Muses

The Muses, daughters to Mnemosyne and Zeus, were the divinties of the arts. They were in Pireia, at the foot of Mount Olympus. In some cases, they are described as being a trio, later on they were thought to be nine in number. They consisted of;

• Clio, the Muse of history, represented sitting or standing, with an open roll of paper or a chest of books.
• Euterpe, the Muse of lyric poetry and of music, appeared holding a flute.
• Thalia, the Muse of comedy and of idyllic poetry, was depicted with a shepherd's staff, a comic mask, or a wreath of ivy.
• Melpomine, the Muse of tragedy, carried a tragic mask, or the club of Herakles, or a sword. Her head was surrounded by vine leaves.
• Terpsichore, the Muse of dance and song, carried a lyre and plectrum.
• Erato, the Muse of mime and erotic poetry, could also be found carrying a lyre.
• Polymnia (or Polyhymnia), the Muse of hymns, was seen in a meditative position.
• Calliope (or Calliopea), the Muse of epic poetry, could be seen holding a tablet and stylus, and sometimes with a roll of paper or a book.
• Urania, the Muse of astronomy, held a staff pointing to a globe.

The Muses were worshipped