Arche (mythology)

Archē (Ancient Greek: Ἀρχή) in ancient Greek religion was the muse of origins and beginnings.^[1] She was one of the 4 (alternatively) identified Boeotian muses recognized in Delphi,^[2] also known as the Mouse Titanides.^[1][3]

As time passed, nine muses dedicated to the arts, sciences, and literature were uniformly recognized around Greece, now known as the Olympian Muses. The nine muses were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and are more familiar in classical descriptions of the muses than the earlier four.

This was largely adapted into the ancient Roman religion as well. According to Cicero's De Natura Deorum ("On the Nature of the Gods"), "As to the Muses, there were at first four—Thelxiope, Aœde, Arche, and Melete—daughters of the second Jupiter." Cicero identifies the main nine muses as "daughters of the third Jupiter and Mnemosyne."^[4]

See also

• List of Greek mythological figures

References

1. "ELDER MUSES (Mousai) - Greek Titan-Goddesses of Music". www.theoi.com. NAMES OF THE ELDER MUSES. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
2. Tolentino, Cierra (2022-06-14). "The Nine Greek Muses: Goddesses of Inspiration | History Cooperative". Who are the Muses?. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
3. "The Elder Muses in Greek Mythology". Greek Legends and Myths. ANCIENT SOURCES AND THE MUSES. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
4. Cicero (1888) [45 BC]. On the Nature of the Gods . Translated by Yonge, Charles Duke. 3.53 – via Wikisource.