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Description
Thalia

Thalia (/θəˈlaɪə/; Ancient Greek: Θάλεια, Θαλία; "the joyous, the flourishing", from Ancient Greek: θάλλειν, thállein; "to flourish, to be verdant"), also spelled Thaleia, was the goddess who presided over comedy and idyllic poetry. In this context her name means "flourishing", because the praises in her songs flourish through time. She was the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the eighth-born of the nine Muses.
According to pseudo-Apollodorus, she and Apollo were the parents of the Corybantes. Other ancient sources, however, gave the Corybantes different parents.
She was portrayed as a young woman with a joyous air, crowned with ivy, wearing boots and holding a comic mask in her hand. Many of her statues also hold a bugle and a trumpet (both used to support the actors' voices in ancient comedy), or occasionally a shepherd’s staff or a wreath of ivy.

Erato

In Greek mythology, Erato /ˈɛrətoʊ/ (Ancient Greek: Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully suggested in the invocation to Erato that begins Book III of his Argonautica.
Erato is the Muse of love poetry. In the Orphic hymn to the Muses, it is Erato who charms the sight. Since the Renaissance she has mostly been shown with a wreath of myrtle and roses, holding a lyre, or a small kithara, a musical instrument often associated with Apollo. In Simon Vouet's representations, two turtle-doves are eating seeds at her feet. Other representations may show her holding a golden arrow, reminding one of the "eros", the feeling that she inspires in everybody, and at times she is accompanied by the god Eros, holding a torch.

Development
Erato was named with the other muses in Hesiod's Theogony. She was also invoked at the beginning of a lost poem, Rhadine (Ῥαδινή), that was referred to and briefly quoted by Strabo. The love story of Rhadine made her supposed tomb on the island of Samos a pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers in the time of Pausanias and Erato was linked again with love in Plato's Phaedrus; nevertheless, even in the third century BC, when Apollonius wrote, the Muses were not yet as inextricably linked to specific types of poetry as they became.
Erato is also invoked at the start of book 7 of Virgil's Aeneid, which marks the beginning of the second half or 'Iliadic' section of the poem: Calliope (epic), even Melpomene (tragedy) or Clio (history) might seem more appropriate. This choice may express Virgil's love for his native land, but in any case shows the need for a new creative force at this change in the direction of the poem.

Urania

Urania (/jʊəˈreɪniə/; Ancient Greek: Οὐρανία, Ourania; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven"), also spelt Uranus, was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy.

Family
Urania was the daughter of Zeus by Mnemosyne and also a great granddaughter of Uranus. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus by Apollo or Amphimarus, son of Poseidon, and Hymenaeus also is said to have been a son of Urania.

Function and representation
Urania is often associated with Universal Love and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes identified as the eldest of the divine sisters, Urania inherited Zeus' majesty and power and the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne.
Urania dresses in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. She is usually represented with a celestial globe to which she points with a little staff. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars.

Calliope

In Greek mythology, Calliope (/kəˈlaɪ.əpiː/ kə-LY-ə-pee; Ancient Greek: Καλλιόπη, Kalliopē "beautiful-voiced") is the muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses."

Mythology
One account says Calliope was the lover of the war god Ares, and bore him several sons: Mygdon, Edonus, Biston, and Odomantus (or Odomas), respectively the founders of Thracian tribes known as the Mygdones, Edones, Bistones, and Odomantes. Otherwise these children were attributed to her namesake Calliope, daughter of river-god Nestus.
Calliope also had two famous sons, Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or the king Oeagrus of Thrace. She taught Orpheus verses for singing. According to Hesiod, she was also the wisest of the Muses, as well as the most assertive. Calliope married Oeagrus close to Pimpleia,[5] Olympus. She is said to have defeated the daughters of Pierus, king of Thessaly, in a singing match, and then, to punish their presumption, turned them into magpies.
She was sometimes believed to be Homer's muse for the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Roman epic poet, Virgil, invokes her in the Aeneid. In some cases she is said to be the Mother of sirens.

Visual depictions
Calliope is usually seen with a writing tablet in her hand. At times, she is depicted carrying a roll of paper or a book or wearing a gold crown. She would also be seen with her children.

Terpsikhore

In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/; Τερψιχόρη) "delight in dancing" was one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". She is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre, accompanying the ballerinas' choirs with her music. Her name comes from the Greek words τέρπω ("delight") and χoρός ("dance"). She is also a Mother of the sirens and Parthenope.

Clio

In Greek mythology, Clio (/ˈkli.oʊ/ or, more rarely, /ˈklaɪ.oʊ/; Greek: Κλειώ, Kleiṓ; "made famous" or "to make famous"), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. Along with her sister Muses, she was considered to dwell at either Mount Helicon or Mount Parnassos. Other common locations for the Muses were Pieria in Thessaly, near to Mount Olympus. She had one son, Hyacinth, with one of several kings, in various myths—with Pierus or with king Oebalus of Sparta, or with king Amyclas, progenitor of the people of Amyclae, dwellers about Sparta. Some sources say she was also the mother of Hymenaios. Other accounts credit her as the mother of Linus, a poet who was buried at Argos, although Linus has a number of differing parents depending upon the account, including several accounts in which he is the son of Clio's sisters Urania or Calliope.
Clio, sometimes referred to as "the Proclaimer", is often represented with an open parchment scroll, a book, or a set of tablets. The name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning "to recount," "to make famous," or "to celebrate").
In her capacity as "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments," Clio is the namesake of various modern brands, including the Clio Awards for excellence in advertising. The Cambridge University History Society is informally referred to as Clio, similarly, the Cleo of Alpha Chi society at Trinity College, Connecticut is named after the muse. 'Clio' also represents history in some coined words in academic usage: cliometrics, cliodynamics.

Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia (/pɒliˈhɪmniə/; Greek: Πολυύμνια; "the one of many hymns"), also spelt Polymnia (Πολύμνια) was in Greek mythology the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance, and eloquence as well as agriculture and pantomime. Her name comes from the Greek words "poly" meaning "many" and "hymnos", which means "praise". She is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation.
In Bibliotheca historica, Diodorus Siculus wrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...". She appears in Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction.

Dedications
On Mount Parnassus, there was a spring that was sacred to Polyhymnia and the other Muses. It was said to flow between two big rocks above Delphi, then down into a large square basin. The water was used by the Pythia, who were priests and priestesses, for oracular purposes including divination.

Melpomene

Melpomene (/mɛlˈpɒmɪniː/; Greek: Μελπομένη; "to sing" or "the one that is melodious"), initially the Muse of Chorus, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. Often, she also holds a knife or club in one hand and the tragic mask in the other.
Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Euterpe (muse of lyrical poetry), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy). She is also the mother of several of the Sirens, the divine handmaidens of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) who were cursed by her mother, Demeter/Ceres, when they were unable to prevent the kidnapping of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) by Hades/Pluto.
In Roman and Greek poetry, it was traditional to invoke the goddess Melpomene so that one might create beautiful lyrical phrases in mythology she is Mother of sirens in some versions of myth.

Euterpe

In Greek mythology, Euterpe (/juːˈtɜːrpiː/; Greek: Eὐτέρπη, Greek pronunciation: [efˈterpi], Ancient Greek: [eu̯térpɛː]; "rejoicing well" or "delight" from Ancient Greek εὖ 'well' + τέρπειν terpein 'to please') was the one of the Muses, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse of lyric poetry. She has been called “Giver of delight” by ancient poets.

Mythology
Euterpe was born as one of the daughters of Mnemosyne, Titan goddess of memory, and fathered by Zeus, god of the gods. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Melpomene (muse of tragedy), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy). Sometimes they are referred to as water nymphs having been born from the four scared springs on Helicon which flowed from the ground after Pegasus, the winged horse, stamped his hooves on the ground.
Along with her sister Muses, Euterpe was believed to have lived on Mt. Olympus where she and her sisters entertained their father and the other Olympian gods with their great artistry. Later on, tradition also placed them on Mt. Helicon in Boeotia where there was a major cult center to the goddesses, or on Mt. Parnassus where the Castalian spring was a favorite destination for poets and artists.
Pindar and other sources (the author of the Bibliotheca, and Servius), describe the Thracian king Rhesus, who appears in the Iliad, as son of Euterpe and the river-god Strymon; Homer calls him son of Eioneus.

Functions
Her and her sisters’ role was to entertain the gods on Mount Olympus. She inspired the development of liberal and fine arts in Ancient Greece, serving as an inspiration to poets, dramatists, and authors (such as Homer).
According to the traditions and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks musicians would invoke the aid of Euterpe to inspire, guide and assist them in their compositions. This would often take the form of a prayer for divine inspiration from the minor goddess.

Symbolism
The mountain spring on Mount Parnassus was sacred to Euterpe and the other Muses. It flowed between two high rocks above the city of Delphi, and in ancient times its sacred waters were introduced into a square stone basin, where they were retained for the use of the Pythia, the priests, priestesses, as well as the oracle of Apollo.
Some people believe that she invented the aulos or double-flute, though most mythographers credit Marsyas or Athena with its invention. Some say she also invented other wind instruments. Euterpe is often depicted holding a flute in artistic renditions of her.

Apollo

Apollo (Ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων) is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He was the God of the arts, music, healing, purification, prophecy, oracles, plague, poetry, civilization, the sun, truth, intelligence, logic, reason, and archery, he also showed men the art of medicine.
He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future.
He is the only Olympian that does not have a Roman name.

Mythology

Birth of Apollo
When Apollo's mother Leto was in labor with him and his twin sister Artemis, she was looking for a place to give birth, however, Hera had made all land shun her so she was unable to find a place to give birth. Hera was very sour towards her because Zeus was her children's father and Hera disliked that Zeus kept having children with other women and goddesses. But Poseidon took pity on Leto and showed her an island that was not attached to the sea floor so it technically was not considered land. So Leto traveled there and gave birth. The little floating island is called Delos.
God of Prophecy
Apollo was the god of prophecy he decided that he needed a place where mortals could come and ask questions to him and he would use his gift of prophecy to answer them. He found a perfect place called Pytho. The only bad part was that a terrible, giant snake called Python was living there and was terrorizing all the other living creatures there. So he killed the snake and renamed the place Delphi. He created his temple and the oracles spoke to the mortals prophecies in which Apollo would give to them to give to mortals.

