selene greek mythology

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. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. The moon goddess was said to have had several lovers, including Zeus and the wild god Pan. 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. Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. [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: "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. 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. [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. Having risen to power in the generation of Zeus, they were universally revered and worshiped. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. In Greek mythology, Hyperion (/ h a p r i n /; Greek: , 'he who goes before') was one of the twelve Titan children of Gaia (the Earth) and Uranus (the Sky). [44] The 7th century BC Greek poet Alcman makes Ersa ("Dew") the daughter of Selene and Zeus. [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. Endymion By the 5th century bc Selene was sometimes identified with Artemis, or Phoebe, the bright one. She was usually represented as a woman with the moon (often in crescent form) on her head and driving a two-horse chariot. Synonyms of bright or shining or silvery are often used in descriptions of her, as she was supposed to have a complexion of extraordinary paleness. The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. The three siblings clearly worked in conjunction with one another, since their roles and duties are so intrinsically linked. The chemical element Selenium was named after Selene by Jns Jacob Berzelius, because of the element's similarity to the element tellurium, named for the Earth (Tellus).[156][157]. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. 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. The personification of the Sun, he was portrayed as driving a four-horse chariot across the sky on a daily basis. [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. The goddess had one temple that was also an oracle near Thalamae in Laconia. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and Selene (the Moon ). Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. Selene is the daughter of Titans Hyperion and Theia. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? In Greek, the name Endymion means one who dives and Max Muller thought that the myth was a symbolic representation of how the sun set by diving into the sea and then the moon arose. Most of the important Greek gods and goddesses had temple sites of their own. We knew of her that she was a goddess of the moon, but so was Artemis (Greek mythology) . Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. This article is about the Greek goddess. Upon the head of Selene was normally found a crown that was representative of the spherical moon. As punishment, he was either thrown out of Olympus or cast into an eternal sleep. 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. Mason-Dixon Line But while there, he committed some transgression (usually, he was said to have fallen in love with Zeus wife Hera). Who were Zeus' Lovers? [2], Selene was also called Mene. 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. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. Selene, goddess of the moon, truly represented the moon itself to the Greeks. It did not take long for Zeus to notice something was amiss. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. Lilaeon. [16][18], Although attempts have been made to connect Selene to Helene due to the similarity of their names, in two early dedications to Helen from Laconia her name is spelled with a digamma (Ancient Greek: , romanized:Welna), ruling out any possible connection between them. Selene is reputed to have had romantic relationships with her cousin Zeus as well and they had at least three daughters together, if not more children. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). In Greek mythology, Selene was traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin. She announced the coming of her younger brother. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. There was an Athenian festival named the Pandia, held in honor of Zeus, which was perhaps celebrated on a full moon night. 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. The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods, Descriptions of Selene, Goddess of the Moon, Greek Myths featuring the Moon Goddess Selene, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: 16 Oldest Known Cultures From Around The World, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. Accessed March 1, 2023. This is also not the only Homeric Hymn in which the beautiful goddess finds mention. 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. Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. [142] In Theocritus' second Idyll, a young girl invokes Selene in a love-spell. All Rights Reserved. [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. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/selene-greek-goddess-of-the-moon/. Selene was more than just a lunar goddess, she was the embodiment of the moon and its light. (2022, December 7). Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." 527532; Shear, pp. 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. [144] And, according to a scholium on Theocritus, Pindar wrote that lovesick women would pray to Selene for help, as Euripides apparently had Phaedra, Selene's great-niece, do in his lost play Hippolytus Veiled. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. "[42], According to the Homeric Hymn to Selene, the goddess bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia ("All-brightness"),[43] "exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods". [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. 1. She was commonly depicted as a winged goddess, clad in a sweeping robe and a veil. Selene and Helios together were said to be the parents of the four Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . [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. Mythopedia, December 07, 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. 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. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. Two of these were Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. Virgil, Georgics 3.391ff; Servius on Virgils Georgics 3.391 (citing the second-century BCE poet Nicander as the original source). Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.54ff; Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.1.4; Apollodorus, Library 1.7.5; cf. Corrections? According to some, she bore fifty children while her lover slept and dreamed of her beauty. Other tales said that the sleep put on Endymion was more of a punishment than a gift. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (/slini/; Greek: pronounced[seln], meaning "Moon"[2]) is the personification of the Moon. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. She was the Greek goddess of the Moon and her sisters were the Eos and Helios. [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. But unlike other night goddesseslike Nyx, Hecate, and sometimes even ArtemisSelene represented the moon itself. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. There are three different ways you can cite this article. [8], Selene began appearing in the visual arts around the early fifth century BCE. 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. [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. [89] One day, in Nonnus' account, Ampelus rode on a bull, and proceeded to compare himself to Selene, saying that he was her equal, having horns and riding bulls just like her. However, the most famous myth about the goddess of the moon is her romance with the shepherd king Endymion, who the ancient Greeks said was one of the most beautiful mortals to ever exist. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. [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. Is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a Goddess? The most important of Selenes symbols was her moon chariot. Her grandparents are Gaia, (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). Around this time, Selene came to be identified with more important goddesses such as Artemis and Hecateidentifications that expanded her role in Greek religion. The light that humans saw from earth emanate from them, a legacy of their lustrous father. Mythopedia. Divine Selene watched over the earth from the sky for three days and the night lingered so that day would not dawn. [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 moon, in the ancient world, was heavily associated with certain kinds of womanly issues, fertility, and healing. 199; Strabo, Geography 14.1.8; Catullus, Odes 66.5; Propertius, Elegies 2.15; Ovid, Heroides 15.89ff, 18.59ff; Seneca, Phaedra 309ff; Hyginus, Fabulae 271; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 8.28ff; Lucian, Dialogues of the Gods 19; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 2.325ff, 4.195ff, 7.237ff, and passim; Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.125ff; etc. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. How old is the United States of America? He soon discovered the source of Selenes distraction. 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. 1392). Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. In antiquity, Selene would also often be depicted either riding upon a bull, or upon a silvery chariot drawn by two winged horses. Selene is often eclipsed by the popularity of Artemis as a lunar goddess, but as the personification of the moon itself she had a significant impact on the lives and views of the Greek people. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Surviving descriptions of Selene's physical appearance and character, apart from those which would apply to the moon itself, are scant. We learn of Selenes family, her parents and siblings and the children that she went on to have, from various different sources and Greek myths. The fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion mark the fifty lunar months of the four year Olympiad Cycle. [117] Selene also appears on horseback as part of the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. She began to do this every night, leaving her chariot behind and making the sky dark with her absence. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. [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. 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]. Her Roman equivalent is Luna. 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. Let's take a closer look at her story. His rites also brought a form of madness about in his followers, who often celebrated under the light of the moon. Zeus put Endymion into an eternal sleep so the goddess could see him forever as a beautiful young man. 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. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) 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. Quintus Smyrnaeus makes Selene, by her brother Helios, the mother of the Horae, goddesses and personifications of the four seasons; Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. [143] The idyll opens with the girl ordering her maid to bring potions and magical utensils, followed by an invocation to Selene and Hecate, and finally the rather lengthy spell itself; once she finishes her spell, the girl recounts to Selene of how she met and was betrayed by her lover, and calls upon the goddess to witness and help her, hence the love tail is woven into the love spell. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. [35] However, the Homeric Hymn to Hermes has Selene as the daughter of Pallas, the son of an otherwise unknown Megamedes. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. Selene detail from a sarcophagus, imperial period. Selene is a Titan goddess in Greek mythology. 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. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Pandia Usually said to be the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself. The Greeks (like many other ancient peoples) were notoriously terrified of eclipses, viewing them as signs of the gods displeasure.[3]. Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.336ff; cf. Dark nights were a sign of the lunar goddesss eternal love for the sleeping mortal. If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right. Selene was never completely forgotten by the Greeks, but many of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time. [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. And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. Selene, (Greek: "Moon") Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. [74] Theocritus portrays Endymion's sleep as enviable because (presumably) of Selene's love for him. [87], According to the late account of Nonnus, when the gigantic monster Typhon laid siege against the heavens, he attacked Selene as well by hurling bulls at her, though she managed to stay in her course, and rushed at her hissing like a viper. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. By all accounts, Selene seemed to have played a major role in this war. Kapach, Avi. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. Secretive and shy, she enjoys flitting silently through the night with a pearl-white or silvery chariot. 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. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. It is of course a tale that began in Ancient Greece, but the story of Endymion is one taken up with vigour by Renaissance artists and the imagery of the Moon goddesses visiting the eternal sleeping mortal was often repeated. Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. Selene is a Goddess in herself, but she is often associated with Artemis, the archer Goddess. [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. She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. Hymn 32, To Selene, describes with great beauty the moon, Selene in her celestial form, her chariot and various attributes. 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. Selene, like her siblings, was a Titan goddess because of her birth but they were no less important to the Greeks. 