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.

According to 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 is 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.

Andrea Montegna's work "Parnassus", which depicts Apollo surrounded by muses dancing for the supreme gods of 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.

Museyons

In honor of the muses, special temples were built - museions, which were the focus of the cultural and artistic life of Hellas.

The most famous is the Alexandria Museum. This name formed the basis of the well-known 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, a botanical garden, a menagerie, a museum, famous library.

Archimedes, Euclid, Eratosthenes, Herophilus, Plotinus and other great minds of Hellas worked under its arches.

The most favorable conditions were created for successful work, scientists could meet each other, have long conversations, as a result, the greatest discoveries were made, 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 was enjoyed by singers, poets, artists, muses encouraged them in creativity and served as a source of inspiration.

Unique abilities of muses

Clio, the "Glory-Giving" Muse of History, whose permanent attribute is a parchment scroll or 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 her tender feelings for 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 lost and to punish them for their pride.

Zeus or Poseidon, here the opinions of myth-makers differ, turned them into sirens.
The same ones that almost killed the Argonauts.

Melpomene vowed to forever regret their fate and all those who defy the will of heaven.

She is always wrapped in a theatrical robe, and her symbol is a mournful mask, which she holds in her right hand.
In her left hand is a sword, symbolizing punishment for insolence.

Thalia, muse of comedy, sister of Melpomene, but never accepted her sister’s unconditional belief that punishment was inevitable, this often became the reason for their quarrels.

She is always depicted with a comedy mask in her hands, her head is decorated with an ivy wreath, and she is distinguished by her cheerful disposition and optimism.

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, 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 among other muses for her special, sensual perception of 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, muse of dance, which is performed in the same rhythm with heartbeats.

The perfect art of Terpsichore dance expressed complete harmony of the natural principle, movements of the human body and spiritual 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, which means “beautiful-voiced” in Greek, is 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, holding in her hands a wax tablet and a wooden stick - a stylus, which is why the well-known expression “writing in a high style” appeared.

The ancient poet Dionysius Medny called poetry “the cry of Calliope.”

The ninth muse of astronomy, the wisest of the daughters of Zeus, Urania holds in her hands the 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 various types of arts. Why?
According to the teaching of Pythagoras on the “harmony of the celestial spheres,” the dimensional relationships of musical sounds are comparable to the distances between the celestial bodies. Without knowing one, it is impossible to achieve harmony in the other.

As the goddess of science, Urania is still revered today. There is even a Urania Museum in Russia.

The muses symbolized the hidden virtues of human nature and contributed to their manifestation.

According to the ideas of the ancient Greeks, the muses had the amazing gift of introducing the souls of people to the great secrets of the Universe, memories of which they then embodied in poetry, music, and scientific discoveries.

Patronizing all creative people, the muses did not tolerate vanity and deception and severely punished them.

The Macedonian king Pierus had 9 daughters with beautiful voices, who decided to challenge the muses to a competition.

Calliope won and was declared the winner, but the Pierids refused to admit defeat and tried to start a fight. For this they were punished, and they were turned into forty.

Instead of wonderful singing, they announce their fate to the whole world with sharp guttural screams.

Therefore, you can count on the help of the muses and divine providence only if your thoughts are pure and your aspirations are selfless.

Muse, patroness of tragedy

The first letter is "m"

Second letter "e"

Third letter "l"

The last letter of the letter is "a"

Answer for the question "Muse, patroness of tragedy", 10 letters:
Melpomene

Alternative crossword questions for the word melpomene

In Greek mythology, one of the nine muses, the patroness of tragedy

The name of this woman comes from the Greek word “melos” - “song”, and she was usually depicted holding a mask in one hand and a sword or club in the other.

One of the muses in Greek mythology

Definition of the word melpomene in dictionaries

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov The meaning of the word in the dictionary Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language. D.N. Ushakov
(Capital M), Melpomene, w. (book rhetorician). Symbol of performing arts. French Melpomene. (After the name of the muse of tragedy in Greek mythology.).

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The meaning of the word in the dictionary Great Soviet Encyclopedia
in ancient Greek mythology, one of the nine muses, the patroness of tragedy. She was depicted wearing a wreath of grape leaves, with a tragic mask and a club in her hand. In a figurative sense, M. is the art of tragedy, tragedy, and sometimes theater in general.

