Momus: Greek God of Satire and Mockery

The Story of Momus

Momus was the god of satire, mockery and criticism. Hesiod names him as one of the children of Nyx, the goddess of night, born without a father. He was a sharp tongued critic who could find fault with anything, even the work of the gods.

In one of Aesop's fables, Zeus, Poseidon and Athena each made something and asked Momus to judge. He said the bull should have eyes on its horns so it could see where it charged, that man should have a window in his chest to show his thoughts, and that houses should have wheels to move away from bad neighbors. Another story says he could find nothing wrong with Aphrodite except that her sandals squeaked. In an old epic about the causes of the Trojan War, Momus even advised Zeus on how to lighten the burden of the crowded earth, a plan that led to the war itself.

His constant ridicule finally got him thrown off Olympus. Later writers, especially the satirist Lucian, loved to bring Momus back as a voice of mockery against the gods. His name became a word for a faultfinder, and he is remembered as the patron of critics everywhere.