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Apollo -
the god of the Sun,
the leader of the Muses,
the patron of all arts.
He was often depicted surrounded by nine goddesses on a chariot drawn by four horses.
The embodiment of youth and beauty, the source of life and healing, the patron of art, and also as bright as the Sun itself. All this is about him, the one who for the ancient Greeks was one of the most beloved Olympians. His name has become a household name and is used in relation to men of unearthly beauty. This is the Greek god Apollo (ΑπÏŒλλων) - many myths are associated with his name, holidays were held in his honor and temples were built.
Apollo and the Muses
Muses
On Mount Parnassus, surrounded by shady forests, eternally young Muses live - the daughters of the thunder god Zeus
Zeus
is one of the most important gods on Mount Olympus
and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne.
When night falls, they rise to the top of the mountain Parnassus where they dance under the leadership of Apollo and the sounds of his golden lyre. . Their beauty is extraordinary.
There are nine Muses in total.
Mnemosyne
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And since their mother was Mnemosyne, who personified memory, the “muse” is translated as “thinking”.
Each of them patronizes a certain kind of arts, science. So four of them are patronesses of musical and poetic art.
The ancient Greeks built temples for each of their muses.
This is how the word "museum" appeared, which means "house or temple of the Muses"
Euterpe was considered the muse of lyric poetry and music, which was often depicted in the company of forest nymphs.
She was called the Giver of Pleasure.
Euterpe's attributes were the musical instruments syringa and aulos
Euterpe
Calliope
Calliope patronized epic poetry and rhetoric and was considered the most noble of the muses. She was often depicted in a dreamy pose with a stylus (writing stick) and tablets, or with a scroll.
Calliope was often perceived by the Greeks as the main of all the muses - it was not for nothing that her head was decorated with a laurel or golden wreath.
This muse symbolized love for their land, so the warriors who went into battle took her images with them.
Able to speak fiery speeches and distinguished by her eloquence, Calliope instantly aroused heroism and a sense of sacrifice in a person.
Polyhymnia- in mythology was considered the muse of pantomime and hymns.
This muse was always represented as serious, immersed in thought, sometimes with a finger pressed to her lips in a call for silence.
Polyhymnia
With faith in the power of Polyhymnia, the Greeks went to important performances - you just had to call her in advance so that the muse had time to endow the person with the necessary oratorical qualities.
Erato
Erato patronized lyric or love poetry, and was also the protector of love and marriage.
Her invariable attributes were a tambourine and a lyre. As a symbol of eternal love, roses adorning her head.
Inspired by Erato, poets and musicians created such works that any couple in love who heard them immediately felt the desire to be together forever.
Terpsichore was "responsible" for choral singing and dancing.
She was often depicted playing the lyre or in the pose of a dancer.
It is believed that the art of Terpsichore symbolized the complete unity of man and nature. This was the main purpose of the dances. If a dancer wanted to learn to move to the rhythm of his heart, he immediately called Terpsichore for help.
Terpsichore
Thalia patronizes comedy
This muse of comedy was portrayed with a comic mask.
She was characterized by optimism and a light disposition.
The mask in Thalia's hand symbolized laughter and meant the acting of a person in the theater of the gods.
Thalia
Melpomene patronizes Tragedy.
Melpomene has acquired her attributes forever: a tragic mask,
a theatrical mantle and a sword.
Through catastrophes and failures,
the muse Melpomene knew tragedy from all sides, but always in tragedy the triumph of the human spirit is born, which Melpomene shows to people.
Melpomene
Clio was patroness of history.
In her hands she held either a papyrus scroll or a scroll box. Often she was depicted with an hourglass or with a horn, which she blew to announce some glorious event.
Clio,
The muse Clio inspired a love for the past and history, which has always been valuable to the Greeks.
Urania- another, ninth, muse. This muse patronized astronomy and astrology and was one of the wisest daughters of Zeus. In her hands she always had a compass to determine the distances between the stars and a globe.
Urania
It is interesting that this muse,
among the others,
did not patronize art, and therefore symbolized the complete harmony of music, poetry and the celestial spheres - one is impossible without the other.
Often, Urania was credited with the qualities of a soothsayer.
Answer the questions:
1.
Who is the god Apollo in Greek mythology?
2
Who are the Muses and what did they do?
3.
How many were there?
4.
Name the Muses that you especially liked.
5.
What is a myth?
6.
How does it differ from fairy tales and legends?
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