| 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 | Zeus andMnemosyne |
| Siblings | Euterpe,Calliope,Urania,Clio,Erato,Thalia,Terpsichore,Melpomene andseveral paternal half-siblings |
| Children | Orpheus,Triptolemus |
Polyhymnia (/pɒliˈhɪmniə/;Greek:Πολυύμνια,lit. 'the one of many hymns'), alternativelyPolymnia (Πολύμνια), is, inGreek mythology, theMuse of sacred poetry, sacredhymn, dance andeloquence, as well asagriculture andpantomime.
Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly", meaning "many", and "hymnos", which means "praise".[1]
Polyhymnia is depicted as serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a longcloak andveil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse ofgeometry andmeditation.[2]
InBibliotheca 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...".[3]
As one of the Muses, Polyhymnia is the daughter ofZeus and theTitanessMnemosyne. She was also described as the mother ofTriptolemus by Cheimarrhoos, son ofAres,[4] and of the musicianOrpheus byApollo.[5]
On 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]
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Media related toPolyhymnia at Wikimedia Commons
