MOMUS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

​Momus was a minor god of the Greek pantheon, being the Greek god of mockery and criticism. 

​Momus Son of Nyx

​Hesiod would claim that Momus would be born without father, with Nyx, Greek goddess of the night, giving birth to the god without mating. Cicero, in De Natura Deorum, though would later write that Momus’ father was actually Erebus, Greek god of Darkness, and the common partner of Nyx. 

Nyx of course had many children,  but Momus was said to have a twin, in the form of the Oizys, Greek goddess of misery and woe. 

​Momus God of Harsh Criticism

Momus was described as the Greek god of mockery and satire, as well as harsh criticism and scorn. Each of these of course have negative connotations, but In Ancient Greece, it was thought that man could not effective develop, improve and grow with criticism. 

In the Greek pantheon, Momus had an opposite deity, in the form of Eupheme, a daughter of Hephaestus, who was the Greek goddess of Praise. 

​Momus and Aesop’s Fables

​The most famous tale of Momus appears in Aesop's Fables.  Zeus, Poseidon and Athena, were arguing about which of them had made something good. Zeus had made man, Poseidon had made a bull, and Athena had made a house. 

Momus of course found fault in all. Momus criticised Athena’s house for not having wheels, wheels that would have allowed it to move away from troublesome neighbours. Momus’ found fault with Poseidon’s bull, for it had no eyes on the tips of it horns, allowing it to target more effectively. Finally, Momus criticised Zeus for not having built a window in to the heart of man, to see what his true intentions were. 

This criticism of the gods, saw Zeus banish Momus from Mount Olympus. 

A second tale of Momus tells of how the only deity or individual that Momus failed to find fault in was the goddess Aphrodite; and so Momus instead found fault in her footwear, claiming that Aphrodite’s sandals squeaked. 

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Colin Quartermain - Momus - 5th April 2026