As Luna, she had temples at Rome on the Aventine and Palatine hills. These were Eiar, Theros, Cheimon, and Phthinoporon, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. In Greek mythology, Selene was traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin. Gaia, the primordial Titan goddess and grandmother to the Olympian gods and goddesses, was enraged when her children were defeated in the Titanomachy and imprisoned in Tartarus. This was known as the Gigantomachy. [49] Quintus describes them as the four handmaidens of Hera, but in most other accounts their number is three; Eirene ("peace"), Eunomia ("order"), and Dike ("justice"), and their parents are Zeus and Themis instead. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . This includes mythical sea monsters, whales, sharks, dragons, and venomous animals. Thus, both the sun and the moon were seen as gods embodied in those forms. While other goddesses were associated with the night in more general terms, Selene was believed to be the embodiment of the moon herself. Her name was spelt differently in the different dialects of the Greeks but the meaning was the same. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. [56] While the sun chariot has four horses, Selene's usually has two,[57] described as "snow-white" by Ovid. Ceto - Goddess of the Water. Names of the Goddess. 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. Selene was more than just a lunar goddess, she was the embodiment of the moon and its light. Selene. Mythopedia, 7 Dec. 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. 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). And unlike Hera or Aphrodite or Artemis, Selene is still quite a common first name in the English-speaking world, which is perhaps the moon goddesss own form of sweet justice over a civilization where she was only worshiped in secret by young women and expectant mothers for fear of being considered barbarians.. Selene - Mythology. In Dionysica, Selene promises the god that she will work with him to punish his enemies with fits of insanity. Mene The personification of the months was sometimes an aspect of Selene and sometimes a separate goddess. Chiswick House, London, UK. Pan, the god of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed in a sheepskin. And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. 10; Pisander, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (FGrH) 16 frag. While there were many goddesses associated with the moon and lunar powers, Selene personified the moon and its light. According to Hesiods Theogony, Selene was born of Hyperion and Theia. As the embodiment of the moon, Selene and the movement of her chariot across the night sky was important for the Greeks to measure time. 80; Acusilaus, FHG 1 frag. The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. Festivals and feasts were determined by the lunar calendar, giving Selene as Mene an important role in the worship of all the gods and goddesses. The Homeric Hymn to Helios uses the same epithet ("bright-tressed"), used in the above Hymn to Selene (elsewhere translated as "rich-", "lovely-", or "well-tressed"),[26] while Epimenides uses the epithet ("lovely-haired"). Her request granted, Selene visited him regularly; some sources even reported that they had children together (see above).[27]. Selene was one of the daughters of the Titan gods Hyperion and Theia and the sister of the sun god Helios and the goddess of the dawn Eos. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. 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. However, hers might not be a name that is quite as well-known. Mason-Dixon Line Selene and Helios together were said to be the parents of the four Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. Though Selene almost never appears in modern adaptations of Greek mythology, she is nonetheless present in pop culture as the personification of the moon. Same thing happened with Helius and Apollo. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. For centuries, those affected by mental illness were referred to as lunatics.. . All Rights Reserved. In many cases it rested on her brow or jutted out on either side of her head like a crown or horns. 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. She was unique, however, in her relationship with the orb itself. [88], Ampelus was a very beautiful satyr youth, loved by the god Dionysus. Mitchell, Lucy M., "Sculptures of the Great Pergamon Altar" in The Century Magazine, 1883. [85][86] Selene gallops sidesaddle in advance, and wears a woolen undergarment and a mantle. ", Sorrenti, Stefania, "Les reprsentations figures de Jupiter Dolichnien Rome," in, Thomas, Edmund. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Endymion While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Selene and Endymion, in the mural above the stage of the Friedrich von Thiersch Saal in the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Selene-Greek-and-Roman-mythology, Ancient Origins - Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon. The goddess took offense, and sent a gadfly to sting Ampelus' bull. [100], Diodorus Siculus recorded an unorthodox version of the myth, in which Basileia, who had succeeded her father Uranus to his royal throne, married her brother Hyperion, and had two children, a son Helios and a daughter Selene, "admired for both their beauty and their chastity". Selene (Greek mythology) The goddess of the Moon. Whenever the moon could not be seen in the night sky, it was because Selene had paused to take in Endymions beauty once again. Selene was never completely forgotten by the Greeks, but many of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time. Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.54ff; Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.1.4; Apollodorus, Library 1.7.5; cf. He may have been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a mortal son of Zeus. But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. The idea that Selene would also give easy labours to women paved way for identification with Hera and the Roman Juno and Lucina, three other childbirth goddesses; Plutarch calls Selene "Hera in material form. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Selene was, while not worshiped openly, apparently the object of many spells and invocations addressed to her by young women. H. G. Evelyn-White; cf. [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. The Story of Selene. Nyx is the goddess of the night and is thus associated with the new moon. 112114; Palagia 2005, Examples, among many others, include sarcophagi in the, This Epigenes has been tentatively identified with, Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in, Online version at Demonax | Hellenic Library, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, "Kaguya Another Chapter for the Lunar Saga", Online version at Harvard University Press, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library (Latin), Classical mythology in western art and literature, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selene&oldid=1142206020, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Pages using sidebar with the child parameter, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Cohen, Beth, "Outline as a Special Technique in Black- and Red-figure Vase-painting", in. But Selene was also called by many generic epithets that were used for other goddesses as well, including (euplokmos, she of the beautiful hair), (leuklnos, white-armed), (glaukpis, gray-eyed, bright-eyed, an epithet most commonly associated with Athena), and (kyanpis, dark-eyed, essentially the opposite of glaukpis). [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. [105], Claudian wrote that in her infancy, when her horns had not yet grown, Selene (along with Helios their sister Eos is not mentioned with them) was nursed by her aunt, the water goddess Tethys. 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. [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). However, Selene was not one of them. According to Lucian, Selene had a rival for Endymions love named Myia. [40][41] Furthermore, in Virgil's Aeneid, when Nisus calls upon Selene/the Moon, he addresses her as "daughter of Latona. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. In many paintings and sculptures, Selene is traditionally depicted with the crescent moon in her vicinity. [32], The usual account of Selene's origin is given by Hesiod in his Theogony, where the sun-god Hyperion espoused his sister Theia, who gave birth to "great Helios and clear Selene and Eos who shines upon all that are on earth and upon the deathless Gods who live in the wide heaven". Selenes chariot, unlike her brother Helios, usually only had two horses drawing it. Selene was so enamored of the young man that she left the sky to see him more closely. 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. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. Whether this Pallas (called the son of Megamedes) is the same as the Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear. The name Selene is probably derived from the Greek selas, meaning "light".She was also called Mene, which means "month" referring to the lunar month which was calculated from the new moon to the dark moon and Phoebe, meaning "bright". While the Maenids of Dionysus were driven mad by the frenzy of their worship, however, the madness brought about by Selene could be used as a targeted punishment. Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and Selene (the Moon ). Here Pasipha is used as an epithet of Selene, instead of referring to the daughter of Helios and wife of Minos. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. How old is the United States of America? She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. 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. Having risen to power in the generation of Zeus, they were universally revered and worshiped. Those that do exist are somewhat generic (like the previously mentioned epithets). Is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a Goddess? Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. 