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Melpomene was the muse of tragedy. She was the daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. She was represented as veiled, and holding in her hand a tragic mask. her instrument was the lyre. She mated with Achelous and gave birth to the Sirens.
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The Sirens (Acheloides) were daughters of the river-god Achelous and the Muse Melpomene. They had been nymphs and playmates of Persephone, but for not protecting her when she was carried off by Pluto, they were transformed into beings half-woman and half-bird by Demeter. Later they were transformed into half-woman and half-fish. By other accounts they were birds with women's heads and lions' claws. The Sirens lived on a barren island, one of the entrances to the underworld, and whenever ships passed they sang, hoping to entice Persephone. Their singing was so beautiful that no human could resist it, and the ships sailed ever closer to the lips of hell. Each time the Sirens realized that Persephone was not on board, they swooped on the ship and tore its sailor's limb from limb sending their souls unburied to the underworld.
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The La Melpomene was a French torpedo boat of 610 tons displacement launched in 1935. The La Melpomene had a top speed of 35 knots and a range of 2880 km at 18 knots and carried a complement of 92. She was armed with two 3.9 inch guns; two 37 mm anti-aircraft guns; two twin machine-guns and two 21.7 inch torpedo tubes.
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HMS Melpomene was a British unarmed coastal minelayer of 535 tons displacement launched in 1915. HMS Melpomene had a top speed of 10 knots and carried a complement of 52 and 52 mines.
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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