Calliope

Greek Muse

Also known as: Kalliope

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Also spelled:: Kalliope

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Calliope, in Greek mythology, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, foremost of the nine Muses; she was later called the patron of epic poetry. At the behest of Zeus, the king of the gods, she judged the dispute between the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone over Adonis. In most accounts she and King Oeagrus of Thrace were the parents of Orpheus, the lyre-playing hero. She was also loved by the god Apollo, by whom she had two sons, Hymen and Ialemus. Other versions present her as the mother of Rhesus, king of Thrace and a victim of the Trojan War; or as the mother of Linus the musician, inventor of melody and rhythm. Her image appears on the François Vase, made by the potter Ergotimos about 570 bce.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Naomi Blumberg.