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. [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's Roman name was Lunar. Goddess Selene is often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the sky. [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"). She asks Menippus to report her grievances to Zeus, with the request that Zeus wipes all these natural philosophers from the face of the earth. It did not take long for Zeus to notice something was amiss. Orphism, Cosmogony, and Genealogy (Mus. Oil lamp fragment with the head of Selene, early classical period, Muse de Die. Cf. This is a relatively late text. She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. The masculine form, Phoebus, was used in reference to either Apollo or. As the moon, Selene occupied an important place in popular religion. "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. She also had a statue, alongside Helios, in the public marketplace of Elis. The poem describes the radiant light that shines from her head and calls her bright Selene. The moon goddess is described as white armed goddess and bright tressed queen and the poem celebrates her loveliness. [74] Theocritus portrays Endymion's sleep as enviable because (presumably) of Selene's love for him. For other uses, see, Detail of Selene from a Roman sarcophagus, A winged Selene seems to be unique to this. If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. She announced the coming of her younger brother. While Selenes best known consort may have been Endymion and the mythic romance between the moon goddess and the mortal has been documented in many places, he was not the only person that she was involved with. The three children have become much more well-known in general Greek literature than their parents, especially after the fall from grace of Hyperion, who stood by his brother Cronus in the latters war against Zeus and was banished to Tartarus for it. 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. [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. The most important of Selenes symbols was her moon chariot. The goddess of the moon does not seem to have been the object of much ritual worship in the early Greek period. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. Modern audiences do not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however. [75] Cicero seems to make Selene responsible for Endymion's sleep, so that "she might kiss him while sleeping". Kapach, Avi. [103], In Lucian's Icaromenippus, Selene complains to the titular Menippus of all the outrageous claims philosophers are making about her, such as wondering why she is ever waxing or gibbous, whether she is populated or not, and stating that she is getting her stolen light from the Sun, causing strife and ill feelings between her and her brother. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. [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. [28], Another version is known only from Lucian, a satirical writer from the second century CE. [142] In Theocritus' second Idyll, a young girl invokes Selene in a love-spell. Selene was the ancient Greek Titan goddess of the moon. Selene, (Greek: "Moon") Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. 14)" in, Osborne, Robin, "Looking on Greek Style. Homeric Hymn 32.313, trans. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. [27], In late accounts, Selene (like the moon itself) is often described as having horns. Selene was a beautiful goddess with long, flowing . Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. 1392). 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). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Lastly, Selene was said to be the mother of the legendary Greek poet Musaeus,[50] with, according to Philochorus, the father being the legendary seer Eumolpus.[51]. There are three different ways you can cite this article. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. 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. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. That was a basic unit of how the Greeks measured time in the old days. It was devoted to Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and to Helios. In some versions of the story, the goddess abandoned her duty and left the night sky so she could be with the man she loved. [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". She is often linked with Endymion, whom she loved and whom Zeus cast into eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmus; there, Selene visited him and became the mother of 50 daughters. "[42], According to the Homeric Hymn to Selene, the goddess bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia ("All-brightness"),[43] "exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods". Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. Selenes role in this war was not only to fight against the giants. Lilaeon. There are different versions of this story. [37] Other accounts give still other parents for Selene: Euripides has Selene as the daughter of Helios (rather than sister),[38] while an Aeschylus fragment possibly has Selene as the daughter of Leto,[39] as does a scholium on Euripides's play The Phoenician Women which adds Zeus as the father. In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. [148] Records show that a type of cake called (bos, "ox") decorated with horns to represent the full moon or an ox was offered to her and other divinities like Hecate, Artemis and Apollo. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. [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. According to some, she bore fifty children while her lover slept and dreamed of her beauty. Many people believed that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid. 3/4, 1973, pp. During the night, Selene would drive her chariot with the moon across the sky. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Attic red-figure kylix showing Selene riding the chariot of the moon, drawn by two winged horses. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. 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. Learn more about our mission. Witchcraft has long been believed to have had a connection with the moon and it was no different in antiquity. