Clio, also spelled Kleio, was one of the nine muses. Clio is the muse of history. She is often shown holding a scroll that is open or sitting beside a chest full of books. Clio was the patron of history and the guitar. The ancient Greek word for history was derived from Kleos. She is also often depicted holding a clarion in one hand and a book in the other.
The Muses are nine different goddesses who are the patrons of arts, literature and the sciences.
She is the daughter of Zeus, the sky god and leader of the Olympians, and Mnemosyne, the Titaness and goddess of memory. The myth of their creation reveals that Zeus lay with Mnemosene nine times over the course of nine days to bring the Muses into the world. He wanted to celebrate the victory of the Olympians over the Titans and forget the hardships of life. Their voices, songs and dancing was meant to relieve the sorrows over the world.
According to some myths, Apollo, the Greek god of the sun and of knowledge. The muses followed Apollo while he wandered Mount Helicon where they lived. The Muses were considered to be the source of inspired creation. Many believed that the inspiration they required to write poetry, literature, music, or any artistic creation came from the nine Muses.
It was believed that Clio lived with her sisters, the Muses, on Mount Parnassos or Mount Helicon. She had one son, Hyacinth, who was a divine hero in Greek myth.
His parentage depends on the myth, but often he is considered to be Clio’s son with King Pierus or King Obealus of Sparta. In some myths however, it is said that Clio had Hyacinth with king Amyclas, the forefather of Sparta. Some myths also suggest she had another child, Hymenaeus.
Hymenaeus (also spelled Hymenaios) was the patron god of weddings and was considered one of the winged gods of love, otherwise known as the Erotes. Some accounts reveal that Clio was the mother of Linus, though he is also depicted as being the son of the other muses Calliope or Urania. Linus was the poet and musician and was a sibling of Orpheus. He could be considered the embodiment of the lamentation, which was a classical Greek song genre identified as the linos.
Clio was sometimes called the “Proclaimer”. Her symbols include the scroll, books, or tablets. She was considered the celebrator of history, of astonishing deeds and incredible accomplishments. She would proclaim them and recount the history of the heroes.
Her name is derived from the same Greek root word that means to celebrate, to recount, or to make famous.
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