The Muses

Invoked by poets from Homer onwards, the Muse embodies an archetypal image of inspiration in Western culture. But who were the Muses and how do we account for their lasting appeal? This book will explore the rich and complex history of these figures from their origins as goddesses of music in the oral society of early Greece, through their later transformation into patrons of education and learning who embodied the values of civilised life. These enigmatic goddesses may no longer inhabit the slopes of Helicon or the glades of Parnassus, but the image of the Muse lives on as a metaphor for inspiration and artistic creativity whose processes are essentially mysterious. From Homer and Milton to Robert Graves, from the great paintings of Raphael and Poussin to the visionary canvases of Gustave Moreau, from the learned ladies of the eighteenth century, self-styled Muses of their age, to poets and artists of the present day, the Muse has remained central to the expression of ideas about creativity in the Western tradition.

The Muses is the first full treatment in English of these enduring figures from classical myth, and should be read not only by students of classical mythology and poetry, but also by anyone interested in understanding the role of the Muses in Western culture.