More about Apollo

Apollo and Eros
Eros was a very mischievous person and liked to cause all sorts of trouble. One day he saw Apollo practicing archery and decided to challenge him to an archery contest. Apollo laughed and said that a child like Eros could never beat him. This upset Eros, who shot Apollo with one of his golden arrow to make him fall in love with a beautiful nymph named Daphne. But Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow making her feel hatred for Apollo. Apollo ran after her and she ran away. Daphne was frightened so she called to her father, Peneus, and he transformed her into a Laurel tree. As she turned into a tree, Apollo embraces her. Apollo, saddened by her running away from him, took some of the leaves and made a laurel wreath so that she would always be close to him.There is a version of this myth saying that Apollo caused this trouble with Eros. It says that he saw Eros playing with his bow, and he insulted him, telling him to "play with his own little bows and arrows" because he had slain a mighty serpent with his bow. Eros was offended, and decided to play a trick on him, and that is why he caused the trouble with Daphne.
Music Contest
There was once a satyr named Marsyas. He was a wonderful player of the double flute, an instrument he found abandoned by Athena, and all the forests came to listen to him play the flute. One day Marsyas said that he was a better musician that the god of music himself, Apollo. This angered Apollo and so Apollo challenged Marsyas to a music competition. The winner could do anything they want to the loser. Marsyas played his pipes and he was wonderful but when Apollo played the lyre...he was better. So Apollo won and because Marsyas had dared to even say that he was even close to being as good at him, he skinned him alive and hung him from a tree. In a second version, the first round was a draw, and Apollo said that the winner would be the man who could play his instrument upside down.
In another version, he says that the winner would be the one who could sing and play all at once. Either way, Marsyas lost. In a third version, the first round was judged by Minos, a friend of Marsyas, who said that Marsyas was better than Apollo. In a fit of rage, the god gave him donkey ears for daring to say that his music wasn't as good as a mere satyr's. Either way, Marsyas was flayed alive and his skin was hung on an olive tree. There was a version of this myth where it was Pan who challenged Apollo, not Marsyas. He played the panpipes, which couldn't be played upside down or while singing either.
Niobe's Tragedy
Niobe was a mortal woman, the queen of Thebes and wife of Amphion, who once boasted that she was better than Leto as she had fourteen children while Leto only had two. Unfortunately, Niobe's claims had enraged the twin gods themselves, Apollo and Artemis, who were extremely protective of their mother and her honor and the two descended to Earth to punish Niobe.
The very next day, Niobe's son's were killed by Apollo and her daughters were killed by Artemis, though in some myths, the twins spared one of the innocent children, usually being Meliboea, the youngest of Niobe's children. It is said that she was so horrified by the deaths of her siblings that her skin turned a sickly shade of white for the rest of her life.
Devastated by the death of her children, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus where she wept for days without stopping. Zeus eventually took pity on the devastated mother and turned her to stone in order to spare her of any more agony. However, Niobe's stone body continued to weep and it is said that her endless tears formed the river, Achelous.
The bodies of Niobe's children were left un-buried for nine days as Zeus had also turn everyone in the city to stone. On the tenth day, the Gods finally took pity and entombed the children's bodies themselves.
In some myths one of the fourteen children prayed to Apollo to not kill him but it was too late as Apollo had already shot the arrow.
The Erymanthian Boar
Once, a son of Apollo, Erymanthos, saw the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite making love with Adonis, and Aphrodite was so outraged she blinded the poor demigod. When Apollo heard this, he created the Erymanthian Boar and ordered it to kill Adonis, one of Aphrodite's favorite mortals. For Heracles fourth labor, he was to capture the mighty beast and bring it to Eurystheus alive. He did so by luring the Boar into thick snow, then snaring it in a net while it struggled to free him. Erymanthos died later on in his life after he got married.
Telphousa
After Leto gave birth to Apollo, she fed him ambrosia and nectar which enabled him to travel around the earth at a young age. When he was searching all over the world for a place to found his shrine, he came across a place called Haliartos in western Boiotia. When he wanted to use this spring, the nymph of the spring Telphousa knew and did not want to share her spot, so she told Apollo to move to Krisa, a place on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassos and she said that it was far more peaceful than her spring. So Apollo went there and chose the spot called Delphi but it was plagued by a gigantic snake called Python. After killing Python, Apollo was furious as Telphousa led him to the lair of a monster so he went back to the spring and covered it with rocks and subordinated her cult to his own by building an altar to Telphousian Apollo in a nearby grove. A long time later, the famous seer called Tiresias came to Telphousa's spring and drank from it but died.

