selene greek mythology

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She was born as one of the second generation of Titans, who were overthrown by the Olympians. the crescent moon, full moon, and dark moon, as delinted by the divisions of the calendar month).[154]. Like Artemis, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. 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. The goddess of the hunt became associated with the moon and lunar cycles. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. 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"). According to the Catalogue of Women, Endymion was the son of Aethlius (a son of Zeus), and Zeus granted him the right to choose when he would die. . She was the Greek goddess of the Moon and her sisters were the Eos and Helios. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. [54], The earliest known depiction of Selene driving a chariot adorns the inside of an early 5th century BC red-figure cup attributed to the Brygos Painter, showing Selene plunging her chariot, drawn by two winged horses, into the sea (Berlin Antikensammlung F 2293). [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). Her request granted, Selene visited him regularly; some sources even reported that they had children together (see above).[27]. The masculine form, Phoebus, was used in reference to either Apollo or. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. Having risen to power in the generation of Zeus, they were universally revered and worshiped. Because the Greek endyein meant "to dive," the name Endymion ("Diver") at first simply described the process of the setting sun "diving" into the sea. [81], Philologist Max Mller's interpretation of solar mythology as it related to Selene and Endymion concluded that the myth was a narrativized version of linguistic terminology. 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]. Often when one god supplanted another in a particular domain, the stories that involved that god were changed to reflect this. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. Selene was said to drive her moon chariot across the sky every night, from east to west, following her brother. [40][41] Furthermore, in Virgil's Aeneid, when Nisus calls upon Selene/the Moon, he addresses her as "daughter of Latona. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. [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. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Privacy. The altars to Selene were few and far between. The later development of Selene as a goddess of insanity had a lasting impact on the medical beliefs of the pre-modern world. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene ( / slini /; Greek: pronounced [seln], meaning "Moon" [2]) is the personification of the Moon. 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. Epimenides, in the theogony that was ascribed to him, also calls her lovely haired, perhaps due to the Homeric Hymns themselves. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. 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. The goddess took offense, and sent a gadfly to sting Ampelus' bull. 1. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. [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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). 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. Selene's Role She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove every night across the skies. Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. As Luna, she had temples at Rome on the Aventine and Palatine hills. Eventually, she became identified with Artemis, goddess of the wilderness, who was sometimes associated with the moon. Most mythologists assumed that Selene was an older moon goddess that was replaced later by Artemis in myth. [106], According to pseudo-Plutarch, Lilaeus was an Indian shepherd who only worshipped Selene among the gods and performed her rituals and mysteries at night. 1392). As punishment, he was either thrown out of Olympus or cast into an eternal sleep. 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. Worshiped as one of the important celestial lights of the heavens, Selene was also reputedly revered as a deity of agriculture and fertility. 527532; Shear, pp. -Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 10. Selene, the moon goddess, was reputed to have had many children by various fathers. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." 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. 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). [33] The Homeric Hymn to Helios follows this tradition: "Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphassa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed Selene and tireless Helios",[34] with Euryphassa ("widely shining") probably being an epithet of Theia. While other goddesses were associated with the night in more general terms, Selene was believed to be the embodiment of the moon herself. [82], Gaia, angered about her children the Titans being thrown into Tartarus following their defeat, brought forth the Giants, to attack the gods, in a war that was called the Gigantomachy. The most famous story of Selene, however, concerns her love for a mortal man. fr. The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. As the moon, Selene occupied an important place in popular religion. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. The Story of Selene. Most of the important Greek gods and goddesses had temple sites of their own. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. [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. Selene was not the only goddess the Greeks associated with the moon. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases. For this the Greek gods were to be worshiped. The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene one of the most important deities in the passage of time. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. 68 A75 D-K). She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Selene featured in few myths, with the most famous ones being the tales that tell of her lovers: Zeus, Pan and the mortal Endymion. She also had a statue, alongside Helios, in the public marketplace of Elis. That leaves Artemis and Selene. She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Occasionally she asked her brother to take over her duties so she could spend more time on the ground with Endymion. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? The two other daughters that Selene and Zeus had together was Nemea, the nymph of the town that the Nemean Lion was from, and Ersa, the personified version of dew. [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. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. Dark nights were a sign of the lunar goddesss eternal love for the sleeping mortal. 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? There are a few different versions of the myth. 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. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. Selene, the goddess of the moon, has two siblings: Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Helios, the sun god. [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: [118], Selene is commonly depicted with a crescent moon, often accompanied by stars; sometimes, instead of a crescent, a lunar disc is used. Greek months began with the first new moon and were organized into three ten-day weeks that roughly followed the progression of the lunar cycle. [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. Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. But she quite likes being glimpsed through the clouds and her coyness is somewhat . [120] Selene's head is sometimes surrounded by a nimbus, and from the Hellenistic period onwards, she is sometimes pictured with a torch. However, hers might not be a name that is quite as well-known. In later times, Selene was often associated with Artemis in the same way that her brother Helios was associated with Artemis brother Apollo. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. That was a basic unit of how the Greeks measured time in the old days. 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. 10; Pisander, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (FGrH) 16 frag. 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. 500450 BCE. Every evening, Selene ushered in nightfall and then drove her chariot through the night before giving way to dawn. 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. But in the case of her daughters with Endymion, it is widely known that Selene gave birth to the fifty daughters known as the Menai. SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. Mitchell, Lucy M., "Sculptures of the Great Pergamon Altar" in The Century Magazine, 1883. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. [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. [112], Selene was often paired with her brother Helios. 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). Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Palazzo Riva. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. Although Endymion slept for eternity, many sources said Selene continued to see him. She was also well known for her many affairs with men and her love that possibly . There is no mention of Selene as a goddess in either the Iliad or the Odyssey of Homer,[22] while her only mention in Hesiod's Theogony is as the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Eos. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. Selenes Roman counterpart was called Luna (from the Latin word meaning moon). She was unique, however, in her relationship with the orb itself. Selene (Greek mythology) The goddess of the Moon. 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. She was known for being the only Greek moon goddess portrayed as the embodiment of the moon by the ancient poets. Selene, like her siblings, was a Titan goddess because of her birth but they were no less important to the Greeks. Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.1ff (who names Helios as the father of the Horae but does not name the mother). Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. Only a handful of religious centers of Selene are known from the ancient world. H. G. Evelyn-White; cf. 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. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. Instead, Zeus collected all the herbs for himself. , in the passage of time being silver, [ 60 ] for it. Later by Artemis in the same way that her brother Helios is also quite popular in the old days her. Mythology ) the goddess of the myth does not involve Selene in the century Magazine, 1883 Greeks a. 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