Terpsichore

For other uses, see Terpsichore (disambiguation).

In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/; Ancient Greek: Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean", which means "of or relating to dance".

Terpsichore
Goddess of Dance and Chorus
Member of the Muses
Greek statue of Terpsichore from Hadrian's villa, presently at the Prado Museum (Madrid)
Abode	Mount Olympus
Symbols	Lyre
Genealogy
Parents	Zeus and Mnemosyne
Siblings	Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Urania, Clio, Erato, Thalia, Calliope, Melpomene and several paternal half-siblings
Consort	Apollo, Achelous, Ares
Children	Linus, Biston, the Sirens

Terpsichore on an antique fresco from Pompeii

Appearance

Terpsichore is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre, accompanying the dancers' choirs with her music. Her name comes from the Greek words τέρπω ("delight") and χoρός ("dance").

Family

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus lay with the Titan Mnemosyne each night for nine nights in Piera, producing the nine Muses.^[1]

According to Apollonius of Rhodes, Terpsichore was the mother of the Sirens by the river god Achelous.^[2] The Etymologicum Magnum mentions her as the mother of the Thracian king Biston by Ares.^[3] According to the Byzantine scholar Eustathius, Terpsichore was the mother of the Thracian king Rhesus by the river god Strymon.^[4]

In culture

Terpsichore, Muse of Music and ballet, an oil-on-canvas painting by Jean-Marc Nattier (1739)

Historical

• The British 32-gun frigate HMS Terpsichore (1785) commanded by Captain Bowen participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797).

Literature

• When The Histories of Herodotus were divided by later editors into nine books, each book was named after a Muse. Terpsichore was the name of the fifth book.

Music and dance

• Terpsichore (1612) is the title of a large collection of dance tunes collected by Michael Praetorius, some originating with Pierre-Francisque Caroubel and some later adapted for wind ensemble by Bob Margolis.
• Terpsichore is also found in François Couperin's "Second Ordre" from the Pièces de clavecin.
• The third version (HWV 8c) of Handel's opera Il pastor fido (1712) includes a new prologue written in 1734 titled Terpsicore.
• The eighteenth century French dancer and courtesan Marie-Madeleine Guimard named the private theater in her private palace (1766) the Temple of Terpsichore.

See also

• Muses in popular culture