Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia (pɒliˈhɪmniə; Πολυύμνια), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), was, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime. Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly", meaning "many", and "hymnos", which means "praise". Polymnia is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. Polyhymnia is also sometimes credited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation. In Bibliotheca historica, Diodorus Siculus wrote, "Polyhymnia, because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame...". As one of the Muses, Polyhymnia was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. She was also described as the mother of Triptolemus by Cheimarrhoos, son of Ares, and of the musician Orpheus by Apollo. On Mount Parnassus, there was a spring that was sacred to Polyhymnia and the other Muses. It was said to flow between two big rocks above Delphi, then down into a large square basin. The water was used by the Pythia, who were priests and priestesses, for oracular purposes including divination. In astronomy, there are ten asteroids named after the Muses, and moons named after another two. The one named after Polyhymnia is a main belt asteroid discovered by Jean Chacornac, a French astronomer, in 1854. Polyhymnia appears in Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56, and is referenced in modern works of fiction. File:22.Brunnenwand mit Polyhymnia(1857)-Friedrich Ochs-Sanssouci-Mittlerer Lustgarten Steffen Heilfort.JPG|''Polyhymnia'', Friedrich Ochs, 1857 File:1739 - Milano - Via Morigi - Statua 700sca di Polinnia - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 18-May-2007.jpg|''Polyhymnia'', Milano File:Polyhymnia the Muse of Lyric Poetry by Giovanni Baglione.jpg|''Polyhymnia'', [[Giovanni Baglione]], 1620 File:Anonimo Ferrarese by Francesco del Cossa.