Urania, Greek ("heavenly", "celestial") - the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the muse of astronomy (see also the article "Muses").
According to our ideas, the Muses, the goddesses of poetry and art, can hardly have anything in common with such an exact science as astronomy. However, in those days when the images of the muses were born in Greek mythology, astronomy was not yet an exact science. In the course of time, she became one, and the Greeks achieved remarkable success in astronomy. Ironically, today the most famous is the erroneous geocentric theory of Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century AD), which in the 12th century. became the foundation of the teachings of the Christian church about the structure of the universe; but much less known is Aristarchus of Samos, who at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. first proposed the idea of heliocentrism; or Eratosthenes of Cyrene, who at the end of the 3rd c. BC e. laid the foundations of our calendar by his astronomical calculations; or Hipparchus from Nicaea (2nd century BC), who shouldered the titanic task of “counting the stars in the sky” and compiled the first catalog of “fixed stars”, and many other favorites of the muse Urania.
Aphrodite was also called Urania as the goddess of pure, sublime, "heavenly" love.
Pictured: The Muse Urania by Pietro Liberi
The beginning of this article was laid by a conversation between two schoolchildren, accidentally overheard in the corridors of an educational institution. Two boys were arguing fiercely over who was the muse of dance - Urania or Terpsichore. They argued and even referred to a particular chapter in the history book. The students were getting excited, and it seemed that a fight was brewing. But, finally, the debaters looked into the saving Internet and went home. Do you know the answer to the question that caused discord between the guys? If not, then our article will be very useful to you.
Who are the Muses
Absolutely all people have heard about these ephemeral creatures. The ancient Greek goddesses inspired people to create incredible works of art and generously endowed them with talents. Who are these women, who combine all the brightest, tenderest and most beautiful things in this world?
The ancient Greeks considered the beautiful muses to be the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. She herself was born from the titans Uranus and Gaia, and was a very revered goddess of memory in Hellas. According to legend, Zeus was fascinated by Mnemosyne and from their love nine most beautiful daughters named muses were born. Translated from the Greek language, this word is translated as "thinking". And it is not surprising if you remember that the goddess of memory became their mother.
The Muses were so important in the life of the Hellenes that one of the spheres of life of ordinary people was given to each of them. Moreover, even people who did not have special talents revered the daughters of Mnemosyne and asked their blessings for certain actions.
Muses: how many there were
Today it is generally accepted that there have always been nine muses. But in fact, there are many mysteries in this matter. For the first time, Homer mentioned the Muses, but he did not name their number and names. In his immortal works, it was written about one or several goddesses. In the future, the muses had names, and their number increased to three. In some written sources, four muses were also mentioned, but quite often they were confused with the Charites, goddesses of fertility. Some time later, Hesiod, in his poem dedicated to the Muses, listed them all along with their names. It is in this form that they have survived to this day:
- Calliope.
- Clio.
- Melpomene.
- Waist.
- Polyhymnia.
- Terpsichore.
- Euterpe.
- Erato.
- Urania is the muse of science.
Usually the goddesses appeared before people in the form of young and beautiful girls who had a lot of talents. The Hellenes especially appreciated the incredible ability of the Muses to look into the past and the future. They could predict the fate of those they favored.
The Muses had a special love for poets, artists and musicians. They came to them in dreams or in reality and gave them inspiration, after which it became much easier to create. A little apart in this company of patrons of the arts is Urania, the muse of astronomy. But we will talk about it a little later.
Where the Muses Dwelled
The Greeks believed that all the muses live under the auspices of Apollo. On Mount Parnassus, in the shade of evergreen trees, they indulge in fun, sing and dance. At the foot of the mountain there is a source - Kastalskiy key. If the Muses treated someone with water from this sacred source, then he acquired the ability to create and give people his creativity.
Quite often, the ancient Greek masters portrayed the Muses along with Apollo, who controls their noisy round dance. This plot was found on bas-reliefs in the houses of the nobility and on various utensils. Archaeologists also found it in the ruins of temples dedicated to Apollo.
Often the Muses took part in the festivities of Dionysus. They sang and danced for him, and also inspired many gods to various deeds for the benefit of people.
The worship of the Muses
Muses were considered extraordinary creatures that connect the world of people and the world of the gods of Olympus. All of them, cheerful and noisy (and even the serious muse Urania), followed the purity of human thoughts. After all, only a person who is ready to renounce everything dark and vain can count on the help of the ancient Greek muses.
