selene greek mythology

She was often said to be the mother of the Horai, the personifications of the division of time and the seasons. Her name was spelt differently in the different dialects of the Greeks but the meaning was the same. 3 Most Important Characters in Greek Mythology, 5 Awesome Greek Mythology Fiction Books for Kids, Aphrodite Facts: Awesome Facts about the Goddess of Love and Beauty. [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. Homeric Hymns 32.14ff, trans. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. Pan, the god of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed in a sheepskin. [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. This article is about the Greek goddess. [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]. Although Endymion slept for eternity, many sources said Selene continued to see him. These were the fifty daughters who were fathered by Endymion the fifty months represented the four-year cycle of the Olympiads. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (/slini/; Greek: pronounced[seln], meaning "Moon"[2]) is the personification of the Moon. Kapach, Avi. Oil lamp fragment with the head of Selene, early classical period, Muse de Die. One of the most important sources of this myth is in the Greek satirist Lucian of Samosatas Dialogues of the Gods, where Aphrodite and Selene talk about the latters love for Endymion. 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). In memory of the beautiful Endymion, the fly still grudges all sleepers their rest and annoys them. The Story of Selene. A womans fertility was said to be influenced by the cycles of the moon, a belief that gave English the word menses, and under Selenes influence women were said to have an easier time in childbirth than they did during the day. There were still several goddesses who shared Selenes lunar domain, however. Though Hesiod made the Nemean Lion the child of Echidna, other authors wrote that Selene gave birth to it or brought it up at Heras request. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. The most famous story of Selene, however, concerns her love for a mortal man. According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. fr. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. 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]. The masculine form, Phoebus, was used in reference to either Apollo or. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. In ancient Greek mythology, Selene, is the Titan goddess of the moon and is said to drive her glowing chariot powered by beautiful white horses across the sky each night. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [8], Selene began appearing in the visual arts around the early fifth century BCE. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. Her brother is Helios, the Sun and her sister is Eos, the Dawn. For other uses, see, Detail of Selene from a Roman sarcophagus, A winged Selene seems to be unique to this. The talkative Myia would sit with Endymion as he slept his eternal sleep, chattering endlesslyso much so that Endymion eventually woke up. According to Hesiods Theogony, Selene was born of Hyperion and Theia. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. There are different versions of this story. Privacy. However, her greatest love was a lowly mortal named Endymion. Mythopedia. Specifically, she was a goddess who controlled the dangerous creatures of the sea. Both of these Goddesses are also associated with Hecate. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Artemis is also a Goddess of the moon. 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. Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. The most well-known story of Selene is her love of the mortal man Endymion. The name of the moon goddess is surrounded by accounts of the consorts she had and their children. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Selene was so enamored of the young man that she left the sky to see him more closely. While her brother was clad in shining gold, her light was softer and more clear. Other examples of lunar goddesses and gods are Selenes Roman equivalent Luna, the Mesopotamian Sin, the Egyptian god Khonsu, the Germanic Mani, the Japanese Shinto god Tsukuyomi, the Chinese Change, and the Hindu god Chandra. 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. 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 and Helios together were said to be the parents of the four Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. Selene is the Greek proper name for the Moon,[155] and 580 Selene, a minor planet in the asteroid belt, is also named after this goddess. Hurwit 2017, pp. This was the mythological explanation for the movement of the moon across the sky. The phases of the moonespecially the new moon and the full moonplayed a central role in the ancient Greeks understanding of time and agriculture. 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. Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.54ff; Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.1.4; Apollodorus, Library 1.7.5; cf. The counterpart to her brother, she traveled by night. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. [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. 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. Selene is a Titan goddess in Greek mythology. 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.. [116] Pausanias also reports seeing stone images of Helios, and Selene, in the market-place at Elea, with rays projecting from the head of Helios, and horns from the head of 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). She also had a statue, alongside Helios, in the public marketplace of Elis. Selene and Endymion standing next to each other, sarcophagus fragment, end of 2nd century AD. . After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). [98], According to Virgil, Selene also had a tryst with the god Pan, who seduced her with a "snowy bribe of wool". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. 573 Bernab. Learn more about our mission. 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. [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. 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). the crescent moon, full moon, and dark moon, as delinted by the divisions of the calendar month).[154]. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. Like Artemis, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. How old is the United States of America? Depending on the author, the chariot was either silver,[6] snow white,[7] or gold. How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. Selene, the goddess of the moon, has two siblings: Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Helios, the sun god. [72] A scholiast on Apollonius says that, according to Epimenides, Endymion fell in love with Hera, and Zeus punished him with eternal sleep. Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. He may have been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a mortal son of Zeus. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. The Titaness Selene was one of three siblings who brought light to the sky. For centuries, those affected by mental illness were referred to as lunatics.. 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). Greek mythology has beautiful explanations for many natural phenomena. Same thing happened with Helius and Apollo. 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. [119] Often a crescent moon rests on her brow, or the cusps of a crescent moon protrude, horn-like, from her head, or from behind her head or shoulders. [120] Selene's head is sometimes surrounded by a nimbus, and from the Hellenistic period onwards, she is sometimes pictured with a torch. In her later identification with Artemis, Selene came to be called Phoebe or Cynthia. 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. Most famous classical poets describe her beauty as so intriguing that gods and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms. 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]. 200 (cited in the scholia on Aristophanes Frogs 1033); Orphica frag. Selene - Mythology. [61], In antiquity, the lunar eclipse phenomena were thought to be caused by witches, particularly the ones from Thessaly, who brought the Moon/Selene down with spells and invocations of magic. 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". Everything We Know About the Greek Goddess of Agriculture, Aphrodite Facts: Awesome Facts about the Goddess of, Interesting Facts about Athena: Greek Goddess of Knowledge. He was the god of the sun, who drove across the sky each day in a golden chariot drawn by a team of golden horses. The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. According to the Homeric Hymn 32, Selene and Zeus together had a daughter named Pandia. