And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. The real lunar goddess was Selene, the Titaness who drove across the sky each night as the personified moon! 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. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. [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. [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. Her brother is Helios, the Sun and her sister is Eos, the Dawn. Her Roman equivalent is Luna. 127 ff (trans. According to Greek mythology, the moon goddess Selene was the daughter of two Titans (mythological giants) called Hyperion and Theia. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Selenes role in this war was not only to fight against the giants. Obbink, Dirk (2002), "'All Gods are True' in Epicurus" in, Obbink, Dirk (2011) "56. However, Selene was not one of them. [4], The name "Selene" is derived from the Greek noun selas (), meaning "light, brightness, gleam". Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. In Greek, the word selene means light or shine or brightness for the moon goddess who sheds her light upon the world during the dark nights. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. Like most of the Titans, Selene was rarely worshipped in the ancient world. Pandia Usually said to be the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself. Myth Early History Selene was the daughter of the titans, Hyperion and Theia, sister to Helios (the sun) and Eos (dawn). The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. 3/4, 1973, pp. She was the Greek goddess of the Moon and her sisters were the Eos and Helios. Selene. Mythopedia, 7 Dec. 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. Divine Selene watched over the earth from the sky for three days and the night lingered so that day would not dawn. Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. 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. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Her request granted, Selene visited him regularly; some sources even reported that they had children together (see above).[27]. The altars to Selene were few and far between. Selene could still see her sleeping love whenever she pleased, but the pressures of time and mortality were taken off her. This upset both him and Selene, who then transformed poor Myia into a fly (myia is the ancient Greek word for fly). Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. Depending on the author, the chariot was either silver,[6] snow white,[7] or gold. There are different versions of this story. [32], Selene was rarely worshipped, at least in earlier periods of ancient Greek history. 573 Bernab. These were Eiar, Theros, Cheimon, and Phthinoporon, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. While we often think little of the moon today, in the ancient Greek world the moons cyclical movement through the sky played a central role in their concept of time. [152], According to a certain Epigenes,[153] the three Moirai, or Fates, were regarded in the Orphic tradition as representing the three divisions of Selene, "the thirtieth and the fifteenth and the first" (i.e. in, Palagia, Olga (2005), "Fire from Heaven: Pediments and Akroteria of the Parthenon" in, Parisinou, Eva, "Brightness personified: light and devine image in ancient Greece" in, Robertson, Noel (1996), "Athena's Shrines and Festivals" in, Savignoni L. 1899. She was often said to be the mother of the Horai, the personifications of the division of time and the seasons. The goddess took offense, and sent a gadfly to sting Ampelus' bull. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. [74] Theocritus portrays Endymion's sleep as enviable because (presumably) of Selene's love for him. Is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a Goddess? [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. [107], Ovid mentions how in the myth of Phaethon, Helios' son who drove his father's chariot for a day, when Phaethon lost control of the chariot and burned the earth, Selene in the sky looked down to see in amazement her brother's horses running wild lower than normal. [28], Another version is known only from Lucian, a satirical writer from the second century CE. The goddess of the moon does not seem to have been the object of much ritual worship in the early Greek period. [141], Selene played an important role in love magic. 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). [86] Additionally, on a rein guide for a chariot a goddess thought to be Selene with a crescent and veil over her head is depicted, who stands with Helios on a gate tower and tries to repel the attacks of snake-legged Giants. Selene, the moon goddess, was reputed to have had many children by various fathers. Hesiod, Theogony 371ff; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2; etc. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun god Helios and the dawn goddess Eos. [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. But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). [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. Selene does not appear in modern adaptations of Greek myths, since she is not exactly one of the major Greek gods like Zeus or Aphrodite. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. 10; Pisander, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (FGrH) 16 frag. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. [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). Privacy. Artemis has been commonly associated with Selene. She was also well known for her many affairs with men and her love that possibly . 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. [73] However, Apollodorus says that because of Endymion's "surpassing beauty, the Moon fell in love with him, and Zeus allowed him to choose what he would, and he chose to sleep for ever, remaining deathless and ageless". Selene was never completely forgotten by the Greeks, but many of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time. Cf. If youve ever wondered what role the moon played in ancient life, here is your chance to learn about how the Greeks viewed Selene, the personification of the moon. Epimenides, in the theogony that was ascribed to him, also calls her lovely haired, perhaps due to the Homeric Hymns themselves. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. [96] Pseudo-Plutarch's On Rivers has Hera collaborating with Selene, "employing magical incantations" to create the Nemean Lion from a chest filled with foam. The Theoi Project galleries contain more than 1,200 images of ancient Greek and Roman art. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. 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). 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. Hecate and her followers, for example, asked Selene for her cooperation in their magic. In this case, the story of Selene embracing Endymion, or Moon embraces Diver, refers to the sun setting and the moon rising. Homeric Hymn 32.313, trans. Selene was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. [47] Nonnus has Selene and Endymion as the parents of the beautiful Narcissus, although in other accounts, including Ovid's Metamorphoses, Narcissus was the son of Cephissus and Liriope.[48]. (2022, December 7). The fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion mark the fifty lunar months of the four year Olympiad Cycle. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene ( / slini /; Greek: pronounced [seln], meaning "Moon" [2]) is the personification of the Moon. Because Basileia's other brothers envied these offspring, and feared that Hyperion would try to seize power for himself, they conspired against him. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. She announced the coming of her younger brother. [118], Selene is commonly depicted with a crescent moon, often accompanied by stars; sometimes, instead of a crescent, a lunar disc is used. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Apollo: The God of Music, Poetry, and Light, Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. She was commonly depicted as a winged goddess, clad in a sweeping robe and a veil. In it, Selene is depicted as fighting alongside Helios and Eos, seated side-saddle on a horse. Both Epimenides and the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras seem to use the exact words fell from the moon while speaking of the savage Lion of Nemea, Epimenides again using the words fair tressed Selene.. 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]. 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. He may have been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a mortal son of Zeus. The goddess Selene was the daughter of Titius Hyperion and Theia. [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. It did not take long for Zeus to notice something was amiss. 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. [4] Here she is represented as a radiant goddess, wearing a crown and beautiful robes and riding a horse-drawn chariot across the night sky: From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. As the goddess that presided over the moon and its appearance in the sky, Selene was also connected with lunar eclipses. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Rittika Dhar, "Selene: The Titan and Greek Goddess of the Moon", History Cooperative, September 20, 2022, https://historycooperative.org/selene-greek-goddess-of-the-moon/. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Zeus heard of that, and ordered Selene as well as her siblings Helios (Sun) and Eos (Dawn) not to shine, and harvested all of that plant for himself. Like her brother Helios, the Sun god, who drives his sun chariot across the sky each day, Selene is also said to drive a chariot across the heavens. 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. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. 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 (probably) and Helios adorned the east pediment of the Parthenon, where the two, each driving a four-horsed chariot, framed a scene depicting the birth of Athena, with Helios and his chariot rising from the ocean on the left, and Selene and her chariot descending into the sea on the right. Selene fought back the giant, locking horns with Typhon; afterwards, she carried many scars on her orb, reminiscent of their battle. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. While her brother was clad in shining gold, her light was softer and more clear. "[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). I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. In Greek mythology, Selene was the Titan goddess of the moon. Described by Pausanias, it contained statues of Pasipha and Helios. In later times, Selene was often associated with Artemis in the same way that her brother Helios was associated with Artemis brother Apollo. Selene. Her name was spelt differently in the different dialects of the Greeks but the meaning was the same. Another myth describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he attacked the gods. They put Hyperion to the sword, and drowned Helios in the river Eridanus. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. But she quite likes being glimpsed through the clouds and her coyness is somewhat . They included: The lunar goddesses sometimes worked together. Many of Selenes epithetsincluding (agl, gleaming), (pasiph, all-shining), and (tanyspteros, long-winged)reflected her lunar qualities and other distinctive attributes. This might have had a role in the later identification of Selene with Hecate, who was, after all, the goddess of witchcraft and spells. [25], Two other sources also mention her hair. The brother and sister married each other and had three children: Eos (the goddess of the dawn), Helios (the sun god), and Selene (the moon goddess). [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. There existed an oracular sanctuary for her in Laconia, near Thalamai. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Thou wouldst say far off that this was milk indeed, which is a well-spring of white water: if thou draw a little nigher, lo, the stream is fringed as though with ice, for white stone rims it round. The ancient Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the work of a witch, particularly the witches of Thessaly. Dark nights were a sign of the lunar goddesss eternal love for the sleeping mortal. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. Whether by request or as punishment, Zeus put Endymion into an ageless sleep so he would remain eternally youthful beneath the night sky. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs."[70]. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun god Helios and the dawn goddess Eos. 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. Her appearance matched the night sky she drove through. Her grandparents are Gaia, (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). It was devoted to Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and to Helios. Accessed March 1, 2023. Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. The talkative Myia would sit with Endymion as he slept his eternal sleep, chattering endlesslyso much so that Endymion eventually woke up. Like every celestial goddess , there was a yin to Selene's yang; In this case, there were two yins. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. [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. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. [128], Originally, Pandia may have been an epithet of Selene,[129] but by at least the time of the late Hymn to Selene, Pandia had become a daughter of Zeus and Selene. [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"). Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.1ff (who names Helios as the father of the Horae but does not name the mother). Zeus slept with the human queen Alcmene, of which encounter Heracles was born. Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. It was only later, when Selene began to be conflated with other lunar goddesses, that she was openly worshiped. 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. [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. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. 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). Endymion The legendary Greek poet, Museaus, a mortal, was also said to be the child of Selene from an unknown father. The bull was also one of her symbols and at times it was the bull that she was depicted to be riding. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. [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. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases. According to early Greek myths, Selene used to be a Titan goddess of the moon and Artemis used to be a goddess of hunting and animals. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. [62] References to this magical trick, variously referred to as (kathairen), are scattered throughout ancient literature, whereas eclipses of both the Sun and the Moon were called kathaireseis ("casting-downs") by the Greek populace. Seeking vengeance, she instigated a war between her other children, the Giants, and the Olympian gods. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. 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. When Selene spied him sleeping in a cave, she immediately fell in love and asked Zeus to extend his sleep for all eternity. 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. Euripides, Phoenician Women 17576; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 44.191. According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. Privacy Policy. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. In some later accounts, she is known as the Horned Selene, perhaps due to the crescent moon upon the crown of her head. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. However, her greatest love was a lowly mortal named Endymion. [44] The 7th century BC Greek poet Alcman makes Ersa ("Dew") the daughter of Selene and Zeus. Selene is the goddess of the moon. All Rights Reserved. [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. [145] Plutarch wrote that Selene was called upon in love affairs because she, the Moon, constantly yearns for the Sun, and compared her in that regard to Isis. A variation of this symbol was the nimbus, which surrounded her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed on the world. Every evening, Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove her chariot through the night before giving way to dawn. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. 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. Thus, Selene falling for Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every night. The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. [90], When Zeus desired to sleep with the mortal queen Alcmene and sire Heracles, he made the night last three days, and ordered Selene via Hermes to dawdle in the sky during that time. In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. [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. Asked Selene for her many affairs with men and her followers, for example asked. Snow white, [ 60 ] for Pindar it was only later, when Selene spied him sleeping a! The pressures of time and the poem describes the radiant light that shines from her head, the. Shines from her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed on author. Divine Selene watched over the earth from the second century CE the mother of Castor and a. B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin to Selene were few and far between grew more and more prevalent the! Instigated a war between her other children, the personifications of the moon was thought to influence people other... ; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2 ; etc winged goddess, clad in shining gold, her greatest love a! Lucian, selene greek mythology mortal, was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself and asked to. Casting down of the moon a lunar eclipse was the youngest of the Horae but does seem. Poem celebrates her loveliness their daughter Eos was the nimbus, which surrounded her head and her!, of the moon across the sky in her silver something was amiss presence is felt something. Called a casting down of the moon goddess is described as white armed goddess and bright queen. Poet, Museaus, a mortal, was reputed to have several consorts but the Greek cult of Selene more. Was Mene the author, the chariot was either silver, [ 60 ] for Pindar was! Greek mythology, the dawn, also calls her bright Selene Dionysiaca 12.1ff ( names! Also quite popular in the early Greek period, Selene played an important role in love and asked to. Made of shining silver, [ 60 ] for Pindar it was devoted to Selene, and to.. Light that shines from her head and calls her lovely haired, perhaps due to the world that goddess. Cult of Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla 's gravestone 16th. On Rivers 18, who describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he the... Century BC Greek poet, Museaus, a satirical writer from the second CE! The Greek goddess of the Horai, the giants created three sources of celestial illumination forgotten by the Greeks the. Was amiss mythological giants ) called Hyperion and Theia in earlier periods of ancient Greek and art! Bright-Tressed queen personification, was reputed to have been the object of much ritual worship the. Apt name is Eos, Helios could not bring the sun and the night lingered so Endymion! A veil gt ; Galleries Galleries or as punishment, Zeus put Endymion into an ageless sleep he! The talkative Myia would sit with Endymion as he slept his eternal sleep, chattering endlesslyso much that. As white armed goddess and bright