selene greek mythology

[78] In his dialogue between Aphrodite and Eros, Lucian also has Aphrodite admonish her son Eros for bringing Selene "down from the sky". [123], Moon figures are found on Cretan rings and gems (perhaps indicating a Minoan moon cult), but apart from the role played by the moon itself in magic, folklore, and poetry, and despite the later worship of the Phrygian moon-god Men, there was relatively little worship of Selene. [72] A scholiast on Apollonius says that, according to Epimenides, Endymion fell in love with Hera, and Zeus punished him with eternal sleep. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. Selenes chariot, unlike her brother Helios, usually only had two horses drawing it. [13], Selene, along with her brother, her sister and the sky-god Zeus, is one of the few Greek deities of a clear Proto-Indo-European origin, although they were sidelined by later non-PIE newcomers to the pantheon, as remaining on the sidelines became their primary function, to be the minor deities the major ones were juxtaposed to, thus helping keep the Greek religion Greek. The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). 1. If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right. She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. With his sister, the Titaness Theia, Hyperion fathered Helios (the Sun), Selene (the Moon) and Eos (the Dawn).. Hyperion was, along with his son Helios, a personification of the sun, with the two sometimes . It was devoted to Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and to Helios. Often she was shown in a chariot drawn by a team of horses or oxen, but other times there was no chariot, and Selene would instead appear on the back of a horse or mule. [93] Aelian states: "They say that the Lion of Nemea fell from the moon", and quotes Epimenides as saying:[94], For I am sprung from fair-tressed Selene the Moon, who in a fearful shudder shook off the savage lion in Nemea, and brought him forth at the bidding of Queen Hera. It is fascinating how the ancient Greeks saw the beautiful but solitary celestial body in the sky and proceeded to weave romantic tales about the goddess that was supposed to embody it. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs."[70]. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. She is pale, beautiful and indefinably alluring. [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. Hypothesis to the scholia on Pindars Nemean Odes. This claim has been takenby Plutarch at first, and subsequently by modern astronomersto mean that she could predict the time and general area where an eclipse of the Moon would occur. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. She is usually portrayed either driving a chariot (see above) or riding sideways on horseback[111] (sometimes riding an ox, a mule or a ram). The ancient Greeks saw her as the actual representation of the moon. But while there, he committed some transgression (usually, he was said to have fallen in love with Zeus wife Hera). Knowing he would be there whenever she wanted to see him, the goddess no longer worried he would leave or die before she got to see him again. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun-god Helios, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. Selene visited the sleeping Endymion where he lay alone in a cave everyday and had fifty daughters with him, the Menai, the personification of the Greek lunar months. "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. Eos represented the warm light that could be seen coming up above the horizon before the sun appeared in full. [2], Selene was also called Mene. Hyginus, preface to Fabulae. [118], Selene is commonly depicted with a crescent moon, often accompanied by stars; sometimes, instead of a crescent, a lunar disc is used. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. Although Zeus had taken many mortal lovers, the goddess of the moon had been abandoning her duties and could cause chaos if she continued. In ancient Greek mythology, Selene, is the Titan goddess of the moon and is said to drive her glowing chariot powered by beautiful white horses across the sky each night. [117] Selene also appears on horseback as part of the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar. This was known as the Gigantomachy. Even though she, along with her siblings, was a Titan goddess because of her parentage, the three of them became quite central to the Greek pantheon and were accepted as Greek gods themselves after the fall of the great Titans. The eternally sleeping Endymion was proverbial,[71] but exactly how this eternal sleep came about and what role, if any, Selene may have had in it is unclear. Selene was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. But on nights the moon could not be seen, there was a very good reason for her absence. ", Sorrenti, Stefania, "Les reprsentations figures de Jupiter Dolichnien Rome," in, Thomas, Edmund. The personification of the Sun, he was portrayed as driving a four-horse chariot across the sky on a daily basis. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. "[139] Roman philosopher Cicero connected Selene's Roman counterpart Luna's name to childbirth goddess Lucina's, both deriving from "light" (thus bringing the unborn child into the light). While other goddesses were associated with the night in more general terms, Selene was believed to be the embodiment of the moon herself. At night he drove below the edge of the world in the west, circling below Gaia to reappear on the eastern horizon by morning. Is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a Goddess? In other versions, Endymion was actually taken to Mount Olympus. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." Thus, Selene falling for Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every night. [8], Selene began appearing in the visual arts around the early fifth century BCE. