Mnemosyne

For nine successive nights, Zeus went to Mnemosyne, the Titan goddess of memory. Their union produced the Muses, who were counted as nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Their names were Calliope, Cleio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Ourania, Thaleia, and Polymnia. The names Cleio, Ourania, Thaleia, and Polymnia also appear as Clio, Urania, Thalia, and Polyhymnia.

One account places their creation after the war with the Titans. The victorious deities asked Zeus for divinities who could preserve the deeds of the Olympian gods in song. The Muses fulfilled this purpose through music, song, and dance. Their functions later extended to the arts and sciences, including poetry and astronomy.

Mortals and immortals honoured the Muses. In Olympus, Apollo led them, and they appeared at banquets and festivities. They were also associated with Mount Helicon in Boeotia, where their cult was centred. Artists looked to them for inspiration, and each Muse became linked with a particular art or field. Calliope was associated with epic poetry, Euterpe with flute playing, Thalia with comedy, Melpomene with tragedy, Terpsichore with dance, Erato with singing, Polyhymnia with mime, Urania with astronomy, and Clio with history. These later forms of the names correspond to the spellings Thaleia, Polymnia, Ourania, and Cleio given in the account of their birth.