Luna marble (?), middle of 2nd cent. A.D.
Civita Castellana, Museo Nazionale dell'Agro Falisco, inv. 59646

The nine Muses presided over the arts and letters. The term "Museum" indicated the space dedicated to them in the schools of philosophy, such as Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. The most famous Museum was that of Alexandria, and the term came to be used for places where, in addition to the cult of the Muses, literature as well as naturalistic and scientific studies were promoted.