Apllo in the Iliad

This is part of the myth of Troy, mentioned in the first pages of the Iliad, Homer's book about the famous ten-year war. The Iliad starts at the beginning of the tenth year of fighting.
Khryses was a priest of Apollo. He deeply respected Apollo. But one day the Greek hero and king of Mycenae or Argos, Agamemnon, insulted the old man and refused to return his daughter, Chryseis, who was more beautiful than Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra according to the King. So Chryses prayed to Apollo to get revenge on the man for the insult. Apollo is one of the first gods mentioned in the Iliad. [If mercy fail, yet let my presents move, And dread avenging Phoebus, son of Jove.] Is what he begs the god. Apollo, grateful for the man's service as a priest, went to the Greek camp for nine days and shot poisoned arrows at the men and all their animals, spreading a plague on the Greeks in the Trojan War.
When Achilles refuses to fight, his cousin -and suspected lover- Patrocles, will take up his armor and weapons to fight as Achilles. Apollo, disguised as a mortal, hits Patrocles in the back, just where the armor doesn't cover and shocks him still. According to myths, the god takes off Patrocles' armor, in the middle of the battlefield, as Patrocles stares at the god, recognizing him. Hector comes from behind and kills him.
There are two versions of the Paris myth. In one, Apollo is the one that guides the arrow to kill Achilles. In the second, Apollo disguises himself as Paris and kills Achilles.

Apollo's Lovers

Kassandra of Troy
Apollo once fell in love with a princess Kassandra. She was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy, and Hecuba. Because he liked her, he gifted her with the gift of prophecy. Even though Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy she still disliked him. So he made it so that nobody would believe whatever she said about the future. She foretold the downfall of Troy, but nobody believed her. She foretold the dangers of the Trojan Horse, but nobody believed her. During the final fight of Troy, Kassandra got raped in the temple of Athena by Ajax the Lesser. The Greek tried then forgave Ajax, and didn't punish him for this. Athena, furious that this crime was unpunished, killed the judges, with the help of Poseidon and Zeus. Then finally Kassandra foretold that Klytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, was going to kill him, but he didn't believe her. As Agamemnon returned to his wife, she and her new husband, Aegisthus, murdered him and Kassandra.

Daphne
Apollo mocked the god Eros's bow and arrow. The angered love god shot Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with the virgin naiad Daphne; he simultaneously shot Daphne with a lead arrow, causing her to despise Apollo. As Apollo was chasing her, Daphne prayed to her father, the river god Peneus, to save her. Consequently, Peneus turned her into a laurel tree. Alternatively, Daphne prayed to Gaia instead.
Apollo, heartbroken, weaved a wreath of laurel, turning it into a symbol of victory. The laurel tree is his sacred trees.

Male Lovers
Apollo and Zephyrus both loved a Spartan prince named Hyacinth. To win him over, both threw a discus, trying to see which one threw it further. Apollo won the match. However, Hyacinth died when a discus hit his head (several versions of the tale claim a jealous Zephyrus was responsible), and to honor his beloved prince, Apollo made his blood become the hyacinth flowers.
A similar tale happened with another male lover, Cyparissus, son of Telephus, who became a cypress tree. When he indirectly killed Apollo's gift to him, a stag, he was so grief-stricken that he asks Apollo to let his tears fall forever. The god then turns the boy into a cypress tree, whose sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk. The cypress tree is also a symbol of mourning.
Apollo was also said to have been the lover of the twin brother of Kassandra, Helenus.

Sphere of Control

Apollo is the god of the Sun, music, medicine, healing, truth, prophecy, plague, poetry, education, archery, and the protection of the young. He is sometimes shown with a golden bow and arrow, as he is the god of archery.

Attributes and Personality

Apollo was considered to be the most beautiful male god among the Olympians. Apollo had long golden locks of hair, sky blue eyesm supported a muscular build, and had a deep but seductive voice. Apollo was very wise and calm headed but like his father Zeus, was very quick to anger, especially when anyone disrespected him or his family. Apollo also valued family as when Poseidon challenged him during the Trojan War he refused to fight him because they were family -though he did, through his heroes, fight Athena in the Trojan War. Also, like his father, Apollo was known to fall in love with mortal women.

Animals
⦁ Swan
⦁ Python
⦁ Wolf
⦁ Mouse
⦁ Dolphin
⦁ Crow
Plants
⦁ Laurel Tree
⦁ Laurel Wreath
⦁ Palm Tree
Objects
⦁ Bow & Arrows
⦁ Lyre
⦁ Oracle
⦁ Tripod

Parents

Zeus and Leto

Spouse & Lovers

⦁ Daphne
⦁ Leucothea
⦁ Kyrene
⦁ Marpessa
⦁ Kastalia
⦁ Hekuba
⦁ Kassandra
⦁ Coronis
⦁ Thalia
⦁ Kalliope
⦁ Hyacinthus (male lover)
⦁ Cyparissus (male lover)

Siblings

Artemis (twin sister) & other half-siblings

Children

⦁ Asclepius
⦁ Orpheus
⦁ Aristaeus
⦁ Troilus
⦁ Hymenaeus
⦁ Cyrene

Friends

⦁ The Pythia
⦁ Poseidon
⦁ Dionysus
⦁ Hermes

Enemies

⦁ Hera
⦁ Eros
⦁ Agamemnon
⦁ Niobe
⦁ Marsyas
⦁ Orion

Trivia

⦁ Apollo is god of the Sun. His twin sister Artemis is goddess of the moon.
⦁ He guided the arrow that struck Achilles in his one vulnerable spot, killing him.
⦁ He is also known as Phoebus Apollo.
⦁ He does not have a Roman name.
⦁ He leads the Muses
⦁ Apollo's throne was made of highly polished gold. There was a sundisk above it with twenty-one rays made of arrows. There were magical sayings on the back and sides. He sat on a cushion of python skin.

