Calliope

In Greek mythology, Calliope ("beautiful-voiced") is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses".
== Mythology ==
Calliope had two famous sons, Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or King Oeagrus of Thrace. She taught Orpheus verses for singing. According to Hesiod, she was also the wisest of the Muses, as well as the most assertive. Calliope married Oeagrus in Pimpleia, a town near Mount Olympus. She is said to have defeated the daughters of Pierus, king of Thessaly, in a singing match, and then, to punish their hubris, turned them into magpies.
In some accounts, Calliope is the mother of the Corybantes by her father, Zeus.
She was sometimes believed to be Homer's muse for the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Roman epic poet Virgil invokes her in the Aeneid ("Aid, O Calliope, the martial song!") In some cases, she is said to be the mother of Sirens by the river-god Achelous. Another account adds that Calliope bore Rhesus to the river-god Strymon.
== Depictions ==
Calliope is usually shown with a writing tablet in her hand. At times, she is depicted carrying a roll of paper or a book, or wearing a gold crown. She is also depicted with her children.
== Honors ==
Calliope Beach in Antarctica is named after the muse, as is the calliope hummingbird of North and Central America, and the calliope steam organ. Calliope Saddle is part of the Thisbe Valley Track in the Catlins Forest, South Otago, NZ.
== Notes ==
* Her symbols include a writing tablet and a lyre.
== See also ==
* Muses in popular culture
Category:Children of Zeus
Category:Greek Muses
Category:Consorts of Apollo
Category:Greek goddesses
Category:Metamorphoses characters
Category:Divine consorts of Zeus
Category:Thraco-Macedonian mythology
Category:Music and singing goddesses
Category:Wisdom goddesses