The Muses in Greek Mythology and Art

Who are the muses?

The nine Muses were goddesses who protected the early poets and musicians and then all the arts and sciences. Were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (daughter of Heaven and Earth)? The epic poet Hesiod was the first who gave the names of the Muses, but the question remains whether the inventor himself or got from an earlier source. This was the Calliope, the Clio, Thalia, Euterpe of the Polymnia, Ourania, Terpsichore, Melpomene and the Erato. According to Greek mythology, was the brother of Helicon Kitheronas. The second regarded as greedy and evil, the Helicon described as calm and dative to fellowmen. Kitheronas killed his father and his brother threw a cliff. Then the gods transformed the homonymous mountains, and to punish Kithaerona nominated to be inhabited by the Furies and to honor Helicon turned him into a place of residence of the Muses. (Wetta, 321)

The cult of the Muses was widespread in ancient times there were many temples in their honor in Greece. Indeed, the ancient Greeks believed that the Muses lived on Mount Helicon with their teacher, Apollo. For this reason, the Muses were called Elikoniades. On Thespies (town situated about 15 km from Thebes) were held every four years, "Museums" celebrations in honor of the Muses. The celebrations were held in the sacred grove of the Muses, where there was the sacred spring Aganippi, miraculous source of water which had the capacity to transform into poets those who drank. In the "Museum" was attended by poets, musicians and athletes. The participants competed in the oviduct, in epic poetry, rhapsody, guitar, the flute, the satirical poetry and drama to tragedy and comedy. The winners were crowned with ivy or rhododendron that was the sacred plant of the Muses.

What is their history and lineage?

The cult of the Muses from Pieria began, the region of birth, which is why it's called "Pierides". They said that Pierre, king of Macedonia, according to legend, brought from there to worship in Viotia. Pierre, in fact, had nine daughters, which gave the name of the Muses, Pierides. But he was so arrogant, that led to the Muses paravgoun with their singing. They were the defeated, as was natural, and to punish, transformed into the rambling ivy. When they sang, darkened and nobody listened. In Boeotia, then, the Muses lived on Mount Helicon, which became the center of worship. That is why we called and "Elikoniades. (Smith, 75)

Here the worship Apollo and the Muses came to merge completely. In Athens, the highly honored by, inter alia, called a peak near the Acropolis Museum "in honor of Plato and had built an altar in his name to the Academy. The Muses were especially popular throughout Greece; traces of worship found in the Peloponnese, the Aegean islands and Crete, where it was believed that the singing contest between the Muses and the Sirens. Prevailed during the first course, which imagined the sirens punished by cutting off their ...