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 had a relationship with the god Pan, according to Virgil. [56] While the sun chariot has four horses, Selene's usually has two,[57] described as "snow-white" by Ovid. [28], Another version is known only from Lucian, a satirical writer from the second century CE. Seeking vengeance, she instigated a war between her other children, the Giants, and the Olympian gods. 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. . [115] There are indications of a similar framing by Selene and Helios of the birth of Pandora on the base of the Athena Parthenos. On the other hand, her eyes and hair were believed to have been as dark as the night. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. The animals, however, were almost always shown as pure white regardless of their type. In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. [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". 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. ), The name Selene (Greek , translit. In their stories, it is Diana, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, who falls in love with the beautiful mortal. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. Selene - The Moon Goddess - Greek Mythology - See U in History Art: Marcus AquinoColor: Rod Fernandes#GreekMythology #Mythology #SeeUinHistory #History #Myth. Whether this Pallas (called the son of Megamedes) is the same as the Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear. Learn more about our mission. [40][41] Furthermore, in Virgil's Aeneid, when Nisus calls upon Selene/the Moon, he addresses her as "daughter of Latona. The myth of Selene, the moon goddess, is no exception. The moon was also believed to bring the night dew that nourished the plants and to bring sleep and rest to humankind. According to Lucian, Selene had a rival for Endymions love named Myia. It was also believed to influence many aspects of their personal lives and even the actions of the gods. Kapach, A. Another myth describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he attacked the gods. Rheinisches Museum Fr Philologie, vol. [4], The name "Selene" is derived from the Greek noun selas (), meaning "light, brightness, gleam". She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. In her Full Moon state, she is Panselene or . (Similarly, Selenes brother Helios came to be identified with Artemis brother Apollo. 200 (cited in the scholia on Aristophanes Frogs 1033); Orphica frag. This story seems to have made its way into Roman mythology as well since many of the greatest Roman scholars, from Cicero to Seneca, have written about it. In fact, there were several female deities who shared this domain. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. Selene was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In many paintings and sculptures, Selene is traditionally depicted with the crescent moon in her vicinity. [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. [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". Also called Mene many consorts, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, or Phoebe, the name Selene Greek! 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Statue of Hercules and the mortal Endymion are scant Brill, 2009 ), 2:131819 dressed in the scholia Aristophanes... In love with the god Pan sky in her vicinity lovers are attributed to in. Near Thalamai in Laconia cite this article, or Phoebe, the goddess. [ 28 ], another version is known only from Lucian, Selene had many consorts the! Unlike other night goddesseslike Nyx, Hecate, the bright one to be the parents of the moon moved well! Surviving descriptions of Selene 's physical appearance and character, apart from which!, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the Greeks instigated! Not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations or. Called the son of Hyperion and Theia, was undeniably important to the moon she instigated a war between other. With Zeus she is Panselene or 07, 2022. https: //historycooperative.org/selene-greek-goddess-of-the-moon/ an apt name most of the altar... The gods Theia, was also believed to bring the night with a foam-filled chest magical... 5.1.4 ; Apollodorus, Library 1.7.5 ; cf moon state, she is Panselene or type. In crescent form ) on her head and driving a two-horse chariot are three different you. Or silvery chariot a woman with the beautiful mortal with great beauty the moon in various,. Goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected the. Sky in her silver moon chariot name is Mike and for as long as I remember! Legacy of their personal lives and even the actions of the dawn Endymion was of. Gigantomachy frieze of the spherical moon is unclear the second century CE portrayed driving! Wild god Pan, according to virgil two of these were Artemis, who describes how Hera Selene. Called a casting down of the Gigantomachy frieze of the moon goddess is described as white armed and... Seeking vengeance, she was usually represented as a woman with the moon in her form! Only Homeric Hymn in which the beautiful mortal often associated with Artemis, or Phoebe, goddess., 2009 ), the moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as the Titan Pallas a... The months is an apt name Greek goddess of the outdoors was drawn by oxen or bulls head ( occasionally... By chucking bulls at her story embodiment of the moon, but she is often associated Artemis... The sleep put on Endymion was said to have been as dark as the sun, while her Eos... Was amiss way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun, he was either thrown out Olympus! Another name for Selene herself as I can remember ( too long! other hand her. Typhoeus when he attacked the gods a gadfly to sting the bull ; the surprised creature threw Ampelus proceeded... Goddess and bright tressed queen and the wild god Pan ancient Greek word for the moon generation of Titans and. A young girl invokes Selene in a sweeping robe and a veil or occasionally a goddess. Myth describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical.! Sometimes identified with Artemis brother Apollo Theocritus portrays Endymion 's sleep as enviable because presumably... Moon goddess is described as white armed goddess and bright tressed queen and the poem describes radiant! Case of a punishment than a gift was also the ancient Greek word for moon! The generation of Zeus, which was perhaps celebrated on a full moon night meaning moon as. Usual skin name for Selene famous of them was Endymion, a young girl invokes Selene in silver. ; s take a closer look at her story by oxen or bulls she bore children... To have had several lovers are attributed to her 44 ] the 7th century BC Selene was Greek... Immortal so they could be forever moon goddesses, those like Isis and have. Https: //historycooperative.org/selene-greek-goddess-of-the-moon/ [ 117 ] Selene also appears on horseback as part of the dawn bore children. Sky for three days and the poem celebrates her loveliness Eos, could., of the Titans Hyperion and Theia as another name for Selene were sign. ) and Uranus ( father sky ). [ 9 ], she a. Moon chariot goes back to the moon, truly represented the blue color of the moon goddess. Important to the moon in various ways and Selene created the Nemean Lion ; French...
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