<P> Classical writers set Apollo as their leader, Apollon Mousagetēs ("Apollo Muse - leader"). In one myth, the Muses judged a contest between Apollo and Marsyas . They also gathered the pieces of the dead body of Orpheus, son of Calliope, and buried them in Leivithra . In a later myth, Thamyris challenged them to a singing contest . They won and punished Thamyris by blinding him and robbing him of his singing ability . </P> <P> According to a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses--alluding to the connection of the Muses with Pieria--Pierus, king of Macedon, had nine daughters he named after the nine Muses, believing that their skills were a great match to the Muses . He thus challenged the Muses to a match, resulting in his daughters, the Pierides, being turned into chattering magpies for their presumption . </P> <P> Pausanias records a tradition of two generations of Muses; the first are the daughters of Ouranos and Gaia, the second of Zeus and Mnemosyne . Another, rarer genealogy is that they are daughters of Harmonia (the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares), which contradicts the myth in which they were dancing at the wedding of Harmonia and Cadmus . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Muse </Th> <Th> Domain </Th> <Th> Emblem </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Calliope </Td> <Td> Epic poetry </Td> <Td> Writing tablet, Stylus, Lyre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Clio </Td> <Td> History </Td> <Td> Scrolls, Books, Cornet, Laurel wreath </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Euterpe </Td> <Td> Music, Song, and Lyric Poetry </Td> <Td> Aulos (an ancient Greek musical instrument like a flute), panpipes, laurel wreath </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Erato </Td> <Td> Love poetry </Td> <Td> Cithara (an ancient Greek musical instrument in the lyre family) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Melpomene </Td> <Td> Tragedy </Td> <Td> Tragic mask, Sword (or any kind of blade), Club, Kothornos (boots) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Polyhymnia </Td> <Td> Hymns </Td> <Td> Veil, Grapes (referring to her as an agricultural goddess) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Terpsichore </Td> <Td> Dance </Td> <Td> Lyre, Plectrum </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Thalia </Td> <Td> Comedy </Td> <Td> Comic mask, Shepherd's crook (the vaudeville act of pulling someone off the stage with a hook is a reference to Thalia's crook), Ivy wreath </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Urania </Td> <Td> Astronomy </Td> <Td> Globe and compass </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who are the muses and what role does each play