Muses as ‘Fellow Citizens’?

Abstract

Abstract In line 1 of the so-called Seal (118 AB), Posidippus invokes Μοῦσαι πολιήτιδες (‘Muses fellow citizens’). This fact has puzzled scholars for years, as the Muses are nowhere else referred to as such. Referring to an epigram of Queen Eurydice, a dedication in honour of the Muses from the Pella area as well as evidence of cultural activity in the Macedonian capital, I demonstrate that the term πολιήτιδες used in the poem is related to the poet’s hometown. I also illustrate that naming the Muses ‘fellow citizens’ and placing their statues in the agora, theatre or gymnasion reflected the central position of mousikē , education and literature, in Greek culture. In addition, I draw a parallel with the phenomenon of honouring poets with statues at central points in the city, often surrounded by the Muses.