Polyhymnia
{{Short description|Muse of sacred poetry in Greek mythology}}
{{Infobox deity
|type = Greek
|name = Polyhymnia
|image = Polyhymnia monte calvo.jpg
|caption = Roman statue of Polyhymnia, 2nd century AD, depicting her in the act of dancing
|god_of = Goddess of Hymns
|member_of = the Muses
|abode = Mount Olympus
|siblings = Euterpe, Calliope, Urania, Clio, Erato, Thalia, Terpsichore, Melpomene and several paternal half-siblings
|children = Orpheus, Triptolemus
}}
Polyhymnia ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|l|i|ˈ|h|ɪ|m|n|i|ə}}; {{langx|el|Πολυύμνια|lit=the one of many hymns}}), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), is, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime.
Etymology
Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly", meaning "many", and "hymnos", which means "praise".{{cite web |title=Polyhymnia |url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/MousaPolyhymnia.html |website=Theoi |access-date=14 October 2024}}
Appearance
Polyhymnia is depicted as serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/nymphs/polyhymnia-muse.htm|title=Polyhymnia|website=talesbeyondbelief|access-date=2016-09-12}}
In Bibliotheca historica, Diodorus Siculus wrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...".[http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4A.html Diodorus Siculus] Library 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.
Family
As one of the Muses, Polyhymnia is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. She was also described as the mother of Triptolemus by Cheimarrhoos, son of Ares,Scholia on Hesiod, Works and Days, 1, p. 28 and of the musician Orpheus by Apollo.Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.23
Dedications
In popular culture
- In astronomy, there are ten asteroids named after the Muses, and moons named after another two. The one named after Polyhymnia is a main belt asteroid discovered by Jean Chacornac, a French astronomer, in 1854.
- Polyhymnia appears in Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction.
Gallery
File:22.Brunnenwand mit Polyhymnia(1857)-Friedrich Ochs-Sanssouci-Mittlerer Lustgarten Steffen Heilfort.JPG|Polyhymnia, Friedrich Ochs, 1857
File:1739 - Milano - Via Morigi - Statua 700sca di Polinnia - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-May-2007.jpg|Polyhymnia, Milano
File:Polyhymnia the Muse of Lyric Poetry by Giovanni Baglione.jpg|Polyhymnia, Giovanni Baglione, 1620
File:Anonimo Ferrarese by Francesco del Cossa.jpg|Polyhymnia, Francesco del Cossa, 1455 – 1460
File:Polyhymnia by Giuseppe Fagnani.jpg|Polyhymnia, Giuseppe Fagnani, 1869
File:Polyhymnia02 pushkin.jpg|Cast of Polyhymnia, Pushkin Museum, Moscow
See also
- Muses in popular culture
- Asteroid 33 Polyhymnia
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
- Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html 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. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Polyhymnia}}
- [http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/MousaPolyhymnia.html Primary sources and basic information concerning Polyhymnia]
- [http://www.fineartlib.info/gallery/p17_sectionid/24/p17_imageid/555 Polyhymnia in painting]
- [https://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/category/vpc-taxonomy-8318 Warburg Institute Iconographic Database]
{{Muses}}
{{Greek mythology (deities)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Music in Greek mythology
Category:Ancient Greek theatre