The Muses were so revered in Greece that temples were erected in their honor. They were built according to a special architectural plan, and the praise of the goddesses took place in a very unusual way. Temples in honor of the Muses, museyons, were not so much a place of worship as the focus of cultural and scientific life.
Archaeologists have found the ruins of the Temple of the Muses in the Sanctuary of Pythagoras. Nine sculptures of muses surrounded the goddess Hestia and personified one of the sciences. For example, it was believed that Urania, the ninth muse of astronomy and astrology, occupies one of the most important roles in this temple. She blesses those who observe the starry sky, describe the constellations and draw up various maps.
Alexandrian museion
The most famous among all the temples dedicated to the Muses was the Museion of Alexandria. It was like a vast research center. Libraries, philosophical halls, menageries and museums were located on a large territory under the vaults of the temple. The most famous figures of Hellas came here, they had the opportunity to communicate, work together and make discoveries. In our time, the works of Euclid and Archimedes are widely known, who worked in the Alexandria museion. According to legend, after the death of Alexander the Great, his body in a sarcophagus was transferred to this building, but later the body of the great commander disappeared and his whereabouts have not yet been found.
Throughout the territory of ancient Greece, archaeologists found the ruins of museions, and similar structures were also found among Roman temple complexes. This indicates that scientific thought developed partly thanks to fictional goddesses who united scientists in one territory and inspired them to work.
Muses of Ancient Greece: Urania
Urania was considered the youngest daughter of Mnemosyne. She was very different from her sisters and was the most serious of them. It seems a little strange to many of our contemporaries that serious Urania, the muse of astronomy, fell into the host of cheerful and talented girls. The history of the emergence of this science and the attitude of the ancient Greeks towards it can shed light on this mystery.
In fact, for the Hellenes, astronomy is a basic science that served as an explanation of the universe and the source of many philosophical ideas and currents. This science was studied in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Babylon. It was through her that the ancient Greeks sought to penetrate the great mysteries of the cosmos.
Muse Urania called to reject everything earthly and plunge into a completely new world, open only to the elect. It was to them that the goddess was ready to help and bless in every possible way for the hard work of scientific research.
Urania, the muse of astronomy in ancient Greek mythology: description
Archaeologists have found a large number of images of the patroness of scientific disciplines. Usually, the muse Urania on canvases and found bas-reliefs is a serious girl with a sphere and a measuring device. With it, she determines the distance between celestial bodies.
Her parents named her after the god Uranus, because he was one of the most ancient deities of this world, and even the great Zeus treated him with great respect. Muse Urania patronized not only astronomy, but also other sciences. Therefore, the Hellenes believed that it represents complete harmony and perfection. After all, science cannot be isolated from art, the ancient Greek thinkers were convinced of this. It was Urania who was the most powerful soothsayer among her sisters. She knew how to penetrate into the thinnest layers of the past and future faster and more accurately than all the other goddesses.
The muses themselves considered Urania the most knowledgeable and strict, she was the nominal goddess who punished stupid people for competing with the muses. And in this she was cold-blooded and ruthless.
The Legend of Pier's Daughters
The myths preserved the story of King Pier, who lived in Macedonia and had nine beautiful daughters. The girls were not only amazingly beautiful, but also talented. Each of them had a pleasant voice and a perfect ear for music. Once the conceited princesses decided to compete with the muses themselves and challenged them to a creative duel. However, in this fight of talents, the championship went to Calliope, but the stubborn girls refused to recognize her victory and declared the results of the competition invalid. In response to such audacity, Urania turned nine beauties into forty, who were called upon to forever announce the surroundings with their harsh and unpleasant voices.
That is why the Hellenes believed that only with pure thoughts and heart can one turn to the muses.
The image of Urania in art
Many museums around the world exhibit sculptures and bas-reliefs depicting muses, including Urania. But few people know that poets often dedicated poems and prose to her. For example, Lomonosov mentioned the muse in one of his odes to the empress. And Fedor Tyutchev and Joseph Brodsky released a whole series of poems dedicated to the muse of astronomy and sciences.
Ancient Greek mythology is extremely confusing, and an uninitiated person can easily get confused in the pantheon of gods and various ephemeral creatures. But the Muses are a special page in the myths of the Ancient World. Few people have an idea of how important Urania was among her sisters and other goddesses. We have collected the most interesting facts about the patroness of sciences:
- Urania, along with the goddesses of the sea, accompanied the dead souls to the island of the Happy.
- On the territory of our country there is a museum of Urania.