Mythological dictionary Meaning of the word in the dictionary Mythological Dictionary
(Greek) - “singing” - the muse of tragedy, one of the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (at first she was considered the muse of songs, then - sad songs). M. was depicted as a tall woman, decorated with vine leaves, in a wreath of ivy, with a tragic theatrical water mask...

Wikipedia Meaning of the word in the Wikipedia dictionary
Melpomene is a sailing frigate of the Russian Imperial Navy, Speshny type. It belonged to the rank of 44-gun frigates, although it had 52 guns. Laid down at the Solombala shipyard on September 22, 1834. Builder V. A. Ershov. Launched April 29, 1836...

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998 The meaning of the word in the dictionary Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998
in Greek mythology, one of the 9 muses, the patroness of tragedy. She was depicted wearing an ivy wreath with a tragic mask and a club in her hand. In a figurative sense, the “priests of Melpomene” are actors.

Examples of the use of the word melpomene in literature.

Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Terpsichore, Polyhymnia, Urania and Calliope.

Frederick is a sublime buffoon, his wild clowning makes Talia turn pale with horror, and Melpomene laugh with joy.

And you, priceless joker, who Melpomene Gave the buskins and dagger to Playful Talya!

Erato is the muse of love poetry, Euterpe - lyrical song, Calliope - epic poetry, Clio - history, Polyhymnia - hymn poetry, Terpsichore - dance, Melpomene- drama, Thalia - comedy, Urania - astronomy.

Muses - nine deities, the personification of the arts and sciences: Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Thalia, Terpsichore, Urania, Euterpe, Erato.

Each of the 9 sisters of goddesses, according to other Greek. mythologies that patronized the sciences and arts. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. MUSE Plant; same as banana. Dictionary of foreign words included in...

- (foreign) inspiration Wed. As long as you are beloved by the muses, You Pierid burn with fire... Forget worldly sorrows. A.S. Pushkin to Batyushkov. Wed. Goddess of courageous thoughts! My poems sounded to you, Alive, bright, like you! N.M. Languages. To the Muse. Wed. Breathe heavenly to me,... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

muse- y, w. 1) In Greek mythology: each of the nine goddesses, patroness of poetry, arts and sciences. 2) portable, unit only, book. A symbol of poetic inspiration, as well as inspiration itself, creativity. And don’t let me know where you are, O Muse, don’t call him... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

Euterpe or Euterpe (“pleasure”) in Greek mythology is one of the nine muses, daughters of Zeus and the Titanide Mnemosyne, the muse of lyrical poetry and music. She was depicted with a double flute or lyre in her hands. Mother of Res from the river god Strymon...... Wikipedia

MUSE- (Greek musa) 1) in ancient Greek mythology, each of the nine goddesses, patroness of poetry, arts and sciences, accompanying the god Apollo: Urania the patroness of astronomy, Calliope of the epic, Clio of history, Melpomene of tragedy, Polyhymnia of hymns, ... ... Professional education. Dictionary

MUSE- in other Greek. mythology goddess of the arts. Originally referred to as a single deity. Later, the number of M. increased to nine. Their names are first found in Hesiod's Theogony (7th century BC). They were revered as patrons of various arts, and... Atheist Dictionary

Melpomene- Muse of tragedy, one of the nine sisters who were born by the goddess of memory Mnemosyne from Zeus (option daughter of Gaia). She was depicted with a tragic mask in one hand and with a club or sword in the other. She wore a wreath of ivy on her head. From the god of the river Aheloy... ... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.

MELPOMENE Dictionary-reference book on Ancient Greece and Rome, on mythology

MELPOMENE- Muse of tragedy, one of the nine sisters who were born by the goddess of memory Mnemosyne from Zeus (option - daughter of Gaia). She was depicted with a tragic mask in one hand and with a club or sword in the other. She wore a wreath of ivy on her head. From the god of the river Aheloy... ... List of Ancient Greek names

- (Greek, from melpo I sing, I dance). Muse of tragedy, one of the 9 muses. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. MELPOMENE Greek, from melpo, I sing, I dance. Muse of tragedy. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words included in... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Books

