Muse from Agnano

myminifactory

These statues are part of a group found in the Roman baths at Agnano, near Naples, known as the Muses from Agnano. Clearly, they had been taken from their original location long ago. It is believed that they were first placed on Delos, near Apollo's great temple. The detailed execution of the figures' robes is particularly impressive and varies between muses. The arrangement of these robes and materials highlights the beautiful, youthful bodies of the statues. Despite being in a fragmentary condition, one can still sense today that they are not posed for the viewer but rather present them as accidental observers. The Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who symbolizes humanity's intellectual powers through her divine force. Her nine children protect and promote human creative, scholarly, and scientific pursuits. Polyhymnia fosters song singing accompanied by the lyre; Euterpe is the muse of lyric poetry and flute playing, while Erato inspires love poetry. Three muses oversee theater's creative energies: Terpsichore delights in dance and choral songs; Melpomene is the muse of tragedy; Thalia oversees comedy. Clio praises epic poetry and history as a muse; Calliope inspires literature and science through her beautiful voice; Urania, the heavenly one, is the divine inspiration of astronomy.