The song of the nightingale seemed to the ancients so plaintive that, wishing to account for its sadness, they invented the story of Philomela. King Tereus, having wearied of his wife Procne, tore out her tongue by the roots and then married her sister Philomela, pretending that his wife was dead. Procne informed her sister of the horrible truth by means of a web into which she wove her story. To revenge themselves upon the king, the sisters killed the boy Itylus (son of Tereus and Procne) and served him up as food to his father. To punish them for this wickedness the gods changed Procne into a swallow, and Philomela into a nightingale, which forever bemoans the murdered Itylus. The king, Tereus, they transformed into a hawk.
Poems:—
| The Power of Music | William Wordsworth |
| Eurydice and Orpheus | Robert Browning |
| Orpheus and Eurydice | Lewis Morris |
| Eurydice | James R. Lowell |
| Eurydice | Edward Dowden |
| Waking of Eurydice | Edmund Gosse |
XXVIII
The Muses were the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. Although they sometimes united in one grand song, they had separate duties and powers. Apollo as leader of the choir of Muses was called Musagetes.
Clio, the Muse of history, recorded the great deeds of heroes, and was usually represented with a laurel wreath, and a book and stylus.
Euterpe, the Muse of lyric poetry, was represented with a flute and garlands of flowers.
Thalia, the Muse of comedy, was also the patroness of pastoral poetry, and so was often represented with a shepherd's crook as well as a mask.
Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy, wore a crown of gold, and wielded a dagger and a scepter.
Terpsichore, the Muse of choral dance and song, was usually portrayed in the act of dancing.