Mnemosyne
Also known as: Memory · Family: Titanides · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.1
Mnemosyne, also known as Memory, is named among the Titanides born to Sky and Earth. Hesiod likewise places her among the children born when Earth lay with Heaven, alongside Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Phoebe, and Tethys.
At Pieria, Zeus lay with Mnemosyne for nine nights, and after a year she bore nine daughters: Cleio, Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania, and Calliope. They are described as “a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow,” and are identified as the Muses.
Relationship record
Life events
- Mnemosyne bears nine daughters after union with Zeus.(Hesiod, Theogony 1-116 · 📍 Pieria)
- With: Zeus Cleio Euterpe Thaleia Melpomene Terpsichore Erato Polyhymnia Urania Calliope
- “Them in Pieria did Mnemosyne (Memory), who reigns over the hills of Eleuther, bear of union with the father, the son of Cronos, a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow. For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals. And when a year was passed and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, she bare nine daughters”
- Earth and Heaven produce the first generation of Titans.(Hesiod, Theogony 1-116)
Apollodorus, Library 1.1
- parent: Sky “And again he begat children by Earth, to wit, the Titans as they are named: Ocean, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius, Iapetus, and, youngest of all, Cronus; also daughters, the Titanides as they are called: Tethys, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Dione, Thia.”
- parent: Earth “And again he begat children by Earth, to wit, the Titans as they are named: Ocean, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius, Iapetus, and, youngest of all, Cronus; also daughters, the Titanides as they are called: Tethys, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Dione, Thia.”
Apollodorus, Library 1.3
- child: Calliope “by Memory ( Mnemosyne) he had the Muses, first Calliope, then Clio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Urania, Thalia, and Polymnia.”
- child: Clio “by Memory ( Mnemosyne) he had the Muses, first Calliope, then Clio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Urania, Thalia, and Polymnia.”
- child: Melpomene “by Memory ( Mnemosyne) he had the Muses, first Calliope, then Clio, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Terpsichore, Urania, Thalia, and Polymnia.”
Hesiod, Theogony 1-116
- child: Muses “when a year was passed and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, she bare nine daughters, all of one mind”
- with Zeus (sexual union) “For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals”
- parent: Heaven “But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne”
- child: Euterpe “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
- child: Thaleia “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
- child: Terpsichore “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
- child: Erato “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
- child: Polyhymnia “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
- child: Urania “These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope”
Hesiod, Theogony 869-975
- child: Muses “and of her the nine gold-crowned Muses were born”
- with Zeus (interaction) “And again, he loved Mnemosyne with the beautiful hair”
⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places → · 🌳 Family orrery →
Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.