Thou fill’st from the
wingèd chalice of the soul
Thy lamp, O Memory,
fire-wingèd to its goal.
—Dante Rossetti, inscribed on the frame of his painting, left

Mnemosyne (pronounced ni-MAW-sin-ee) is the Greek Goddess of memory. She is the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and therefore one of the Titans. With her nephew Zeus, she is the mother of the nine Muses. Zeus lay with Mnemosyne for nine nights in a row, and a year later she bore their nine daughters—Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania. Mnemosyne is also said to have invented language, giving names to all things, although this is also said to have been the invention of Hermes, God of travel, trade, and language.

Mnemosyne, in her rule over memory, played an important role at an oracle in Boeotia. Before consulting the oracle, initiates first drank from the pool of Lethe, Goddess of forgetfulness, to clear their minds of all preconceptions. They then drank from the pool of Mnemosyne, so that they would remember what they learned from the oracle. Similarly, those who had crossed over into Hades were given the choice of whether to drink from a spring of Mnemosyne and remember their lives, or to drink from the pool of Lethe and forget. Mnemosyne’s name, which means “memory,” is also seen as Mnamosyna, and the epithets Golden-robed, Fair-robed, and Gentle-eyed were used to describe her.

I’ve seen a lot of different ways to pronounce Thalia in my searches, but I’m pretty sure that the one I use is correct. Most of the Greek Goddess names have the emphasis on the second syllable, so I know I have that part right. When spelled as Thaleia (or Θαλεια in Greek), it would have been pronounced tha-LAY-uh in Ancient Greek, although the “ei” is pronounced as EYE in Modern Greek, giving tha-LIE-uh. Disagree? Let me know!

Thalia (pronounced tha-LIE-uh) is the Greek Muse of comedy and rustic poetry. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. She is usually depicted holding up the comic actor’s mask and wearing a wreath of ivy on her head. Sometimes she holds a shepherd’s staff, and other times a drum or tambourine—her sons with Apollo, the Korybantes, performed a dance to the beat of drums as part of the Mysteries of Samothrace. Thalia’s name, which means “flourishing,” is also seen as Thaleia.

Urania (pronounced yu-RAIN-ee-uh) is the Greek Muse of astronomy and astrology. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. She is usually depicted holding a sphere in her left hand and a stylus in the right. Urania is also honored by philosophers, lifting their souls to heaven by inspiring great thoughts. She is said to have had two sons by Apollo—Linos, who personified songs of lament, and Hymenaios, who personified wedding songs. Urania’s name, which means “heavenly,” is also seen as Ourania.

Melpomene (pronounced mel-POM-en-ee) is the Greek Muse of dramatic tragedy. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. She is usually depicted holding the tragic actor’s mask, sometimes with a knife or club in her other hand, and wearing a crown of cypress. Melpomene was originally the Muse of singing, as evidenced by the meaning of her name, “one who is melodious.” She is sometimes listed as the mother of the Sirens, although most sources give her sister Muse Terpsichore as their mother.

Terpsichore (pronounced turp-SIK-uh-ree) is the Greek Muse of dancing and choral song. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. She is usually depicted sitting and holding a lyre. With Achelous, a river God, she is the mother of the Sirens. Terpsichore’s name, which means “delighting in dance,” is also seen as Terpsikhore, and the epithet Honey-tongued was used to describe her.

Polyhymnia (pronounced pol-ee-HIM-nee-ah) is the Greek Muse of hymns, eloquence, and mime. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. She is usually depicted as quite serious, resting an elbow on a pillar, and sometimes with a finger to her mouth. She wraps her gown around herself in a very modest fashion. Her name, which means “many hymns,” is also seen as Polymnia or Polumnia, and the epithet Famed was used to describe her.

Erato (pronounced AIR-uh-toe) is the Greek Muse of lyric poetry, including love poems and erotic poetry, and mimicry. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. According to one source, she has a son named Azan by Arcas, the King of Arcadia, while another source states that she is married to Malos, the lord of Malea, and with him has a daughter named Kleophema. Erato is usually depicted holding a lyre, and sometimes with a wreath of roses. Her name means “beloved,” and her epithets include Clear-Voiced and Who Charms the Sight.

Clio (pronounced CLY-oh) is the Greek Muse of history. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. Clio is said to have brought the Phoenician alphabet to Greece. By Pierus, the King of Macedonia, she is the mother of Hyacinth, a young man who was accidentally killed by Apollo who then turned his blood into a flower. Clio is usually depicted with a scroll in her hands, or sitting next to a pile of books. Her name means “she who makes famous” and is also seen as Kleio. Epithets for her include Daughter of the Lord of Cloud-capped Heaven, Giver of Sweetness, High-throned, Queen of Song, Flowering, and Unforgetting.

Euterpe (pronounced yoo-TER-pee) is the Greek Muse of music and song. The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and they accompany Apollo in his role as God of the arts. Euterpe is said to have invented the double flute. By the river God Strymon, she is the mother of Rhesus, King of Thrace, who fights on the side of Troy in the Trojan War, and is killed in a night raid by Diomedes. Euterpe’s name means “giver of much delight.”

Hebe (pronounced HEE-bee) is the Greek Goddess of youth. She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and served as cupbearer of the Gods until she was replaced by the Trojan youth Ganymede. After that, Ganymede held the cups while Hebe poured the nectar of immortality into them. During the Trojan war, Ganymede was too distressed to perform his job, so Hebe took the role back until the end of the war. She gave up the job permanently when she married Heracles. When Heracles had finished the twelve labors set on him, he was rewarded with immortality and godhood, and his marriage to Hebe, eternal youth, gave him that immortality. Epithets for Hebe include Hebe Junonia (daughter of Juno [Hera]), Hebe Basileia (princess), and Hebe Kallistragalos (of fair ankles), and she was also known as Ganymeda (gladdening princess) or Dia (divine).