- Pythagoras wrote a scientific work, where he explained the similarity of the rules for constructing musical compositions with the distance between the celestial spheres, which the muse of astronomy was able to measure.
- Urania was often compared to Pallas Athena, the patroness of Greek Athens.
- In ancient myths, there is a mention that Apollo himself was captivated by the mind of Urania and fell in love with her, from this union she gave birth to a son.
Many contemporaries believe that the story of the ancient Greek muses is not without meaning. And in our current age of progress, humanity would do well to come up with another muse that would guide and inspire us. But it is hardly worth inventing something new where everything has already been done for us. After all, the muse Urania is not only the patroness of the sciences, but also of all that they give. And, therefore, it is she who can be considered the muse of progress caused by the scientific revolution in the minds of people.
URANIA (Ο ρανία, lat. Urania "Heavenly") is one of the nine muses of ancient mythology, the patroness of astronomy. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. In a different meaning, Urania is the epithet of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite - an allegory of sublime, "heavenly" love.
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Muses, muses (μ ονσαι, "thinking") = aonides, aonian sisters, parnasids, castalides, ipocrenides, pierides (nicknames from the habitats of the muses) - daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Muses - in Greece and Rome - goddesses of poetry, arts and sciences, nine sisters born in Pieria and bearing the name "Olympic".
Calliope, muse of epic poetry; Clio, muse of history; Melpomene, muse of tragedy; Thalia, muse of comedy; Polyhymnia, muse of sacred hymns; Terpsichore, muse of dance; Euterpe, patroness of music; Erato, muse of love comedy; Urania, muse of astronomy. As the goddesses of art, the Muses were associated with their leader, the god Apollo.
The Olympian muses of classical mythology dwell on Helikon, chanting all generations of gods. The classical muses are inseparable from the order and harmony of the Olympic world. Just like the rest of the gods, the Muses had their own temples, which were called museyons. From this word came the modern designation of buildings, where collections of works of art or other monuments of past times are exhibited for viewing.
Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev ... Urania alone, like the sun between the stars, Preserves Harmony and rules their ways: At the behest of her mighty wand, good enlightenment flows from edge to edge; Where the night was gloomy before, There is a luminous manifestation of the day ... "Urania 1820
Joseph Brodsky
Uraniborg Tycho Brahe Observatory, built at the end of the 16th century on Van Island (near Copenhagen)
In the modern world, it is not customary to talk about the art of science the way we talk about choreography, poetry, theater or vocals. The fact is that the ancient Greeks, unlike us, perceived the Cosmos as the most perfect work of art and the muse Urania was perceived by them as the inspirer of its knowledge. For the first time her name in Western literature is found in the work of Hesiod. Before learning more about Urania herself, let's get acquainted with her divine relatives.
Who are the Muses?
According to the Hellenes, the Muses are the nine daughters of the supreme god Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Each considered important, according to the ancient Greeks, had to have its patroness - the muse, and thanks to her to develop and flourish. In addition, all the muses, including the muse Urania, accompanied and inspired Musaget-Apollo, the god of arts and harmony, personified all the wisest, brightest and most beautiful, including morality, science and all kinds of art.
Spheres of patronage
The very first mention of the Muses is found in the works of Homer, other sources also contain information about the nine daughters of Zeus and the areas of science and art they oversee:
The most serious muse
As already mentioned, the muse Urania (you see the photo of her sculpture) is the youngest among the nine sisters, but she is also the most knowledgeable and smart of them. She is beautiful, like all the other muses, because the Greeks professed the principle of kalokagatiya, which consisted in the fact that outwardly beautiful is just as beautiful inside. Therefore, patrons simply could not have an unsightly appearance.
Despite the fact that Urania, along with her sisters, accompanies, inspiring, Musageta, dances with pleasure and has fun at the holidays in honor of Dionysus, she personifies the power of knowledge and contemplation. Muse Urania calls everyone to move away from the chaos of everyday existence in order to immerse themselves in the study and contemplation of the majestic life of the Cosmos and the movements of the stars, reflecting earthly destinies. As already mentioned, all the muses have certain attributes, Urania has a celestial sphere and compasses.
What is she responsible for?
Our modern ideas about such an exact science as astronomy do not allow any points of intersection with poetry or other art. However, at the time of the formation of Greek mythology and the emergence of the cult of the Muses, astronomy was more of an art than Urania, the muse of astronomy, which began its development together with mathematics and astrology in ancient Greece.
