Zeus lay with the Titaness Mnemosyne for nine consecutive nights, producing the nine Muses: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania, who preside over the arts and sciences.
Apollo and the Muse Calliope are the parents of Orpheus, the legendary musician whose singing could charm all living things.
⚠ Apollodorus (Bibliotheca 1.3.2) explicitly says 'to Oeagrus, or nominally to Apollo,' suggesting Oeagrus is the biological father. Most poetic sources favor Apollo. Pindar (fr. 139) leaves the Muse unnamed; late traditions substitute Polymnia for Calliope.
Oeagrus, king of Thrace, and the Muse Calliope sired Orpheus, the musician whose voice could move stones and trees and still the rivers of the underworld.
⚠ Apollodorus (Bibliotheca 1.3.2) names Oeagrus as the biological father, with Apollo as merely nominal. Apollonius (Argonautica 1.23-25) also gives Oeagrus as father.
The nine Muses — Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania — each preside over a specific art or science.
Calliope was appointed by Zeus to settle the dispute over Adonis between Aphrodite and Persephone. Her judgment divided his time between the two goddesses and himself in three equal portions.
Zeus appointed Calliope to judge the dispute between Aphrodite and Persephone over the youth Adonis. She decreed he should spend a third of the year with each goddess, with the remaining third his own.
Calliope was appointed to arbitrate the bitter quarrel between Persephone and Aphrodite over the beautiful Adonis, ruling that he must divide his time between both goddesses.
Calliope, eldest of the Muses, served as champion against the Pierides in their singing contest. Her performance of the Rape of Persephone in Ovid's Metamorphoses 5 secured the Muses' victory.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more