also calls them the goddesses of dancing and indicates their number 9: Clio m. history, Euterpe m. ... ... Antique world. Dictionary reference.

MUSES- According to Hesiod's Theogony, the nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. The Muses gave Hesiod wisdom and the gift of singing. Sometimes the Muses took a certain fee for such a gift: for example, in the Odyssey, they first blinded Demodocus, and only then gave him something ... ... Dictionary-reference book on Ancient Greece and Rome, on mythology