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. In rarer traditions, she is the daughter of the Titan Pallas. 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. But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. Selene's Role She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove every night across the skies. [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 work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). The goddess had pale skin that seemed to shine with its own inner light and long black hair that matched the dark sky around her. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. But on nights the moon could not be seen, there was a very good reason for her absence. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. Hecate and her followers, for example, asked Selene for her cooperation in their magic. Updates? [16] In PIE mythology, the Moon, which is a male figure, was seen as forming a pairusually wedlockwith the Sun, which is a female figure, and which in Greek mythology is recognized in the male deity and Selene's brother Helios. Lilaeon. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. 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. She had two siblings, Helios and Eos. As the moon, Selene occupied an important place in popular religion. These were Eiar, Theros, Cheimon, and Phthinoporon, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. A variation of this symbol was the nimbus, which surrounded her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed on the world. 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. [76] The Roman playwright Seneca, has Selene abandoned the night sky for Endymion's sake having entrusted her "shining" moon chariot to her brother Helios to drive. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. Chiswick House, London, UK. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. The ancient Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the work of a witch, particularly the witches of Thessaly. And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. Nonnus describes how, as Ampelus was riding a bull, he made the mistake of comparing himself to Selene. The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. Zeus slept with the human queen Alcmene, of which encounter Heracles was born. Selene had a relationship with the god Pan, according to Virgil. Her list of powers are unmatched, as far as lunar goddesses go. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. Zeus put Endymion into an eternal sleep so the goddess could see him forever as a beautiful young man. 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. 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. Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death Francoise Gury, Selene/Luna, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich: Artemis, 1994), 7:70615. Pandia was the personification of the full moon and may have originally been another name for Selene before the myths made her the daughter of Selene and Zeus. [63][66], Selene is best known for her affair with the beautiful mortal Endymion. 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. The myth of Selene, the moon goddess, is no exception. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. 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. 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. [109] In red-figure pottery before the early 5th century BC, she is depicted only as a bust, or in profile against a lunar disk. Monday, which the ancient Greeks named after the moon in honor of the moon goddess Selene, is still called that today, even though we might have forgotten the origins. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. His rites also brought a form of madness about in his followers, who often celebrated under the light of the moon. Selene fought back the giant, locking horns with Typhon; afterwards, she carried many scars on her orb, reminiscent of their battle. [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. Homeric Hymn 32.313, trans. Phoebe The name, stemming from the word for bright, was applied to both Selene and one of the elder Titanesses. [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). Whether by request or as punishment, Zeus put Endymion into an ageless sleep so he would remain eternally youthful beneath the night sky. However, hers might not be a name that is quite as well-known. Euripides, Phoenician Women 17576; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 44.191. Sometimes these were winged horses, although some later accounts had the chariot drawn by bulls. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." This is at times accompanied by stars to depict the night sky, but the crescent moon was perhaps the most recognizable of Selenes symbols. In the most familiar account, Selene first saw the beautiful Endymion as he lay sleeping in a cave on Mount Latmus. Deciphering the Role of Helios, the Sun God of Greek Mythology. Most mythologists assumed that Selene was an older moon goddess that was replaced later by Artemis in myth. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. Helios was married to Perse, but he had quite a few extramarital affairs, and a number of children . Worshiped as one of the important celestial lights of the heavens, Selene was also reputedly revered as a deity of agriculture and fertility. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. 3/4, 1973, pp. She is pale, beautiful and indefinably alluring. She was usually shown driving a chariot or riding sidesaddle on a horse, often with her brother beside her. This is a relatively late text. Hymn 31, To Helios, also speaks of the two sisters of Helios where the rich-tressed Selene is once again alluded to. The goddess Selene was the daughter of Titius Hyperion and Theia. In Dionysica, Selene promises the god that she will work with him to punish his enemies with fits of insanity. That leaves Artemis and Selene. Let's take a closer look at her story. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. Selene also has several other names. [28], Another version is known only from Lucian, a satirical writer from the second century CE. Hymn 32, To Selene, describes with great beauty the moon, Selene in her celestial form, her chariot and various attributes. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? 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, (Greek: Moon) Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. 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. The Greeks recognized several goddesses as having a connection to the moon, but none was as closely associated with it as 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"). Selene (Greek mythology) The goddess of the Moon. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. [117] Selene also appears on horseback as part of the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar. While her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, Selenes chariot, like her light, was less powerful. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Hesiod, Theogony 371ff; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2; etc. She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. Her appearance matched the night sky she drove through. Along with presiding over dangerous sea creatures, Ceto produced her own set of frightening . And a memorial of her couch abides still neath the oaks; for mid the copses round was poured out milk of kine; and still do men marvelling behold its whiteness. 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. In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. 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. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. The tale of Endymion and Selene is one that has resonated with people for millennia. [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. The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. [28] The Orphic Hymn to Selene addresses her as "O bull-horned Moon", and further describes her as "torch-bearing, feminine and masculine, lover of horses," and grantor of "fulfillment and favor". Orphism, Cosmogony, and Genealogy (Mus. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. Many people believed that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid. Watched over by nymphs and visited often by the goddess, it was marked by glowing moonstones and pure white rock. [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? [35] However, the Homeric Hymn to Hermes has Selene as the daughter of Pallas, the son of an otherwise unknown Megamedes. [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: If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right.
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