Momus, the son of Nyx, was the
god of raillery and ridicule, who delighted to criticise, with bitter sarcasm,
the actions of gods and men, and contrived to discover in all things some
defect or blemish. Thus when Prometheus created the first man, Momus considered
his work incomplete because there was no aperture in the breast through which
his inmost thoughts might be read. He {150} also found fault with a house built
by Athene because, being unprovided with the means of locomotion, it could never
be removed from an unhealthy locality. Aphrodite alone defied his criticism,
for, to his great chagrin, he could find no fault with her perfect form.[50]
[50] According to another
account, Momus discovered that Aphrodite made a noise when she walked.
In what manner the ancients
represented this god is unknown. In modern art he is depicted like a king's
jester, with a fool's cap and bells.
