Helicon

:For the fictional planet, see Helicon (planet). For the lunar crater, see Helicon (crater)

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Helicon is the name of a mountain in the region of Thespiai in Boeotia, Greece (Kerenyi 1951 p 172), made famous in Greek mythology because two springs sacred to the Muses were located here: the Aganippe and the Hippocrene. In the late 7th century BCE, the poet Hesiod sang how in his youth he had pastured his sheep on the slopes of Helicon (Theogony, 23), where Eros and the Muses already had sanctuaries and a dancing-ground near the summit. where "their pounding feet awaken desire" (Hesiod, 8). There the Muses inspired him and he began to sing of the origins of the gods, Thus Helicon became an emblem of poetical inspiration. Hesiod mentions other springs that were the haunt of the Muses: "They bathe their lithe bodies in the water of Permessos or of Hippocrene or of god-haunted Olmeios". On Helicon too was the spring where Narcissus was inspired by his own beauty.

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Helicon (planet): In Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series, Helicon is the name of the home planet of Hari Seldon, discoverer and developer of psychohistory. Helicon was small in population and not particularly rich in resources, and tended to be bullied by its more powerful neighbours. It was noted for martial arts (ca...

Helicon (crater): Helicon is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the north part of the Mare Imbrium. To the northwest is the prominent Sinus Iridum formation, a mountain-ringed bay on the mare. Just to the east is the slightly smaller Le Verrier crater. Helicon is a nearly circular crater formation with in...

Boeotia: Boeotia (Greek Βοιωτια; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was the central area of ancient Greece. It is also a prefecture of modern Greece, see Boeotia Prefecture....