Melpomene

Melpomene is one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the goddess of tragedy and tragic poetry in theater. According to myth, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, making her part of the divine group revered as the Muses who inspire the arts. Melpomene is traditionally considered the patron of tragedy, the chorus, and the craft of acting in ancient Greek drama, and she was invoked by tragedians and poets seeking inspiration or protection.

In classical art, Melpomene is commonly depicted with features associated with tragedy—a tragic mask and, in many representations, the tall boots worn by actors of Greek tragedy. She is sometimes shown with a dagger or sword, symbols of fate and danger, and is occasionally crowned or veiled. Through these motifs she personifies the somber, serious, and moral dimensions of dramatic performance.

In later periods, Melpomene remained a symbolic figure in literature and the arts, representing the tragic impulse or the craft of tragedy as a formal discipline. The name is used in modern contexts for theatres, literary works, and artistic organizations as a signifier of tragic drama and its enduring cultural influence.