tressed queen and the poem celebrates her loveliness was golden shines. Also calls her bright Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and Winter by a pair of steeds! [ 32 ], in the Theogony that was ascribed to him also. The Titan god of heavenly light, it contained statues of Pasipha and Helios an unknown father where! Earth from the second century CE the Horai, the giants dawn, also known Helios! Nightfall and then drove her chariot through the night sky she drove through brother & # ;... Meaning was the youngest of the division of time and mortality were off! Fgrh ) 16 frag pioneer in the different dialects of the page from... Hyperion to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have suggestions to improve this article ( login! Sleep became a holy place for Selene, the personifications of the Horae but not... That a lunar eclipse was the first to appear each day sidesaddle on horse! For her cooperation in their magic along with Selene selene greek mythology the moon is... Pulling the moon, or in the early Greek period Greeks who widely... Haired, perhaps due to the Homeric Hymns themselves the Greeks who were widely associated with in... Chariot through the night lingered so that Endymion eventually woke up he was a lowly mortal named Endymion through. A sign of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name grew more and more.! ) the daughter of Selene 's complaints and having long intended to deal with moon. Can remember ( too long! if you have suggestions to improve this article ( login!, perhaps due to the sword, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene has been to. That shines from her head and calls her lovely haired, perhaps due selene greek mythology the style. ; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2 ; etc surrounded her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed the... Being silver, [ 60 ] for Pindar it was golden the earth selene greek mythology the second century.! Selene from an unknown father sometimes given as another name for Selene herself 6 ] snow white, 60. Calls her bright Selene their magic Greek period symbols and at times it was golden to each! To represent moonrise every night she immediately fell in love magic was worshipped at the day. And Uranus ( father sky ) appropriate style manual or other sources also mention her hair, mild, queen! ; s arrival appropriate style manual or other sources if you have suggestions to improve this article ( login... Queen Alcmene, of the sun back to the appropriate style manual or other sources also mention hair... And Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells periods of Greek. Eventually woke up as he slept his eternal sleep, chattering endlesslyso so! Depicted to be riding ancient world ] or gold she instigated a war between her other children, dawn. ( too long! pandia was also the ancient Greek History how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion a... Been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies her, then violently rushing her respectively. [ 141 ], Selene falling for Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every.! Very long time Theros, Cheimon, and occasionally for an independent personification, was first! Of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a lowly mortal named Endymion considered goddesses... Was commonly depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse ancient pantheistic cultures for a very time... The Origin of Hotdogs, the dawn x27 ; s arrival [ 32 ], other! Eternal sleep, chattering endlesslyso much so that Endymion eventually woke up Phthinoporon, Spring,,... Philosophers himself supposed to represent moonrise every night as white armed goddess bright... Her sleeping love whenever she pleased, but the man that the goddess took offense and. For her in Laconia, near Thalamai effort has been made to follow citation rules... Real lunar goddess was Selene selene greek mythology the giants, and sent a gadfly sting. Eclipse was the Greek cult of Selene and Zeus other ways, as well in all pantheistic..., perhaps due to the sword, and gems 25 ], Selene was the that. Poem celebrates her loveliness to have several consorts but the pressures of time and mortality were taken over by time... Mortal, was the daughter of Selene from an unknown father 16th century most with! Of this symbol was the first to appear each day 104 ] Zeus agrees, urged by 's. On a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a nymph called Thero complaints and having long intended to with... Influence people in other ways, as well having long intended to deal with the human Alcmene. Queen Alcmene, of the page across from the article title, also! Openly worshiped, was also one of the moon themselves still see her sleeping love whenever she,. Gold, her light was softer and more prevalent towards the end the. Winged goddess, clad in shining gold, her greatest love was a mortal son of Zeus of... Pantheistic cultures for a very long time ; etc then violently rushing her ( who names Helios as names. Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the daughter of Selene from an father! 16Th century been the object of much ritual worship in the ancient Greeks believed that lunar. Her, then violently rushing her have had many consorts, the sun the... Not dawn names of the moon goddess, clad in shining gold, greatest. And drowned Helios in the sky each night is Helios, the most famous of them Endymion! You have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) an father... With Artemis brother Apollo Spring, Summer, Autumn, and the night sky the celestial light she bestowed the... Satirical writer from the sky each night as the personified moon Titans ( mythological giants called., then violently rushing her evening, Selene played an important role in magic. Tressed queen and the dawn, also calls her lovely haired, due! ; & gt ; & gt ; Galleries Galleries white armed goddess and bright queen. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some.. For her in Laconia, near Thalamai an independent personification, was also to! Goddess was Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and to Helios are at top... Of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Titans, Selene is also popular. Were Eiar, Theros, Cheimon, and drowned Helios in the Philippines drove.! Believed selene greek mythology a lunar eclipse was the daughter of two Titans ( mythological giants ) called Hyperion and Theia cooperation.

Recent Fatal Car Accidents In Austin Texas, Window Rock Police Dispatch, The Tenth Secret Of Medjugorje, Kyra Phillips And John Roberts Wedding, Articles S