Without exaggeration, we can say that very many people on the planet know the name Parnassus. What is the famous and significant that has glorified it for centuries, hiding under this name? In real life, this is a mountain range located in the west of Phocis. And what is Phocis and where is it located?
This is the administrative-territorial unit of Central Greece. It is located north of the Gulf of Corinth. The highest point is located at an altitude of 2457 meters above sea level and is called Delphic Parnassus. The mountain has two peaks: Tiforea and Ljakura (it is it is the highest) - and is therefore called two-peaks. At the foot of Parnassus lies the city of Delphi.
Parnassus lived here before Apollo.
But Parnassus is not famous for this. What is any mountain in Greece? This is the habitat of the gods and their entourage. So Parnassus has been famous for centuries, entered the world literature as the house of Apollo. Here, next to him, there live muses accompanying him always and everywhere, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), the companions of Kythared Apollo, the young goddesses who patronize science and art. This mountain is primarily known for the "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece." She, like Olympus, Helikon and Catheron, is sacred. There is an ancient Greek legend according to which the son of Poseidon was named Parnassus. And it was he who founded the ancient oracle of Pifo, later conquered by Apollo. It was in his honor that the mountain got its name.
The history of the sacred mountain
The Delphic oracle located on the southern slope added to her fame. This is the prophesy at the temple of Srebroluky, which, according to some legends, he built himself with his own hands, thereby marking his victory over the terrible Python, a monstrous dragon, who himself worked as a soothsayer until his death. Delphi and the mountain above them suffered, suffocating in its terrible embrace: according to legend, the city surrounded Pifon with seven rings, and Parnassus surrounded nine.
What is Delphi and Parnassus for the panellian united state? The city was a religious center, and Parnassus was generally considered the center of the earth. Here was the Castallian spring dedicated to Apollo and considered a symbol of his wisdom. That is, it is to this god that Parnassus belongs completely. What is the Castal spring in a metaphorical sense? Source of poetic inspiration. It is so inextricably linked with poetry, it symbolizes a magical gift and is so famous in this image that its name was given to the asteroid discovered in 1907.
Poetic Mecca
Parnassus in the figurative sense of the word is a symbol of the world of poetry. There was not a single poet who, upon reaching his popularity, would not be told that he "took his place in Parnassus." Thus, the meaning of the word “Parnassus” is inextricably linked with poetry, poetic inspiration, a place of pilgrimage for poets. According to the legends, it is here, on Parnassus, at the Kastalsky spring that a person gains poetic talent, and a poet who has already taken place becomes a genius.
Muses
Apollo is considered the patron of the arts, the leader of the already mentioned nine muses, five of which patronize poetry. So, the epic poetry is supervised by Kalliope, the lyrical sector is given to Euterpe. Erato, as you might guess, patronizes love lyrics. Tragedy and comedy, which in those days were written only in verse, are patronized by Melpomene and Thalia, respectively. Polygymnia, in addition to pantomime, also looked after the creation of hymns. Only Terpsichore, Clio, and Urania did other things — they patronized dancing, history, and astronomy, respectively.