Over time, the Hellenes managed to reach significant heights in the study of the firmament, stars and the Cosmos. It was in ancient Greece in the III century BC. e. he was the first to formulate the hypothesis of heliocentrism, and the calculations of Eratosthenes of Cyrene, made at about the same time, formed the basis of the calendar that we use today. Hipparchus of Nicaea in the 2nd century BC. e. managed to compile the first catalog of "fixed stars" according to their brightness and completed tables of the motion of the Moon and the Sun. But the sister of Urania, Clio, is a rather ironic person: today the erroneous geocentric theory put forward in the 2nd century AD is widely known. e. Claudius Ptolemy, and served as the basis of the church Christian doctrine of the structure of the Universe, and not the earlier discoveries of Greek scientists.
As already mentioned, astronomy is the science of Urania's muse, one of the most ancient disciplines. It was studied by Babylonian soothsayers and magicians, Greek philosophers and storytellers, monks and nobles of the Renaissance, astrologers, mystics and great thinkers of more recent times. The content and concepts of astronomy have always served as the basis of the worldview of a particular time and were at the epicenter of the confrontation of ideas.
Aphrodite Urania
Indeed, in Greek mythology, the epithet "Urania" was used
in relation to the daughter of the sky god - Aphrodite, who personified the physical force of nature. Aphrodite Urania - Heavenly was revered by the Hellenes not only as the patroness of pure love and family, but also as the plant forces, in charge of fields, gardens, groves and vineyards.
The image of Urania in art
More than one century has passed since the heyday of Ancient Greece, but the muse Urania has always inspired not only astronomers and scientists associated with her. The image of Urania can be found on the canvases of Simon Vue "The Muses of Urania and Calliope", Louis Tokke "The Muse of Astronomy", Angelika Kaufman and Louis de Boulogne, Johann Heinrich and Eustathia Lesour, engravings by Jan Hevelius and Hendrik Goltzius. Of course, the muse in these paintings is depicted in robes in the fashion of the time when the artist worked, but here is the celestial sphere and the compass in his hands, or the stylus is always present.
Writers and poets also did not ignore her: Urania is the muse of astronomy, which inspired Lomonosov and Tyutchev to "odic reasoning." Our famous contemporary Joseph Brodsky published in 1987 a book of poems "To Urania". In St. Petersburg, it is planned to install a monument to the poet in the form of three stelae with the verses “To Urania” engraved on them.
The Moscow Planetarium even created the Urania Museum, which displays a star globe created by Jan Hevelius, on which the constellations known in the 17th century are drawn. In addition, the museum presents many interesting items related to the study of outer space and stars.
Very often in our life there are such phrases as: “the muse visited”, “the muse of poetry” and many others in which the word muse is mentioned. However, what does it mean? This concept comes from ancient mythology. The Greek Muses are nine sisters, patrons of the arts and sciences. They are the daughters of Zeus himself and each of them has their own unique divine powers. Let's look at them in more detail.
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So, as mentioned earlier, the Muses are the daughters of Zeus and the Titanides Mnemosyne, who is the goddess of memory. The very word muses (muses) comes from the Greek word for “thinking”. The Muses were usually portrayed as young and beautiful women. They possessed a prophetic gift and favorably treated creative people: poets, artists, artists, encouraging and helping them in their activities in every possible way. However, for special offenses, the muses could deprive a person of inspiration. To prevent this from happening, the ancient Greeks built special temples in honor of the muses, which were called museions. It is from this word that the word “museum” comes from. The patron of the Muses themselves was the god Apollo. Let's now look at each of the muses in more detail.
Muse Calliope - muse of epic poetry
Calliope is the mother of Orpheus, the muse of heroic poetry and eloquence. It evokes a sense of sacrifice that encourages a person to overcome his selfishness and fear of fate. Calliope wears a golden crown on her forehead - a sign that she dominates other muses, thanks to her ability to introduce a person to the first steps towards his liberation. Calliope was depicted with a waxed tablet or scroll and a slate stick in her hands - a stylus, which was a bronze rod, the pointed end of which was used to write text on a tablet covered with wax. The opposite end was made flat to erase what was written.
Muse Clio - patroness of history
The accompanying attributes of this muse are a scroll of parchment or a tablet - a board with letters. Clio reminds of what a person can achieve, helps to find his destiny.
According to Diodorus, the name comes from the word "Cleos" - "glory". The etymology of the name is “giving glory”. From Pier, the Greek muse Clio had a son, Hyacinthus. Love for Pier was inspired by Aphrodite for condemning her love for Adonis.