Description
Thalia

Thalia (/θəˈlaɪə/; Ancient Greek: Θάλεια, Θαλία; "the joyous, the flourishing", from Ancient Greek: θάλλειν, thállein; "to flourish, to be verdant"), also spelled Thaleia, was the goddess who presided over comedy and idyllic poetry. In this context her name means "flourishing", because the praises in her songs flourish through time. She was the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the eighth-born of the nine Muses.
According to pseudo-Apollodorus, she and Apollo were the parents of the Corybantes. Other ancient sources, however, gave the Corybantes different parents.
She was portrayed as a young woman with a joyous air, crowned with ivy, wearing boots and holding a comic mask in her hand. Many of her statues also hold a bugle and a trumpet (both used to support the actors' voices in ancient comedy), or occasionally a shepherd’s staff or a wreath of ivy.

Erato

In Greek mythology, Erato /ˈɛrətoʊ/ (Ancient Greek: Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully suggested in the invocation to Erato that begins Book III of his Argonautica.
Erato is the Muse of love poetry. In the Orphic hymn to the Muses, it is Erato who charms the sight. Since the Renaissance she has mostly been shown with a wreath of myrtle and roses, holding a lyre, or a small kithara, a musical instrument often associated with Apollo. In Simon Vouet's representations, two turtle-doves are eating seeds at her feet. Other representations may show her holding a golden arrow, reminding one of the "eros", the feeling that she inspires in everybody, and at times she is accompanied by the god Eros, holding a torch.

Development
Erato was named with the other muses in Hesiod's Theogony. She was also invoked at the beginning of a lost poem, Rhadine (Ῥαδινή), that was referred to and briefly quoted by Strabo. The love story of Rhadine made her supposed tomb on the island of Samos a pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers in the time of Pausanias and Erato was linked again with love in Plato's Phaedrus; nevertheless, even in the third century BC, when Apollonius wrote, the Muses were not yet as inextricably linked to specific types of poetry as they became.
Erato is also invoked at the start of book 7 of Virgil's Aeneid, which marks the beginning of the second half or 'Iliadic' section of the poem: Calliope (epic), even Melpomene (tragedy) or Clio (history) might seem more appropriate. This choice may express Virgil's love for his native land, but in any case shows the need for a new creative force at this change in the direction of the poem.

Urania

Urania (/jʊəˈreɪniə/; Ancient Greek: Οὐρανία, Ourania; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven"), also spelt Uranus, was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy.

Family
Urania was the daughter of Zeus by Mnemosyne and also a great granddaughter of Uranus. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus by Apollo or Amphimarus, son of Poseidon, and Hymenaeus also is said to have been a son of Urania.

Function and representation
Urania is often associated with Universal Love and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes identified as the eldest of the divine sisters, Urania inherited Zeus' majesty and power and the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne.
Urania dresses in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. She is usually represented with a celestial globe to which she points with a little staff. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars.

Calliope

In Greek mythology, Calliope (/kəˈlaɪ.əpiː/ kə-LY-ə-pee; Ancient Greek: Καλλιόπη, Kalliopē "beautiful-voiced") is the muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses."

Mythology
One account says Calliope was the lover of the war god Ares, and bore him several sons: Mygdon, Edonus, Biston, and Odomantus (or Odomas), respectively the founders of Thracian tribes known as the Mygdones, Edones, Bistones, and Odomantes. Otherwise these children were attributed to her namesake Calliope, daughter of river-god Nestus.
Calliope also had two famous sons, Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or the king Oeagrus of Thrace. She taught Orpheus verses for singing. According to Hesiod, she was also the wisest of the Muses, as well as the most assertive. Calliope married Oeagrus close to Pimpleia,[5] Olympus. She is said to have defeated the daughters of Pierus, king of Thessaly, in a singing match, and then, to punish their presumption, turned them into magpies.
She was sometimes believed to be Homer's muse for the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Roman epic poet, Virgil, invokes her in the Aeneid. In some cases she is said to be the Mother of sirens.

Visual depictions
Calliope is usually seen with a writing tablet in her hand. At times, she is depicted carrying a roll of paper or a book or wearing a gold crown. She would also be seen with her children.

Terpsikhore

In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/; Τερψιχόρη) "delight in dancing" was one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". She is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre, accompanying the ballerinas' choirs with her music. Her name comes from the Greek words τέρπω ("delight") and χoρός ("dance"). She is also a Mother of the sirens and Parthenope.

Clio

In Greek mythology, Clio (/ˈkli.oʊ/ or, more rarely, /ˈklaɪ.oʊ/; Greek: Κλειώ, Kleiṓ; "made famous" or "to make famous"), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. Along with her sister Muses, she was considered to dwell at either Mount Helicon or Mount Parnassos. Other common locations for the Muses were Pieria in Thessaly, near to Mount Olympus. She had one son, Hyacinth, with one of several kings, in various myths—with Pierus or with king Oebalus of Sparta, or with king Amyclas, progenitor of the people of Amyclae, dwellers about Sparta. Some sources say she was also the mother of Hymenaios. Other accounts credit her as the mother of Linus, a poet who was buried at Argos, although Linus has a number of differing parents depending upon the account, including several accounts in which he is the son of Clio's sisters Urania or Calliope.
Clio, sometimes referred to as "the Proclaimer", is often represented with an open parchment scroll, a book, or a set of tablets. The name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning "to recount," "to make famous," or "to celebrate").
In her capacity as "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments," Clio is the namesake of various modern brands, including the Clio Awards for excellence in advertising. The Cambridge University History Society is informally referred to as Clio, similarly, the Cleo of Alpha Chi society at Trinity College, Connecticut is named after the muse. 'Clio' also represents history in some coined words in academic usage: cliometrics, cliodynamics.

Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia (/pɒliˈhɪmniə/; Greek: Πολυύμνια; "the one of many hymns"), also spelt Polymnia (Πολύμνια) was in Greek mythology the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance, and eloquence as well as agriculture and pantomime. Her name comes from the Greek words "poly" meaning "many" and "hymnos", which means "praise". She is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation.
In Bibliotheca historica, Diodorus Siculus wrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...". She appears in Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction.

Dedications
On Mount Parnassus, there was a spring that was sacred to Polyhymnia and the other Muses. It was said to flow between two big rocks above Delphi, then down into a large square basin. The water was used by the Pythia, who were priests and priestesses, for oracular purposes including divination.

Melpomene

Melpomene (/mɛlˈpɒmɪniː/; Greek: Μελπομένη; "to sing" or "the one that is melodious"), initially the Muse of Chorus, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. Often, she also holds a knife or club in one hand and the tragic mask in the other.
Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Euterpe (muse of lyrical poetry), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy). She is also the mother of several of the Sirens, the divine handmaidens of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) who were cursed by her mother, Demeter/Ceres, when they were unable to prevent the kidnapping of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) by Hades/Pluto.
In Roman and Greek poetry, it was traditional to invoke the goddess Melpomene so that one might create beautiful lyrical phrases in mythology she is Mother of sirens in some versions of myth.

Euterpe

In Greek mythology, Euterpe (/juːˈtɜːrpiː/; Greek: Eὐτέρπη, Greek pronunciation: [efˈterpi], Ancient Greek: [eu̯térpɛː]; "rejoicing well" or "delight" from Ancient Greek εὖ 'well' + τέρπειν terpein 'to please') was the one of the Muses, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse of lyric poetry. She has been called “Giver of delight” by ancient poets.

Mythology
Euterpe was born as one of the daughters of Mnemosyne, Titan goddess of memory, and fathered by Zeus, god of the gods. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Melpomene (muse of tragedy), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy). Sometimes they are referred to as water nymphs having been born from the four scared springs on Helicon which flowed from the ground after Pegasus, the winged horse, stamped his hooves on the ground.
Along with her sister Muses, Euterpe was believed to have lived on Mt. Olympus where she and her sisters entertained their father and the other Olympian gods with their great artistry. Later on, tradition also placed them on Mt. Helicon in Boeotia where there was a major cult center to the goddesses, or on Mt. Parnassus where the Castalian spring was a favorite destination for poets and artists.
Pindar and other sources (the author of the Bibliotheca, and Servius), describe the Thracian king Rhesus, who appears in the Iliad, as son of Euterpe and the river-god Strymon; Homer calls him son of Eioneus.

Functions
Her and her sisters’ role was to entertain the gods on Mount Olympus. She inspired the development of liberal and fine arts in Ancient Greece, serving as an inspiration to poets, dramatists, and authors (such as Homer).
According to the traditions and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks musicians would invoke the aid of Euterpe to inspire, guide and assist them in their compositions. This would often take the form of a prayer for divine inspiration from the minor goddess.

Symbolism
The mountain spring on Mount Parnassus was sacred to Euterpe and the other Muses. It flowed between two high rocks above the city of Delphi, and in ancient times its sacred waters were introduced into a square stone basin, where they were retained for the use of the Pythia, the priests, priestesses, as well as the oracle of Apollo.
Some people believe that she invented the aulos or double-flute, though most mythographers credit Marsyas or Athena with its invention. Some say she also invented other wind instruments. Euterpe is often depicted holding a flute in artistic renditions of her.

Apollo

Apollo (Ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων) is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He was the God of the arts, music, healing, purification, prophecy, oracles, plague, poetry, civilization, the sun, truth, intelligence, logic, reason, and archery, he also showed men the art of medicine.
He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future.
He is the only Olympian that does not have a Roman name.

Mythology

Birth of Apollo
When Apollo's mother Leto was in labor with him and his twin sister Artemis, she was looking for a place to give birth, however, Hera had made all land shun her so she was unable to find a place to give birth. Hera was very sour towards her because Zeus was her children's father and Hera disliked that Zeus kept having children with other women and goddesses. But Poseidon took pity on Leto and showed her an island that was not attached to the sea floor so it technically was not considered land. So Leto traveled there and gave birth. The little floating island is called Delos.
God of Prophecy
Apollo was the god of prophecy he decided that he needed a place where mortals could come and ask questions to him and he would use his gift of prophecy to answer them. He found a perfect place called Pytho. The only bad part was that a terrible, giant snake called Python was living there and was terrorizing all the other living creatures there. So he killed the snake and renamed the place Delphi. He created his temple and the oracles spoke to the mortals prophecies in which Apollo would give to them to give to mortals.