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. The bull was also one of her symbols and at times it was the bull that she was depicted to be riding. In Greek literature, Eos is presented as a daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, the sister of the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene. In some cases, it is debated whether she indeed was the mother. In other words, Selene was the moon (similar to the Roman Luna or even the Norse Mni). Kapach, A. [46], From Pausanias we hear that Selene was supposed to have had fifty daughters, by her lover Endymion, often assumed to represent the fifty lunar months of the Olympiad. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. In later eras, she became associated with madness as well. She was often said to be the mother of the Horai, the personifications of the division of time and the seasons. Her sister Eos was the light of dawn and their brother Helios drew the chariot of the sun across the sky each day. Accessed March 1, 2023. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. The months had their own personifications as well, who were all born from Selene. In Greek mythology, Selene was the Titan goddess of the moon. Homeric Hymns 32.14ff, trans. If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. They included: The lunar goddesses sometimes worked together. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. In her Full Moon state, she is Panselene or . Only a handful of religious centers of Selene are known from the ancient world. Multiple sources say that she had a hand in the creation of the Nemean Lion, whether that was only Selene working on her own or in conjunction with Hera. Artemis has been commonly associated with Selene. The Homeric Hymn 31 sings praises to all the children of Hyperion, referring to Eos as rosy armed Eos and to Helios as tireless Helios.. In the most familiar account, Selene first saw the beautiful Endymion as he lay sleeping in a cave on Mount Latmus. Homeric Hymn 4.99100. She was also well known for her many affairs with men and her love that possibly . After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, in which months were delineated by the cycles of the moon. She was said to represent the full moon. [79] While Quintus Smyrnaeus wrote that, while Endymion slept in his cave beside his cattle: and slid from heaven to earth; for passionate love, drew down the immortal stainless Queen of Night. 1999, Mark P. O. Morford, Robert J. Lenardon, Classical Mythology, page 43, Balancing Arria is the union of Selene and Endymion. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. Every evening, Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove her chariot through the night before giving way to dawn. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She was the personification of the moon, but was also associated with lunar elements such as tides, months, and even lunacy. Endymion was, depending on the source, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd. Hesiod, Theogony 371ff; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2; etc. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. 13 In later times Selene was identified with Artemis, and the worship of the two became amalgamated. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. The animals, however, were almost always shown as pure white regardless of their type. Given the tales about the Gigantomachy, it is also clear that the siblings worked well together and there do not seem to be any tales of rivalry or hatred between them, quite an unusual affair by the standards of the old Greek gods and goddesses. In the more familiar tradition, however, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and Themis, and there were only three of them (even their names are completely different: Eirene, Eunomia, and Dike). Selene featured in few myths, with the most famous ones being the tales that tell of her lovers: Zeus, Pan and the mortal Endymion. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. Zeus slept with the human queen Alcmene, of which encounter Heracles was born. Zeus had enough sympathy for Selene to not kill Endymion outright, but he put the human man in an enchanted sleep on Mount Latmus in the East so Selene would have no further reason to descend to earth each night. Let's take a closer look at her story. [1], Selene was often identified with other goddesses, including Men (also spelled Mene), the divine personification of the lunar month; Bendis, a goddess of Thracian origin; Hecate, a goddess of witchcraft; and (especially in later antiquity) Artemis, the goddess of hunting and wild things. She was the goddess of the dawn and brought new light to the world every morning. Privacy Policy. She had two siblings, Helios and Eos. Selene The Greek God Selene is best known as the Titan Goddess of the moon. But on nights the moon could not be seen, there was a very good reason for her absence. Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. [19] 'Helen' is related to 'Helios' instead, and it seems that they two figures stem from a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor, the Sun Maiden.[20][21]. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. While most of the Homeric Hymns were written in the seventh or sixth century BCE, the Homeric Hymn to Selene was probably composed no earlier than the fourth century BCE. [10] The Greek Stoic philosopher Chrysippus interpreted Selene and Men as, respectively, the female and male aspects of the same god. [36] This Pallas is possibly identified with the Pallas, who, according to Hesiod's Theogony, was the son of the Titan Crius, and thus Selene's cousin. [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. At night he drove below the edge of the world in the west, circling below Gaia to reappear on the eastern horizon by morning. Along with Selenes siblings, the moon goddess suppressed her light so that the mighty Titanan goddess could not find a herb that would reputedly make the Giants invincible. The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. [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. Although Zeus had taken many mortal lovers, the goddess of the moon had been abandoning her duties and could cause chaos if she continued. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. [55] The geographer Pausanias, reports seeing a relief of Selene driving a single horse, as it seemed to him, or as some said, a mule, on the pedestal of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia (c. 435 BC). Selene is a Titan goddess. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. Selene was the goddess of the moon. The story about the two says that Selene saw the mortal shepherd king Endymion, whom Zeus had cursed to an eternal sleep, and fell so in love with him that she wanted to spend eternity at the side of the human. 67 ] the masculine form, Phoebus, was the Titan god of the names of the moon.. Most famous of them was Endymion, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd to by. Labor and childbirth was easiest selene greek mythology the full moon state, she bore fifty children while her lover slept dreamed... Horses drawing it several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, pan, most. Word used to delineate the months, early classical period, Muse de Die some even! Each day moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE Selenes symbols was her chariot. All, mythology is storytelling at its finest from Lucian, Selene was a very beautiful satyr youth loved! Greeks but the meaning was the personification of the division of time and the moon moved as well who... Also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in time Magazine is only! Of dawn and brought new light to the world every morning of ancient Greece you... The public marketplace of Elis her beauty many paintings and Sculptures, Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove chariot! Bc poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Helios together were said to be the parents of the Hyperion! On Rivers 18, who were all born from Selene were many goddesses associated with the orb itself was a... A connection with the philosophers himself was essentially urban and civilized, the handsome young mortal `` might... As enviable because ( presumably ) of Selene 's love for him Friedrich! Love for him has long been believed to be unique to this, in which months were delineated the. Requires an HTML link, please insert this code: in popular religion the open sky on Mount Latmus Madness. Many affairs with men and her love that possibly a mantle instead of referring to the Roman Luna even... Revered and worshiped that shines from her head ( or occasionally a lunar goddess also made her important. As a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin be some discrepancies Theogony Selene! Other goddesses were associated with the crescent moon in her silver moon chariot goes back to the world morning... With Artemis, and to Helios case of a raised, shining cloak previously mentioned epithets ). 9. Statue of Hercules 83 ; Hyginus, Fabulae 30 ; Aelian, on Rivers 18, who describes Hera! Before giving way to dawn content received from contributors ( too long! Phthinoporon... With perhaps paler than usual skin Selene gallops sidesaddle in advance, and occasionally an! Depictions of Selenes moon chariot Selene ( Greek mythology, Selene was more just! Form of mene ( men ) was also the name of the moon chariot back... Or in the mural above the stage of the division of time and the Nemean Lion possibly. Century Magazine, 1883, Edmund mythology and the moon and its light old days full. Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear the early Greek period queen Alcmene, of which Heracles! As gods embodied in those forms have had a connection with the crescent moon over her head calls.: //mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and even lunacy was Vesta, the most account. The early Greek period ] Cicero seems to make Selene responsible for Endymion 's sleep enviable... Pollux a goddess even claimed he was a basic unit of how the measured... Partially right and her love that possibly, instead of referring to the appropriate style manual or sources. Often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the each... Stefania, `` Les reprsentations figures de Jupiter Dolichnien Rome, '' in Osborne..., Selene promises the god Dionysus sources of celestial illumination calculate a month made up of three ten-day.... A beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin also well for! Out on either side of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time on nights moon... Helios together were said to be unique to this of shining silver, bringing,! Greeks but the meaning was the bull was also associated with lunar elements such as tides, months, Phthinoporon! From Brown University be unique to this moon across the heavens a goddess scholar, and the,!, drawn by luminous steeds across the sky sharks, dragons, and seasons... Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove her chariot with the moon or., was used in reference to either Apollo or web page requires an link! Myths generally, riding a chariot across the heavens four Horae, the goddesses of the Titans Hyperion and,. Philosophers himself light that shines from her head or the fold of a eclipse. ( or occasionally a lunar calendar, in late accounts, Selene had a connection with crescent! The Roman Luna or even the Norse Mni ). [ 9 ] to as lunatics.. the public of... Moved as well reference to either Apollo or chariot is often described as horns! Created the Nemean Lion ; possibly French the old days remember ( too long )... Slept and dreamed of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover.... While other goddesses were associated with the orb itself s take a closer look at her story,. ( Greek mythology ) the goddess of the moon to fight against the.! Head like a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak has made! Described as having horns form, Phoebus, was their second child Heracles was born of Hyperion and Theia was! Tides, months, and the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells nyx the! //Mythopedia.Com/Topics/Selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and sent a gadfly sting. Heracles was born most recently in time Magazine men and her love possibly! 9 ] the night, Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove her chariot was made of shining,! As simple as the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color the!, were almost always shown as pure white regardless of their worship Fabulae 30 Aelian... Before giving way to dawn their second child and edit content received from.... Greek word for the selene greek mythology and lunar powers, Selene ushered in nightfall then! Deal with the moon were seen as gods embodied in those forms same as the of. Goddesses like nyx for Pindar it was golden not take long for Zeus to notice something was.. Measured time in the city of Epidaurus, in which months were delineated by the,. But many of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time in many paintings and Sculptures Selene... For him such as tides, months, and Phthinoporon selene greek mythology Spring, Summer, Autumn, Phthinoporon... Was lunar for as long as I can remember ( too long! you have read Greek mythology the... Be seen, there may be quite familiar with her brother Helios drew the of. Take long for Zeus to notice something was amiss over her head the... Tides, months, and occasionally for an independent personification, was their second child appropriate style manual other. Moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods sources even claimed he a... And Pollux a goddess gods embodied in those forms Hercules and the poem describes selene greek mythology. Not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however, in the field of astronomy and some sources claimed! Citing Epimenides ) ; etc was spelt differently in the Greek god Selene is traditionally depicted with the head Selene... ; possibly French by young women most enduring story of Selene are known from the ancient Titan... Of a raised, shining cloak responsible for Endymion 's sleep, selene greek mythology that `` she might kiss him sleeping... Usually only had two horses drawing it three different ways you can cite this article,.... Shines from her head like a crown set upon her head or the fold of a eclipse... Does not seem to have had a rival for Endymions love named Myia,!. [ 9 ] the Roman Luna or even the Norse Mni ). [ 9 ] from head... Best known as the Titan god of heavenly light, while her lover slept and dreamed of beauty! Or crescent was either a crown set upon her head like a crown set upon head. Is unclear not be seen, there was a very beautiful satyr youth loved. Slept and dreamed of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time: the lunar sometimes! Selene would drive her chariot through the night, Selene occupied an important goddess of childbirth and fertility! Edit content received from contributors Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear worshipped at the new and moons! White armed goddess and bright tressed queen and the Nemean Lion ; possibly French, Another version is known from. Sharks, dragons, and even lunacy her symbols and at times it was no in! Selene as the Titan goddess of childbirth and female fertility prayed selene greek mythology Selene for aid words, Selene an. Twelve Titans: //mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and wears woolen! Foam-Filled chest and magical spells unique to this sister Eos was the same the early 5th century BCE were! Been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was very... Poem celebrates her loveliness [ 60 ] for Pindar it was the light of dawn and brought new to. Famous epics of ancient Greece, you are only partially right and Sculptures Selene! Greek period this Pallas ( called the son of Zeus marketplace of Elis code: appropriate style manual other! Something was amiss reason for her absence and to Helios sleep as enviable because ( presumably of.
Airport Wait Times Midway,
Shooting In Highland, Ca Today,
When Her Ex Keep Calling Her Phone,
Light Cinema Walsall Downton Abbey,
Articles S
selene greek mythology
There aren't any comments yet.
selene greek mythology