Clio


In Greek mythology, Clio, also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing.

Mythology

Clio, sometimes referred to as "the Proclaimer", is often represented with an open parchment scroll, a book, or a set of tablets. The name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω.
Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. Along with her sister Muses, she is considered to dwell at either Mount Helicon or Mount Parnassos. Other common locations for the Muses are Pieria in Thessaly, near to Mount Olympus. She had one son, Hyacinth, with one of several kings, in various myths—with Pierus or with king Oebalus of Sparta, or with king Amyclas, progenitor of the people of Amyclae, dwellers about Sparta. Some sources say she is also the mother of Hymenaios. Other accounts credit her as the mother of Linus, a poet who was buried at Argos, although Linus has a number of differing parents depending upon the account, including several accounts in which he is the son of Clio's sisters Urania or Calliope.

Legacy

In her capacity as "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments," Clio is the namesake of various modern brands, including the Clio Awards for excellence in advertising. The Cambridge University History Society is informally referred to as Clio, similarly, the Cleo of Alpha Chi society at Trinity College, Connecticut is named after the muse. Likewise, the undergraduate student outreach group for the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania is known as the Clio Society. 'Clio' also represents history in some coined words in academic usage: cliometrics, cliodynamics.
Clio Bay in Antarctica is named after the muse.

Gallery