More about Apollo

Apollo and Eros
Eros was a very mischievous person and liked to cause all sorts of trouble. One day he saw Apollo practicing archery and decided to challenge him to an archery contest. Apollo laughed and said that a child like Eros could never beat him. This upset Eros, who shot Apollo with one of his golden arrow to make him fall in love with a beautiful nymph named Daphne. But Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow making her feel hatred for Apollo. Apollo ran after her and she ran away. Daphne was frightened so she called to her father, Peneus, and he transformed her into a Laurel tree. As she turned into a tree, Apollo embraces her. Apollo, saddened by her running away from him, took some of the leaves and made a laurel wreath so that she would always be close to him.There is a version of this myth saying that Apollo caused this trouble with Eros. It says that he saw Eros playing with his bow, and he insulted him, telling him to "play with his own little bows and arrows" because he had slain a mighty serpent with his bow. Eros was offended, and decided to play a trick on him, and that is why he caused the trouble with Daphne.
Music Contest
There was once a satyr named Marsyas. He was a wonderful player of the double flute, an instrument he found abandoned by Athena, and all the forests came to listen to him play the flute. One day Marsyas said that he was a better musician that the god of music himself, Apollo. This angered Apollo and so Apollo challenged Marsyas to a music competition. The winner could do anything they want to the loser. Marsyas played his pipes and he was wonderful but when Apollo played the lyre...he was better. So Apollo won and because Marsyas had dared to even say that he was even close to being as good at him, he skinned him alive and hung him from a tree. In a second version, the first round was a draw, and Apollo said that the winner would be the man who could play his instrument upside down.
In another version, he says that the winner would be the one who could sing and play all at once. Either way, Marsyas lost. In a third version, the first round was judged by Minos, a friend of Marsyas, who said that Marsyas was better than Apollo. In a fit of rage, the god gave him donkey ears for daring to say that his music wasn't as good as a mere satyr's. Either way, Marsyas was flayed alive and his skin was hung on an olive tree. There was a version of this myth where it was Pan who challenged Apollo, not Marsyas. He played the panpipes, which couldn't be played upside down or while singing either.
Niobe's Tragedy
Niobe was a mortal woman, the queen of Thebes and wife of Amphion, who once boasted that she was better than Leto as she had fourteen children while Leto only had two. Unfortunately, Niobe's claims had enraged the twin gods themselves, Apollo and Artemis, who were extremely protective of their mother and her honor and the two descended to Earth to punish Niobe.
The very next day, Niobe's son's were killed by Apollo and her daughters were killed by Artemis, though in some myths, the twins spared one of the innocent children, usually being Meliboea, the youngest of Niobe's children. It is said that she was so horrified by the deaths of her siblings that her skin turned a sickly shade of white for the rest of her life.
Devastated by the death of her children, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus where she wept for days without stopping. Zeus eventually took pity on the devastated mother and turned her to stone in order to spare her of any more agony. However, Niobe's stone body continued to weep and it is said that her endless tears formed the river, Achelous.
The bodies of Niobe's children were left un-buried for nine days as Zeus had also turn everyone in the city to stone. On the tenth day, the Gods finally took pity and entombed the children's bodies themselves.
In some myths one of the fourteen children prayed to Apollo to not kill him but it was too late as Apollo had already shot the arrow.
The Erymanthian Boar
Once, a son of Apollo, Erymanthos, saw the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite making love with Adonis, and Aphrodite was so outraged she blinded the poor demigod. When Apollo heard this, he created the Erymanthian Boar and ordered it to kill Adonis, one of Aphrodite's favorite mortals. For Heracles fourth labor, he was to capture the mighty beast and bring it to Eurystheus alive. He did so by luring the Boar into thick snow, then snaring it in a net while it struggled to free him. Erymanthos died later on in his life after he got married.
Telphousa
After Leto gave birth to Apollo, she fed him ambrosia and nectar which enabled him to travel around the earth at a young age. When he was searching all over the world for a place to found his shrine, he came across a place called Haliartos in western Boiotia. When he wanted to use this spring, the nymph of the spring Telphousa knew and did not want to share her spot, so she told Apollo to move to Krisa, a place on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassos and she said that it was far more peaceful than her spring. So Apollo went there and chose the spot called Delphi but it was plagued by a gigantic snake called Python. After killing Python, Apollo was furious as Telphousa led him to the lair of a monster so he went back to the spring and covered it with rocks and subordinated her cult to his own by building an altar to Telphousian Apollo in a nearby grove. A long time later, the famous seer called Tiresias came to Telphousa's spring and drank from it but died.

