Muses were daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, or, to other versions,
daughters of Harmony, or of Uranus and Ge (Heaven and Earth). From the
classical period the number of Muses was standardized to nine, and the
following list was generally accepted: Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry;
Clio, the Muse of history; Polyhymnia, the Muse of mime; Euterpe, the Muse
of flute; Terpsichore, the Muse of light verse and dance; Erato, the muse
of lyric choral poetry; Melpomene, the Muse of tradegy; Thalia,
the Muse of comedy; Urania, the muse of astronomy. |