Erato’s Role in Greek MythologyĪpollo and the Muses. Not much is known about Kleophema, except that she married Phlegyas, the son of the god of war, Ares. Erato’s OffspringĪccording to the ancient sources, Erato had a daughter called Kleopheme or Kleophema by Malos, King of Malea, who was said to be her husband. They spent most of their time together, singing, dancing and making merry. She’s also often shown holding a lyre or a kithara, a musical instrument of Ancient Greece.Įrato is almost always depicted with her eight sisters and they were said to have been very close with each other. At times, she’s depicted holding a torch alongside the Greek god of love, Eros. In some representations, Erato is shown holding a golden arrow which is a symbol of ‘eros’ (love or desire), the feeling that she inspired in mortals.

It’s said that she was the most beautiful of of the nine Muses because of what she represented and her appearance alone inspired the creation and thoughts of love poetry. She’s often shown as a young and very beautiful maiden, like her sisters, being seated with a wreath of roses and myrtle on her head. Musa Erato by Simon Vouet (Public Domain)Įrato’s name means ‘lovely’ or ‘desired’ in Greek and this can be seen in how she’s usually depicted. Her sisters were Calliope (heroic poetry and eloquence), Urania (astronomy), Terpsichore (dance), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Euterpe (music), Clio (history), Thalia (comedy and festivity) and Melpomene (tragedy).Īlthough sources mention that the Muses were born the region of Piera, at the foot of Mount Olympus, they lived atop the mountain with the other Olympian gods and goddesses, including their father, Zeus. Erato’s domain was erotic poetry and mimic imitation and she was known to be quite the romantic. As a result, one of the nine Muses was conceived on each of these nights.Įrato and her sisters were as beautiful as their mother and each of them created the inspiration for an aspect of scientific and artist thought among the mortals. Who Was Erato?Īccording to the legend, Erato and her sisters came into being when Zeus, the king of the gods, and Mnemosyne, the Titan goddess of memory, laid together on nine consecutive nights. However, she often appeared with her sisters in the myths of other well-known characters. As a minor deity, she didn’t appear in any of her own myths. She also influenced songs about marriage. Erato was the Muse of erotic poetry and mimic imitation. Erato is regarded as one of the nine Greek Muses, the minor goddesses responsible for inspiring the Ancient Greeks to excel in the arts and sciences.

The Cut of the Clothes by Erato