Apllo in the Iliad

This is part of the myth of Troy, mentioned in the first pages of the Iliad, Homer's book about the famous ten-year war. The Iliad starts at the beginning of the tenth year of fighting.
Khryses was a priest of Apollo. He deeply respected Apollo. But one day the Greek hero and king of Mycenae or Argos, Agamemnon, insulted the old man and refused to return his daughter, Chryseis, who was more beautiful than Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra according to the King. So Chryses prayed to Apollo to get revenge on the man for the insult. Apollo is one of the first gods mentioned in the Iliad. [If mercy fail, yet let my presents move, And dread avenging Phoebus, son of Jove.] Is what he begs the god. Apollo, grateful for the man's service as a priest, went to the Greek camp for nine days and shot poisoned arrows at the men and all their animals, spreading a plague on the Greeks in the Trojan War.
When Achilles refuses to fight, his cousin -and suspected lover- Patrocles, will take up his armor and weapons to fight as Achilles. Apollo, disguised as a mortal, hits Patrocles in the back, just where the armor doesn't cover and shocks him still. According to myths, the god takes off Patrocles' armor, in the middle of the battlefield, as Patrocles stares at the god, recognizing him. Hector comes from behind and kills him.
There are two versions of the Paris myth. In one, Apollo is the one that guides the arrow to kill Achilles. In the second, Apollo disguises himself as Paris and kills Achilles.

Apollo's Lovers

Kassandra of Troy
Apollo once fell in love with a princess Kassandra. She was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy, and Hecuba. Because he liked her, he gifted her with the gift of prophecy. Even though Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy she still disliked him. So he made it so that nobody would believe whatever she said about the future. She foretold the downfall of Troy, but nobody believed her. She foretold the dangers of the Trojan Horse, but nobody believed her. During the final fight of Troy, Kassandra got raped in the temple of Athena by Ajax the Lesser. The Greek tried then forgave Ajax, and didn't punish him for this. Athena, furious that this crime was unpunished, killed the judges, with the help of Poseidon and Zeus. Then finally Kassandra foretold that Klytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, was going to kill him, but he didn't believe her. As Agamemnon returned to his wife, she and her new husband, Aegisthus, murdered him and Kassandra.

Daphne
Apollo mocked the god Eros's bow and arrow. The angered love god shot Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with the virgin naiad Daphne; he simultaneously shot Daphne with a lead arrow, causing her to despise Apollo. As Apollo was chasing her, Daphne prayed to her father, the river god Peneus, to save her. Consequently, Peneus turned her into a laurel tree. Alternatively, Daphne prayed to Gaia instead.
Apollo, heartbroken, weaved a wreath of laurel, turning it into a symbol of victory. The laurel tree is his sacred trees.

Male Lovers
Apollo and Zephyrus both loved a Spartan prince named Hyacinth. To win him over, both threw a discus, trying to see which one threw it further. Apollo won the match. However, Hyacinth died when a discus hit his head (several versions of the tale claim a jealous Zephyrus was responsible), and to honor his beloved prince, Apollo made his blood become the hyacinth flowers.
A similar tale happened with another male lover, Cyparissus, son of Telephus, who became a cypress tree. When he indirectly killed Apollo's gift to him, a stag, he was so grief-stricken that he asks Apollo to let his tears fall forever. The god then turns the boy into a cypress tree, whose sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk. The cypress tree is also a symbol of mourning.
Apollo was also said to have been the lover of the twin brother of Kassandra, Helenus.

Sphere of Control

Apollo is the god of the Sun, music, medicine, healing, truth, prophecy, plague, poetry, education, archery, and the protection of the young. He is sometimes shown with a golden bow and arrow, as he is the god of archery.

Attributes and Personality

Apollo was considered to be the most beautiful male god among the Olympians. Apollo had long golden locks of hair, sky blue eyesm supported a muscular build, and had a deep but seductive voice. Apollo was very wise and calm headed but like his father Zeus, was very quick to anger, especially when anyone disrespected him or his family. Apollo also valued family as when Poseidon challenged him during the Trojan War he refused to fight him because they were family -though he did, through his heroes, fight Athena in the Trojan War. Also, like his father, Apollo was known to fall in love with mortal women.

Animals
⦁ Swan
⦁ Python
⦁ Wolf
⦁ Mouse
⦁ Dolphin
⦁ Crow
Plants
⦁ Laurel Tree
⦁ Laurel Wreath
⦁ Palm Tree
Objects
⦁ Bow & Arrows
⦁ Lyre
⦁ Oracle
⦁ Tripod

Parents

Zeus and Leto

Spouse & Lovers

⦁ Daphne
⦁ Leucothea
⦁ Kyrene
⦁ Marpessa
⦁ Kastalia
⦁ Hekuba
⦁ Kassandra
⦁ Coronis
⦁ Thalia
⦁ Kalliope
⦁ Hyacinthus (male lover)
⦁ Cyparissus (male lover)

Siblings

Artemis (twin sister) & other half-siblings

Children

⦁ Asclepius
⦁ Orpheus
⦁ Aristaeus
⦁ Troilus
⦁ Hymenaeus
⦁ Cyrene

Friends

⦁ The Pythia
⦁ Poseidon
⦁ Dionysus
⦁ Hermes

Enemies

⦁ Hera
⦁ Eros
⦁ Agamemnon
⦁ Niobe
⦁ Marsyas
⦁ Orion

Trivia

⦁ Apollo is god of the Sun. His twin sister Artemis is goddess of the moon.
⦁ He guided the arrow that struck Achilles in his one vulnerable spot, killing him.
⦁ He is also known as Phoebus Apollo.
⦁ He does not have a Roman name.
⦁ He leads the Muses
⦁ Apollo's throne was made of highly polished gold. There was a sundisk above it with twenty-one rays made of arrows. There were magical sayings on the back and sides. He sat on a cushion of python skin.