The word memory has its roots in Greek mythology. According to the ancients, Mnemosyne (NI-MOS-A-NEE), the goddess of memory, was said to have known everything in the past, present, and future. They regarded Mnemosyne as the basis of all life and creativity. In addition, according to the myth, if mortals drank from the River of Death, Lethe, they would lose all their memories. This implies that the ancient Greeks regarded memory as the source of inspiration, and equated losing one’s memories with death. So memory was held in very high regard.