Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Melete () was one of the three original

Boeotian muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses (, ) were the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that were related ora ...

before the Nine Olympian Muses were founded. Her sisters were

Aoede In Greek mythology, Aoede (, ''Aoidē'') was one of the three original Boeotian muses, which later grew to five before the Nine Olympian Muses were named. Her sisters were Melete and Mneme. She was the muse of voice and song. She lends her n ...

and

Mneme In Greek mythology, Mneme () was one of the three original Boeotian muses, along with her sisters Aoede and Melete before Arche and Thelxinoë were identified, increasing the number to five. Later, the Nine Olympian Muses were named. Mnem ...

. She was the muse of

thought In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, and de ...

and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

. Melete literally means "ponder" and "contemplation" in Greek. According to Pausanias in the later 2nd century AD, there were three original Muses:

Aoidē In Greek mythology, Aoede (, ''Aoidē'') was one of the three original Boeotian muses, which later grew to five before the Nine Olympian Muses were named. Her sisters were Melete and Mneme. She was the muse of voice and song. She lends her n ...

("song" or "voice"), Meletē ("practice"), and

Mnēmē In Greek mythology, Mneme () was one of the three original Boeotian muses, along with her sisters Aoede and Melete before Arche and Thelxinoë were identified, increasing the number to five. Later, the Nine Olympian Muses were named. Mneme ...

("memory"). Together, these three form the complete picture of the preconditions of poetic art in cult practice. In Delphi three Muses were worshipped as well, but with other names: Nētē, Mesē, and Hypatē, which are the names of the three chords of the ancient musical instrument, the lyre. Alternatively they were called

Cēphisso In Greek mythology, Cephisso, Cephiso, or Kephiso (;Ancient Greek: Κηφισώ) was one of the three Muses that were daughters of Apollo. Her sisters were Apollonis and Borysthenis. Eumelus fr. 35 as cited from Tzetzes on Hesiod Hesiod ( o ...

Apollonis Apollonis (; means "of Apollo") was one of the three younger Mousai Apollonides (Muses) in Greek mythology and daughters of Apollo, who were worshipped in Delphi where the Temple of Apollo and the Oracle were located. The three sisters, Cephi ...

, and

Borysthenis In Greek mythology, Borysthenis () may refer to two distinct individuals: * Borysthenes, one of the three Muses that were daughters of Apollo. Her sisters were Apollonis and Cephisso. Eumelus, fr. 35 as cited from Tzetzes on Hesiod, 23 * the ...

, whose names characterise them as daughters of Apollo. In later tradition, four Muses were recognized: Thelxinoē,

Aoedē In Greek mythology, Aoede (, ''Aoidē'') was one of the three original Boeotian muses, which later grew to five before the Nine Olympian Muses were named. Her sisters were Melete and Mneme. She was the muse of voice and song. She lends her ...

Archē In philosophy and science, a first principle is a basic proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. First principles in philosophy are from first cause attitudes and taught by Aristotelians, and nuan ...

, and Meletē, said to be daughters of Zeus and Plusia (or of Uranus).

References

Muses (mythology) Mythological Boeotians {{Greek-deity-stub

See also

References