Muses, << MYOOZ ehz, >> were nine goddesses of the arts and sciences in Greek and Roman mythology. In Greek mythology, they were the daughters of Zeus, the king of the gods; and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Each Muse ruled over a certain art or science. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry; Erato, love poetry; Euterpe, lyric poetry; Melpomene, tragedy; Thalia, comedy; Clio, history; Urania, astronomy; Polyhymnia, sacred song; and Terpsichore, dance.
The Greeks believed the Muses lived on Mount Olympus with their leader, the god Apollo. Like him, the Muses remained young and beautiful forever. They could see into the future, which few other gods could do. They also had the ability to banish all grief and sorrow. The Muses had pleasing, melodic voices and often sang as a chorus. Early Greek writers and artists called on the Muses for inspiration before beginning to work. Any one or all of the Muses could be asked for help, even though each governed a special art or science.
The Muses played an important part in Roman mythology, though the Roman worship of Muses was borrowed from the Greeks. The Romans believed that Jupiter, the king of their gods, was the father of the Muses.
Several words come from the Greek word Mousa, meaning Muse. They include museum, which originally meant temple of the Muses; and music, which meant art of the Muses.
