What is art for ancient civilizations? This is a sign of prosperity, the golden age, when life in a city or state is characterized by stability and abundance. People direct their attention not only to obtaining the necessary, but have the opportunity to devote time and energy to creating the beautiful. In the modern world, little has changed in this sense, but in the past it was more difficult to achieve such prosperity, which means that art was valued much higher. It is not surprising, therefore, that in ancient Greece they treated such muses with respect, giving inspiration and talents. And it is no coincidence that Euterpa, the muse of lyric poetry, was considered the most elegant and beautiful of the nine sisters.
Not all art is equally valuable.
In ancient times, when heroes performed their exploits, and later, when great poets composed their poems about them, the ability to weave words was considered the most revered form of art. Painting or sculpture were more likely to be crafts: they delighted the eye, but did not think of something divine. At the top of everything was poetry. It is no coincidence that several muses are associated with its various directions . Erato helped create love and wedding lyrics. Kalliope was responsible for the epic. Muse Euterpe inspired the creation of lyric poetry. And among the beautiful sisters was Polymynia or Pologimnia, who patronized all who composed hymns.
The painting and sculpture did not have muses. But they were in astronomy and history. These sciences were equated with art. The inspiration and mentor of the astrologers was Urania. Historians praised Clio.
Poetry is closely associated with drama and theater. The muses of Melpomene and Thalia helped create tragedies and comedies. They reminded their favorites that human lives are only roles and are completely in the power of the gods. Closes the smooth procession of the Terpsichore sisters - the muse of dance and choral singing.
Where did the muses come to us from?
The poets' inspirers come from ancient nymph sources. They lived in the ringing waters of the keys and gave people the ability to compose verses. Actually the muses appear first as three sisters, Meleta, Mnem and Aeda (meditation, memory and song). And a little later, nine inspirers appear familiar to a modern person. Starting with the blessing of their pets with a poetic gift, they gradually divided among themselves all areas of art.
Divine origin
According to Hessiod and other authors, Euterpe's muse and sisters were the daughters of Zeus and the Titanides of Mnemosyne. Beautiful virgins were born at the foot of Olympus. Muses are forever young beauties singing at the feasts of the gods. Often they are portrayed along with Apollo, he was their patron and constant companion.
Muses bestowed upon those who worshiped them. Could inspire the creation of a masterpiece, tell how to achieve the mercy of the gods. Those who considered themselves more talented muses or tried to compete with them were severely punished.
Habitat
It is believed that the cult of muses originated in the tribe of Thracian singers. They lived near Mount Olympus, in Pieria, and a little later moved to Boeotia. Here is Helikon, beloved by muses. Muses loved this mountain, as well as Parnassus, for rustling groves of leaves, cool caves and keys with crystal clear water. Beautiful virgins lived here. It was believed that if you drink water from the source of Aganippus or Hippocrenus, you can find a poetic gift.
Worshiped muses in special temples, museions. Scientists often lived and worked in them. The modern word "museum" (the place where works of art are stored and exhibited) came precisely from the name of the temple of muses.
The most beautiful of the sisters
The ancient Greek muse of Euterpus patronized poets, above other genres who love lyrics, as well as musicians. It was believed that she stands out among the muses with special refinement and tenderness. According to myths, the gods of Olympus could endlessly enjoy her poems.
The main epithet that adorned the muse of lyric poetry is giving pleasure. The name Euterpa itself, according to Diodorus, comes from a description of the pleasure experienced by those who listen to music. Sensitive and inspiring, she could give her chosen ones the ability to create a harmonious melody from the chaos of sounds, to add seemingly random words into a viscous and flowing song. Light-footed and wayward, like all sisters, Eutherp's muse firmly put in place those who tried to argue with her or pretended to be superior in skill. One of the myths describes well how inspirers dealt with rivals.
How magpies appeared
The daughters of the Macedonian king Piera, and there were nine of them, like the muses, were immensely proud of their talents. They decided to call inspirers to a musical contest and show how good their voices were. Nymphs were invited as judges. The muse of Euterpe and her sister's music arrived at the appointed hour.
The daughters of the king sang about the war of the gods with the giants. They did not glorify Zeus and his associates, but laughed at how the Olympians fled from the formidable Typhon in the form of forest animals. Muses were outraged, but were forced to sing. The beautiful Calliope picked up the lyre and told about the abduction of Persephone. The nymphs were fascinated by the voice and play of the muse and recognized her as the best in the competition, but the princesses did not agree with this decision. Pride and wayward drove the daughters of Pier to the point that they tried to hit the muses. The inspirers could not forgive such insults. They turned the arrogant princesses into forty, loud and rattling.
Attributes of the most beautiful of muses
Those who worshiped the goddesses, they gave their location, and with it the ability to win the hearts of people with various arts. Euterpa, the muse of lyric poetry and music, according to myths, with her singing and playing the flute could illuminate a person’s soul with magic light, cleanse it of a touch of callousness and greyness. She was almost always depicted in the hands of musical instruments. As a rule, these were a flute, avlos (double pipe, ancestor of the modern oboe) or lyre. Also often found images of muses, accompanied by forest nymphs. On some canvases and bas-reliefs, the Euterpe muse holds garlands of flowers, a symbol of tenderness and beauty.
Eutherpa Images
Despite the fact that muses did not patronize sculptors and painters, for many centuries they dedicated their works to immortal sisters. And of course, poets of all times and many nations wrote about them: Byron and Homer, Pushkin, Fet and Yesenin. G.R. Derzhavin is a poem dedicated to Euterpe (“To Euterpe”). Many artists painted her image. Among them are Italian Francesco del Cossa and Swiss Arnold Beklin. Sculptures depicting muses adorn the Vatican Museum and the Louvre. Copies of antique statues can be seen in a beautiful park in Pavlovsk near St. Petersburg. Eutherpa is depicted here without the traditional attribute, the flute. The sculpture is a copy of the Roman statue located in the Vatican, which, in turn, reproduces the lost work of the Greek master.
Euterpa, a muse of lyrics, inspires contemporary artists as well. She is still dedicated to poems and sculptural images. The patroness of poets and musicians is invisibly present not only at parties devoted to Greek art. She, like her sisters, is a source of creativity for all who are imbued with the poetics of ancient mythology.