In Greek mythology, nine Muses were said to inspire the arts and sciences.
The Muses were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Titan goddess of memory. Each represented a field of creative or intellectual activity: Calliope poetry, Clio history, Erato lyric poetry, Euterpe music, Melpomene tragedy, Polyhymnia sacred poetry, Terpsichore dance, Thalia comedy, and Urania astronomy.
Greek traditions did not always present the Muses identically. Earlier local traditions sometimes named different numbers or groups, but the nine-daughter arrangement became canonical in classical mythology. They were closely associated with Apollo, who was called Apollo Musagetes, or leader of the Muses.
The Muses are often confused with the three older Boeotian Muses mentioned in some early sources. The familiar group of nine became especially influential through Greek and Roman literature and later European ideas about artistic inspiration.