Momus was the god of blame, mockery, satire, writers, poets, censure, and unfair criticism.
Myth[]
Mocking got Momus in serious trouble. He judged either Hephaestus or Prometheus for not making mankind with a door in their chest to see their thoughts, to prevent dishonesty. He judged Athena for constructing a house that could not be relocated to avoid bad neighbors, and he judged Poseidon for making a bull that was unable to gore effectively due to horn placement. He also criticised Aphrodite, stating that she talked too much and had creaky sandals. He even mocked Zeus for being violent and lusting towards so many women. With all this mocking he was banned from Mt. Olympus. He can also be found elsewhere in myth in the works of Lucian, and is implicated to have played a role in Zeus's decision to start the Trojan War, according to scholia on the Iliad.
Family[]
Appearance[]
Momus is usually depicted as a man lifting a mask from his face. All ancient sources describe him as male, though some say he is young, and others describe him as older. A few speculate that he was winged or sharp-toothed, though this is unlikely.