• Konstantin Nikolaevich Leontyev. Personal myth and drama of ideas in the context of the search for the spiritual meaning of history, D. E. Muse. This monograph examines the issues of individual biography and the specifics of the ideological heritage of the outstanding Russian conservative thinker K. N. Leontiev. The storylines of the work are coming out...
• Favorites. Anna Akhmatova, Akhmatova Anna Andreevna. “Every poet,” wrote Akhmatova, “has his own tragedy, otherwise he is not a poet.” Without tragedy there is no poet - poetry lives and breathes above the very abyss of the tragic, “the edge of the dark abyss”.... A.A.…

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

9 Muses of Ancient Greece

The nine daughters of the father of the gods, Zeus, clearly demonstrate the triad: a symbol of absolute harmony. They combined three types: science, craft and real art. The triad is symbolic of Greece, where poetry was valued as highly 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 the son inherited the ability to feel music. The mother taught her son that every word in poetry should bring back to life the soul of a fallen hero, instill faith and cultivate nobility. The scroll and stylus 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 muses, It’s not for nothing that she has a crowned crown or a laurel wreath on her head. Apollo himself did not dare to interrupt the queen of muses when she spoke fiery speeches about honor, nobility, courage and the purity of the soul of a true warrior. The muse can be considered a symbol of love for one’s homeland, one’s land. Therefore, at one time the Greeks ordered miniature images of Calliope before long journeys. They say that Pallas herself gave such a miniature to her favorite 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 people, and especially for the people of Greece. Clio, it was believed, wrote down every event, even the most insignificant, on her scrolls, so that none of the descendants would forget their past.

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

While studying history, we compiled a book in which we tried to take into account all the features of each of the gods.

According to myths, Clio was friends with Calliope, which is understandable: the muse of patriotism is inseparable from the muse of history. They were depicted almost identically; often the Greeks ordered busts of these muses from only one master.

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

It is interesting that the origin of the sirens is described extremely poorly, as if they appeared out of thin air. Melpomene's two daughters from birth had wondrous voices, but their pride ruined 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 them into birds was the work of Poseidon.

Melpomene vowed to forever mourn the fate of her daughters and those who dare to go against the will of heaven. He is always depicted in the robes of theatergoers, with an invariable 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 made of parchment. The mantle on her 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.

Talia was closest to the muse of tragedy, Melpomene, but never understood her unconditional belief in the inevitability of punishment. According to Cicero, the muses often quarreled over this.

In contrast to her sister, Thalia was depicted holding a comedic mask and wearing a wreath of simple ivy. The muse never claimed special attention, but she had a cheerful disposition and was optimistic. 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 thing as the mask in the hands of Melpomene: people’s lives are just acting for the gods.

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

Euterpe stood out among other muses for her special sophistication in the perception of poetry. The entire host of Olympians could listen to her poems for hours, to the quiet accompaniment of Orpheus’ harp. 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 special sensuality and femininity.

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

Erato has become a symbol of true love’s struggle for its rights. The muse sang that even the dark kingdom of Hades cannot separate loving hearts, they are forever connected by a strong thread. The muse became the creator of a new direction in Greek music - wedding music. Legend has it that the charming Erato became bored at one of the weddings. She handed her lyre to the blind musician and whispered something to him.

Magical music began to sound in the huge hall, and all the lovers present felt an irresistible desire to be together before and after death. The wondrous music spread farther and farther and now the muse Terpsichore listens to the music, and her chiseled legs beat out a new dance rhythm.

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

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

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 would not hear the speaker’s voice at all. It was believed that as soon as the name of the muse was pronounced before an important performance, Polyhymnia would descend to the requester and spend the whole night instructing and instilling the gift of voice. Without the patronage of the muse of oratory it is impossible to reach hearts, not a single Greek doubted this.

Muse of hymns to the gods. This should be understood as the muse of prayers that people daily send to higher powers, and their fervor 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 the heavens 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, inspiring him with 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 scientific wards. The Greeks considered her the patroness of even those sciences that were far from heavenly.
This muse is revered to this day, everywhere. Even in Russia there is a Urania Museum and in some cities there are full-fledged statues.

The religion of ancient Greece is amazing. It is strikingly different from other religions, causing growing interest. A journey into their world always leaves a mark on a person’s memory, no matter whether he is Greek by birth.

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