Polyhymnia(/pɒliˈhɪmniə/;Greek:Πολυύμνια,lit. 'the one of many hymns'), alternativelyPolymnia(Πολύμνια), is, inGreek mythology,theMuseof sacred poetry, sacredhymn,dance andeloquence,as well asagricultureandpantomime.
| Polyhymnia | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Hymns | |
| Member of theMuses | |
 Roman statue of Polyhymnia, 2nd century AD, depicting her in the act of dancing | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | ZeusandMnemosyne |
| Siblings | Euterpe,Calliope,Urania,Clio,Erato,Thalia,Terpsichore,Melpomeneandseveral paternal half-siblings |
| Children | Orpheus,Triptolemus |
Etymology
editPolyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly", meaning "many", and "hymnos", which means "praise".[1]
Appearance
editPolymnia is depicted as serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a longcloakandveiland resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse ofgeometryandmeditation.[2]
InBibliotheca historica,Diodorus Siculuswrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...".[3]
Family
editAs one of the Muses, Polyhymnia is the daughter ofZeusand theTitanessMnemosyne.She was also described as the mother ofTriptolemusbyCheimarrhoos,son ofAres,[4]and of the musicianOrpheusbyApollo.[5]
Dedications
editOn Mount Parnassus, there was a spring sacred to the Muses. It was said to flow between two big rocks aboveDelphi,then down into a large square basin. The water was used by thePythia,who were priests and priestesses, for oracular purposes including divination.[2]
In popular culture
edit- Inastronomy,there are ten asteroids named after theMuses,and moons named after another two.The one named after Polyhymniais a main belt asteroid discovered byJean Chacornac,a French astronomer, in 1854.[2]
- Polyhymnia appears in Dante'sDivine Comedy:Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction.
Gallery
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Polyhymnia,Friedrich Ochs, 1857 -
Polyhymnia,Milano -
Polyhymnia,Giovanni Baglione,1620 -
Polyhymnia,Francesco del Cossa,1455 – 1460 -
Polyhymnia,Giuseppe Fagnani,1869 -
Cast of Polyhymnia,Pushkin Museum,Moscow
See also
editNotes
edit- ^"Polyhymnia".Theoi.Retrieved14 October2024.
- ^abc"Polyhymnia".talesbeyondbelief.Retrieved2016-09-12.
- ^Diodorus SiculusLibrary of History (Books III - VIII). Translated by Oldfather, C. H. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 303 and 340. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1935.
- ^ScholiaonHesiod,Works and Days,1, p. 28
- ^ScholiaonApollonius Rhodius,Argonautica1.23
References
edit- Diodorus Siculus,The Library of Historytranslated byCharles Henry Oldfather.Twelve volumes.Loeb Classical Library.Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8.Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
- Diodorus Siculus,Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2.Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
External links
edit
Media related toPolyhymniaat Wikimedia Commons- Primary sources and basic information concerning Polyhymnia
- Polyhymnia in painting
- Warburg Institute Iconographic Database