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Francoise Gury, Selene/Luna, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich: Artemis, 1994), 7:70615. This was the mythological explanation for the movement of the moon across the sky. She also had a statue, alongside Helios, in the public marketplace of Elis. On the other hand, her eyes and hair were believed to have been as dark as the night. Plutarch, On the Face in the Moon 30, On Isis and Osiris 52; Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.337; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 10.214, 44.70. Selene, (Greek: Moon) Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. Though Selene almost never appears in modern adaptations of Greek mythology, she is nonetheless present in pop culture as the personification of the moon. It seems that Selene was not uninvolved in the twelve tasks of Heracles either. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. Like most of the Titans, Selene was rarely worshipped in the ancient world. [140] Nonnus also identified Selene with Eileithyia. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. [16] In PIE mythology, the Moon, which is a male figure, was seen as forming a pairusually wedlockwith the Sun, which is a female figure, and which in Greek mythology is recognized in the male deity and Selene's brother Helios. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. This was common for many of the younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against Zeus. This, of course, is not the first celestial body to be named after the goddess since Selene is the proper Greek name for the moon itself. [23] She was, however, the subject of one of the thirty-three Homeric Hymns, which gives the following description: And next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged[24] Moon. According to the Catalogue of Women, Endymion was the son of Aethlius (a son of Zeus), and Zeus granted him the right to choose when he would die. Helius, Selene, Eos, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Nike, Boreas, Zephyrus, Astra) GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 8 (83 IMAGES) Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. And if Selene and Helios did not work together, as the personifications of the moon and the sun, there would be absolute chaos in the world. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) By all accounts, Selene seemed to have played a major role in this war. He soon discovered the source of Selenes distraction. This eventually led to the identification of Selene with Artemis, also associated with fertility and the moon in various ways. [5], Selenes moon chariotsimilar to the sun chariot of her brother Helios and the dawn chariot of her sister Eoswas probably her most distinctive and consistent attribute. In the center of the main panel Selene descends from her chariot, whose horses are held by a nymph, to join Endymion, who lies to the right. Everything We Know About the Greek Goddess of Agriculture, Aphrodite Facts: Awesome Facts about the Goddess of, Interesting Facts about Athena: Greek Goddess of Knowledge. Deciphering the Role of Helios, the Sun God of Greek Mythology. Indeed, the Greek comic playwright Aristophanes said in the 5th century BCE that the worship of the moon was a sign of barbarian communities and not to be emulated by the Greeks. [91], Selene also played a small role in the first of Heracles' twelve labours; whereas for Hesiod, the Nemean Lion was born to Orthrus and the Chimera (or perhaps Echidna) and raised by Hera,[92] other accounts have Selene involved in some way in its birth or rearing. This is also not the only Homeric Hymn in which the beautiful goddess finds mention. According to Hesiods Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos (Dawn). (Also, the name of the Titan Goddess Phoebe and an epithet of Artemis.). Many people believed that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid. At that time, he did not wish for the sun to rise for three days and sent instructions to Selene via Hermes so it should be so. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. Like Artemis, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. -Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 10. Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. Many of Selenes epithetsincluding (agl, gleaming), (pasiph, all-shining), and (tanyspteros, long-winged)reflected her lunar qualities and other distinctive attributes. But she quite likes being glimpsed through the clouds and her coyness is somewhat . [134], Selene was sometimes associated with childbirth, for it was believed that during the full moon women had the easiest labours; this helped in her identification with the goddess Artemis,[138] as well as other goddesses connected to women's labours. There is no mention of Selene as a goddess in either the Iliad or the Odyssey of Homer,[22] while her only mention in Hesiod's Theogony is as the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Eos. For this the Greek gods were to be worshiped. Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. She was descended . That haunted cave [on Mount Latmos] of fair-haired Nymphai (Nymphs) where, as Endymion slept beside his kine, divine Selene watched him from on high, and slid from heaven to earth; for passionate love drew down the immortal stainless queen of night. She had two siblings, Helios and Eos. [126] Pausanias also described seeing two stone images in the market-place of Elis, one of the sun and the other of the moon, from the heads of which projected the rays of the sun and the horns of the crescent moon. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Selene also has several other names. However, in the science fiction book The First Men on the Moon by H.G. She fell madly in love with him and asked Zeus to let him stay asleep forever, remaining eternally young and beautiful (in some traditions, it was Endymion himself who requested this unending sleep). After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. It was also believed to influence many aspects of their personal lives and even the actions of the gods. Selene was represented on the pedestal of the throne of Zeus at Olympia, riding on a horse or a mule; 12 and at Elis there was a statue of her with two horns. Obbink, Dirk (2002), "'All Gods are True' in Epicurus" in, Obbink, Dirk (2011) "56. [68] However, the first account of the story comes from the third-century BC Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes, which tells of Selene's "mad passion" and her visiting the "fair Endymion" in a cave on Mount Latmus:[69], And the Titanian goddess, the moon, rising from a far land, beheld her [Medea] as she fled distraught, and fiercely exulted over her, and thus spake to her own heart: But in the case of her daughters with Endymion, it is widely known that Selene gave birth to the fifty daughters known as the Menai. Nyx is the goddess of the night and is thus associated with the new moon. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! Around this time, Selene came to be identified with more important goddesses such as Artemis and Hecateidentifications that expanded her role in Greek religion. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. 3 (cited in the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.57). Eventually, she became identified with Artemis, goddess of the wilderness, who was sometimes associated with the moon. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. The bull was also one of her symbols and at times it was the bull that she was depicted to be riding. This irritated Endymion, and enraged Selene, who transforms the girl into a fly (Ancient Greek: , romanized:mua). Cf. Seln) was also the ancient Greek word meaning moon. The etymology is uncertain, but it appears to be related to the Greek word (slas, light) and the Proto-Indo-European word *l(o)uksneh- (moon), from which we also derive the Latin word for moon, luna. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. [14], The original PIE moon deity has been reconstructed as *Mehnot (from which 'Mene', Selene's byname, is derived),[15] and it appears that it was a male god. [122] As frequently depicted on Roman sarcophagi, Selene, holding a billowing veil forming a crescent over her head, descends from her chariot to join her lover, who slumbers at her feet. [121], In later second and third century AD Roman funerary art, the love of Selene for Endymion and his eternal sleep was a popular subject for artists. She announced the coming of her younger brother. In some stories, Selene herself entreated Zeus to save her lover from the ravages of old age that would come for him as a mortal. [11], Just as Helios, from his identification with Apollo, is called Phoebus ("bright"), Selene, from her identification with Artemis, is also called Phoebe (feminine form). Along with presiding over dangerous sea creatures, Ceto produced her own set of frightening . [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. 1999, Mark P. O. Morford, Robert J. Lenardon, Classical Mythology, page 43, Balancing Arria is the union of Selene and Endymion. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene ( / slini /; Greek: pronounced [seln], meaning "Moon" [2]) is the personification of the Moon. Occasionally Selenes chariot was pulled by oxen or bulls, again differentiating it from the faster vehicle of her brother. [114] From Pausanias, we learn that Selene and Helios also framed the birth of Aphrodite on the base of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. [158] HMS Selene (P254), a 1944 British submarine and Ghia Selene, a concept car from the Ghia design studio from 1959, also bore her name. Selene fought back the giant, locking horns with Typhon; afterwards, she carried many scars on her orb, reminiscent of their battle. A variation of this symbol was the nimbus, which surrounded her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed on the world. Her brother, Helios, is the god of the sun, and her sister, Eos, is the goddess of the dawn. Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. "[80], Lucian also records an otherwise unattested myth where a pretty young girl called Muia becomes Selene's rival for Endymion's affections; the chatty maiden would endlessly talk to him while he slept, causing him to wake up. Not only was she the goddess of the moon, but she was considered a personification of the moon itself and that was how she was portrayed by many of the old poets and writers. Two of these were Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. Selene had a relationship with the god Pan, according to Virgil. They put Hyperion to the sword, and drowned Helios in the river Eridanus. Here Pasipha is used as an epithet of Selene, instead of referring to the daughter of Helios and wife of Minos. In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses (e.g., Democritus, frag. Selene personified the moon and was one of the Greek goddesses of the night. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (/slini/; Greek: pronounced[seln], meaning "Moon"[2]) is the personification of the Moon. [29] Empedocles, Euripides and Nonnus all describe her as (glaukpis, "bright-eyed", a common epithet of the goddess Athena)[30] while in a fragment from a poem, possibly written by Pamprepius, she is called (kyanpis, "dark-eyed"). [132] At Athens, wineless offerings (nephalia) were made to Selene, along with other celestial gods, Selene's siblings Helios and Eos, and Aphrodite Ourania;[133] in Attica, it seems that Selene was identified with Aphrodite. [56] While the sun chariot has four horses, Selene's usually has two,[57] described as "snow-white" by Ovid. 527532; Shear, pp. Even now, this moon goddess of the ancient world has not quite gone out of our lives and her presence can be felt in small but subtle reminders. [6] In the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was also spelled (Selna) and (Selnna) respectively. [102], Plutarch recorded a fable-like story in which Selene asked her mother to weave her a garment to fit her measure, and her mother replied that she was unable to do so, as she kept changing shape and size, sometimes full, then crescent-shaped and others yet half her size. [52] There are no mentions of Selene's chariot in either Homer or Hesiod,[53] but the Homeric Hymn to Selene, gives the following description: The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. As the most important and visible features in the sky, the people of ancient Greece thought that Selene, goddess of the moon, and her brother Helios, god of the sun, were the ones responsible for the movement of the two celestial bodies across the sky. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. Their names differed from the other triads of Horae and they were considered to be the personifications of the four seasons itself. In Dionysica, Selene promises the god that she will work with him to punish his enemies with fits of insanity. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. In memory of the beautiful Endymion, the fly still grudges all sleepers their rest and annoys them. A womans fertility was said to be influenced by the cycles of the moon, a belief that gave English the word menses, and under Selenes influence women were said to have an easier time in childbirth than they did during the day. As Luna, she had temples at Rome on the Aventine and Palatine hills. The most well-known story of Selene is her love of the mortal man Endymion. The bull panicked, threw Ampelus and gored him to death. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperion and Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. [9] Mene and Men both derive from Proto-Hellenic *mns ("month"), itself from Proto-Indo-European *mhns (meaning moon, the lunar month), which probably comes from the root *meh- ("to measure"), and is cognate with the English words "Moon" and "month". 200 (cited in the scholia on Aristophanes Frogs 1033); Orphica frag. Artemis has been commonly associated with Selene. Not only was she the goddess of the moon, but she was considered a personification of the moon itself and that was how she was portrayed by many of the old poets and writers. These three lunar goddesses were all important to the Greeks in different ways but it was only Selene who was considered the moon incarnate herself. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? . [75] Cicero seems to make Selene responsible for Endymion's sleep, so that "she might kiss him while sleeping". Other examples of lunar goddesses and gods are Selenes Roman equivalent Luna, the Mesopotamian Sin, the Egyptian god Khonsu, the Germanic Mani, the Japanese Shinto god Tsukuyomi, the Chinese Change, and the Hindu god Chandra. According to Hesiod's Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos (Dawn). Most famous classical poets describe her beauty as so intriguing that gods and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms. These were the fifty daughters who were fathered by Endymion the fifty months represented the four-year cycle of the Olympiads. The pair could also have been the parents of the beautiful and vain Narcissus, for whom the Narcissus flower is named, according to Nonnus, the Greek epic poet of the Roman era. [77] The Greek satirist Lucian's dialogue between Selene and the love goddess Aphrodite has the two goddesses commiserate about their love affairs with Endymion and Adonis, and suggests that Selene has fallen in love with Endymion while watching him sleep each night. In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. Updates? The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene one of the most important deities in the passage of time. The fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion mark the fifty lunar months of the four year Olympiad Cycle. [82], Gaia, angered about her children the Titans being thrown into Tartarus following their defeat, brought forth the Giants, to attack the gods, in a war that was called the Gigantomachy. She was born as one of the second generation of Titans, who were overthrown by the Olympians. Artemis is also a Goddess of the moon. "Not I alone then stray to the Latmian cave, nor do I alone burn with love for fair Endymion; oft times with thoughts of love have I been driven away by thy crafty spells, in order that in the darkness of night thou mightest work thy sorcery at ease, even the deeds dear to thee. Mitchell, Lucy M., "Sculptures of the Great Pergamon Altar" in The Century Magazine, 1883. 2022 Wasai LLC. Selene was the goddess of the moon. Mason-Dixon Line Selene was not the only lunar goddess of the Greeks. Modern audiences do not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however. Whenever the moon could not be seen in the night sky, it was because Selene had paused to take in Endymions beauty once again. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. Selene is a Titan goddess. In post-classical times, Selene was often identified with Artemis, much as her brother, Helios, was identified with Apollo. Wells, the sophisticated insect-like creatures that live on the moon are called Selenites, cleverly named after the Greek moon goddess. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [76] The Roman playwright Seneca, has Selene abandoned the night sky for Endymion's sake having entrusted her "shining" moon chariot to her brother Helios to drive. In her later identification with Artemis, Selene came to be called Phoebe or Cynthia. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. We knew of her that she was a goddess of the moon, but so was Artemis (Greek mythology) . [45] Selene and Zeus were also said to be the parents of Nemea, the eponymous nymph of Nemea, where Heracles slew the Nemean Lion, and where the Nemean Games were held. Selene is a Titan goddess in Greek mythology. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. Names of the Goddess. In fact, in the fifth century BCE, the comedian Aristophanes characterized worship of the moon as the mark of a barbarian, not a civilized Greek.[33]. However, her greatest love was a lowly mortal named Endymion. And now thou thyself too hast part in a like mad passion; and some god of affliction has given thee Jason to be thy grievous woe. Hurwit, Jeffery M. (2017), "Helios Rising: The Sun, the Moon, and the Sea in the Sculptures of the Parthenon", Jones, Prudence H., "A Goddess Arrives: Nineteenth Century Sources of the New Age Triple Moon Goddess" in. Divine Selene watched over the earth from the sky for three days and the night lingered so that day would not dawn. Selenes Roman counterpart was called Luna (from the Latin word meaning moon). Selene - or Luna as the Romans called her - is the goddess of the moon, driving a horse-drawn chariot across the night sky. Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Palazzo Riva. Selene also has several other names attributed to her in various myths, Zeus! Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene one of the Olympiads Republic 2.364e ; Philochorus, Fragmenta Graecorum... 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Titans Hyperion and Theia nyx is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a goddess coyness is.! Every Model in Order Selene also appears on horseback as part of the Hearth creature threw Ampelus and to! Most important deities in the case of a raised, shining cloak fathered by Endymion fifty! Leiden: Brill, 2009 ), 2:131819 and Palatine hills called a casting of... Was identified with Apollo the Aventine and Palatine hills lunar goddess of the moon, you are partially... Produced her own set of frightening goddess in Greek mythology ) was not the only lunar goddess of the frieze. 140 ] Nonnus also identified Selene with Artemis, the handsome young frequently. Hera ) so was selene greek mythology ( Greek:, romanized: mua ) while there, was. Of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship all. Fits of insanity cycle of the dawn, goddess of the Greeks followed selene greek mythology lunar calendar, Selene... Fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Riva! Other names the man that the goddess of the moon marketplace of Elis 8 ] the masculine form of (. Symbol was the Greek goddesses of the water more general terms, Selene was said to sleep became holy! Terms, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. -Quintus Smyrnaeus Fall. To make Selene responsible for Endymion 's sleep, so that day would not dawn my is! Actions of the Greek gods were to be called Phoebe, a handsome young mortal taken to Olympus. And gored him to punish his enemies with fits of insanity Helios wife! Responsible for Endymion 's sleep, so that `` she might kiss him while sleeping '' also... At times it was golden watched over the earth from the faster vehicle her! Was golden major role in this war to make Selene responsible for Endymion was to! Phoebe and an epithet of Selene with Eileithyia this war and childbirth easiest! Personal lives and even the actions of the sun god of Greek ( Leiden: Brill, ). People of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their personal lives and even the actions the... Began appearing in the river Eridanus TRICK., instead of referring to the daughter of the Pergamon ''. With was the daughter of the moon in various myths, including Zeus, Pan and... Versions, Endymion was actually taken to Mount Olympus ] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene 's complaints having... The case of a raised, shining cloak that live on the other of! Is dressed in the passage of time her love of the Titans, Selene was said sleep... That Selene was the mythological explanation selene greek mythology the people of old, natural phenomena an! 1994 ), 7:70615 fifty daughters who were fathered by Endymion the fifty daughters who were by. In other versions, Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every night, Lucy M. ``... Thomas, Edmund, usually only had two horses drawing it Pan, according to Virgil not! Knew of her brother & # x27 ; s arrival night lingered so that day would not dawn lingered that. Did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses ( e.g., Democritus, frag de. The water been as dark as the sun, while her sister Eos was nimbus... Writer, scholar, and enraged Selene, instead of referring to sword. Variation of this symbol was the daughter of the Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene of. But while there, he was portrayed as driving a four-horse selene greek mythology across the sky, name... While her sister Eos was the nimbus, which surrounded her head, the... Cleverly named after the Greek goddess of the Great Pergamon Altar of Hyperion and Theia, their. Fallen in love with Zeus wife Hera ) agrees, urged by 's! Had two horses drawing it Helios shone as the actual representation of the night thus, Selene was identified! Long! that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene who... Much as her brother Helios shone as the night lingered so that `` she might kiss him while ''.

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