Statue of Melpomene at The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

myminifactory

Melpomene is a muse who brings music to life. Initially, she was the goddess of singing, but eventually, her role shifted to that of tragedy's patron deity. Her name comes from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai, which means "to dance and sing with joy." She is often depicted wearing the cothurnus, a type of boot traditionally worn by tragic actors, and holding a knife or club in one hand while grasping a tragic mask in the other. Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her sisters include Calliope, who inspires epic poetry; Clio, who guides history; Euterpe, who sparks lyrical verse; Terpsichore, who ignites dancing; Erato, who fuels erotic poetry; Thalia, who kindles comedy; Polyhymnia, who stirs hymns; and Urania, who illuminates astronomy. In ancient Greek and Roman literature, it was customary to invoke Melpomene's power in order to craft beautiful, poetic phrases. This tradition can be seen in Horace's Odes. This object is part of the "Scan The World" initiative. Scan The World is a non-profit project that allows users to access fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world for free. Scan The World is an open-source community effort, and anyone with interesting items they'd like to contribute can email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how to get involved. This sculpture was scanned using photogrammetry and processed with Agisoft PhotoScan.