In Greek mythology, Clio (Ancient Greek: Κλειώ, Kleiō) is the Muse of history, and in a few accounts the Muse of lyre-playing. As one of the nine Muses, daughters of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne, she is regarded as the proclaimer, glorifier, and celebrator of history, great deeds, and accomplishments. In art she is most often shown with an open scroll, a book, or a set of tablets, the emblems of the record-keeping she presides over.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Clio" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Clio is counted among the nine Muses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Titaness who personifies memory. Her eight sisters are Calliope, Euterpe, Erato, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania, each associated with a different art or branch of knowledge.
Several mortal children are attributed to Clio in different accounts. She is most often named as the mother of Hyacinth, fathered by one of various kings such as Pierus, Oebalus, or Amyclas. Other traditions also make her the mother of Hymenaeus, Rhesus, and Linus.
II.Role and attributes
As the Muse of history, Clio presides over the recording, celebration, and preservation of great deeds and accomplishments, serving as their proclaimer and glorifier. In a minority of accounts she is instead associated with lyre-playing.
In art and iconography she is commonly represented with an open parchment scroll, a book, or a set of writing tablets, the instruments of written record. She is also depicted with the heroic trumpet and the clepsydra, or water clock.
III.Mythology
The best-known myth involving Clio concerns her love for Pierus. According to the account, Aphrodite caused Clio to fall in love with the mortal Pierus as a punishment, because Clio had derided the goddess for her love affair with Adonis.
From this union, or from one of the kings named in related traditions, Clio became the mother of Hyacinth, who went on to become a notable figure in Greek mythology.