Abstract

The article proves that the term mouseion used by Plato in Phaedrus 278b cannot mean “sanctuary/shrine of the Muses” here, but it probably refers to the cicadas chirping under the plane tree of which Socrates speaks earlier in the dialogue (259b-c). Such an interpretation is consistent with our knowledge of the early stage of development of the concept of mouseion, and also with its use elsewhere in Plato’s dialogue (267b). It should therefore be concluded that the cult of the Muses at the Ilissus, known from late testimonies, did not come from the classical era and appeared under the influence of reading Plato’s dialogue. Plato’s testimony should also not be raised as an important argument in disputes regarding the relationship of the nymphs and the Muses and the early identification of the Muses with water.