Parnassus, Pieria and above all Helicon – the landscapes of the Muses – have been, like the goddesses themselves, topoi of European literature from antiquity until today. The study by Kleoniki Rizou explores the peculiar connection between the Muses and ‘their’ landscapes not only as an illustrative accessory, but also as a systematic conceptualisation of the Muses´ function.
For this purpose, a comprehensive inventory of the available sources was compiled, with a special focus on Mount Helicon. From this perspective, three key texts from three epochs come into focus anew: the proemium to Hesiod’s Theogony, Euripides’ Heracles and Corinna’s song about the contest between Helicon and Cithaeron. The detailed interpretations of these texts provide a better understanding of the specific function of the connection between the Muses and Mt. Helicon. This newly gained systematic understanding creates the starting point for the fresh interpretation of the seemigly well-known works.

Kleoniki Rizou completed her PhD thesis in the framework of the Graduate School ‘Human Development in Landscapes’ (GSC 208).

Rizou, Kleoniki: Holz vom Helikon. Die Musen und ihre Landschaft in Kult, Mythos und Literatur. Kalliope – Studien zur griechischen und lateinischen Poesie 19. Heidelberg: Winter Verlag, 2020. 756 pages.

Find the link to the publication here (Winter Verlag)