Muse of Melpomene - muse of tragedy
In Greek mythology, Melpomene is considered the muse of the tragic genre. The name, according to Diodorus, means "a melody that pleases the listeners." The image is anthropomorphic - it was described as a woman with a bandage, grape or ivy wreath on her head. It always has permanent paraphernalia in the form of a tragic mask, sword or club. The weapon carries the symbolism of the inevitability of divine punishment.
Melpomene is the mother of sirens - sea creatures who personified a deceptive but charming sea surface, under which sharp cliffs or shallows are hidden. From their mother muse, the sirens inherited the divine voice with which they lured sailors.
Muse Thalia - muse of comedy
Thalia or, in another version, Phalia - in Greek mythology, the muse of comedy and light poetry, the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Depicted with a comic mask in her hands and a wreath of ivy on her head.
From Thalia and Apollo were born Corybantes - the mythical predecessors of the priests of Cybele or Rhea in Phrygia, in wild enthusiasm, with music and dances, serving the great mother of the gods. According to Diodorus, she received her name from prosperity (thallein) glorified in poetic works for many years.
Zeus, turning into a kite, took Thalia as his wife. Out of fear of Hera's jealousy, the muse hid in the bowels of the earth, where demonic creatures were born from her - sticks (in this myth she is called the nymph of Etna).
Muse Polyhymnia - muse of solemn hymns
Polyhymnia is the muse of solemn hymns in Greek mythology. According to Diodorus, she got her name from the creation by many praises (diapolles chimneseos) of fame to those whose name poetry immortalized with glory. She patronizes hymn writers. It is believed that she keeps in mind all the hymns, songs and ritual dances that praise the Olympian gods, it is also believed that she invented the lyre.
Polyhymnia is often depicted with a scroll in her hands, in a thoughtful pose. Polyhymnia patronizes the study of rhetoric and oratory by people, which turns the orator into an instrument of truth. She personifies the power of speech and makes a person's speech life-giving. Polyhymnia helps to recognize the mystery of the word as a real power, with which you can inspire and revive, but at the same time hurt and kill. This power of speech is inspiring on the path to truth.
Muse Terpsichore - muse of dance
Terpsichore is the muse of dance. According to Diodorus, she got her name from the enjoyment (terpein) of the audience by the benefits that are in art. Tsets also calls her name among the Muses. Considered the patroness of dancing and choral singing. Depicted as a young woman, with a smile on her face, sometimes in the pose of a dancer, more often sitting and playing the lyre.
Characteristic attributes: a wreath on the head; in one hand she held a lyre, and in the other a plectrum. This muse is associated with Dionysus, attributing to her the attribute of this god - ivy (as the inscription on Helicon dedicated to Terpsichore says).
Muse Urania - muse of astronomy
Urania is the muse of astronomy. The attributes of Urania were: a celestial globe and a compass. According to Diodorus, she received her name from the aspiration to heaven (ouranos) of those who comprehended her art. According to one version, Urania is the mother of Hymen.
Urania personifies the power of contemplation, she calls us to leave the external chaos in which a person exists and plunge into the contemplation of the majestic run of the stars, which is a reflection of fate. This is the power of knowledge, the power that draws to the mysterious, draws to the high and beautiful - to the Sky and the Stars.
Muse of Euterpe - muse of lyric poetry
Euterpe (ancient Greek Εὐτέρπη "entertaining") - in Greek mythology, one of the nine muses, the daughters of Zeus and the Titanides Mnemosyne, the muse of lyrical poetry and music. Depicted with a lyre or flute in her hands.
Mother of Res by the river god Strymon. According to the etymology of Diodora, she got her name from the pleasure (terpein) of listeners who receive the benefits of education. Tsets also calls her name among the Muses.
Muse Erato - muse of love poetry
Erato is the muse of lyrical and love poetry. Her name is derived from the name of the god of love Eros. According to Diodorus, she received the name in honor of the ability to be “eperasta” (desired for love and passion).
She was born as a result of the union of Mnemosyne and Zeus. From Mala Erato gave birth to Cleophema. The attribute of the muse is cithara. This divine heroine of Greek mythology is often mentioned in the legends of the Hellenes.
In addition, Virgil and Apollonius of Rhodes resort to the symbolism associated with the image of the Greek muse Erato in their works. She knows how to breathe into the soul love for everything living with her art to transform everything into beauty, hidden beyond the physical.
According to Wikipedia
