Accessed on 27 Feb. 2023. Omissions? According to Lucian, Selene had a rival for Endymions love named Myia. But while there, he committed some transgression (usually, he was said to have fallen in love with Zeus wife Hera). Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). However, Selene was not one of them. This article is about the Greek goddess. 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. In her Full Moon state, she is Panselene or . [52] There are no mentions of Selene's chariot in either Homer or Hesiod,[53] but the Homeric Hymn to Selene, gives the following description: 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. There were still several goddesses who shared Selenes lunar domain, however. Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. [112], Selene was often paired with her brother Helios. Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. Hurwit 2017, pp. If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. [6] In the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was also spelled (Selna) and (Selnna) respectively. The second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft following was named SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) after Selene, and was also known as Kaguya in Japan. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. Her name was spelt differently in the different dialects of the Greeks but the meaning was the same. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. 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). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 1392). Selene, (Greek: Moon) Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. The moon goddess and Artemis were occasionally shown as companions. Selene. [2], Selene was also called Mene. [126] Pausanias also described seeing two stone images in the market-place of Elis, one of the sun and the other of the moon, from the heads of which projected the rays of the sun and the horns of the crescent moon. [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. [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. [95], Anaxagoras also reports that the Nemean lion was said to have fallen from the moon. Lilaeon. Selene could still see her sleeping love whenever she pleased, but the pressures of time and mortality were taken off her. 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). (Also, the name of the Titan Goddess Phoebe and an epithet of Artemis.). [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. [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. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. 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? GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 1 (86 IMAGES) . There is a magnificent frieze in the Pergamon Altar, now kept at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, which depicts this battle between the Giants and the Olympians. Selene was not the only goddess the Greeks associated with the moon. Selene was one of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses, and her story is one of the most captivating in Greek mythology. Her sister Eos was the light of dawn and their brother Helios drew the chariot of the sun across the sky each day. In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. In other versions, Endymion was actually taken to Mount Olympus. 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. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. ", Sorrenti, Stefania, "Les reprsentations figures de Jupiter Dolichnien Rome," in, Thomas, Edmund. Privacy Policy. Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.1ff (who names Helios as the father of the Horae but does not name the mother). [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. Thus, Selene falling for Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every night. 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. 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. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. The great English Romantic poet John Keats wrote a poem about the mortal, entitled Endymion, with some of the most famous opening lines in the English language. Attributes to the Byrgos Painter, ca. Selene is probably most famous for her love of Endymion, a handsome young man from Asia Minor (though some said that he was from Elis). Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Ceto - Goddess of the Water. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. [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. [27], In late accounts, Selene (like the moon itself) is often described as having horns. 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. 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. How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. Selene had an altar at Pergamon, at the sanctuary of Demeter, the goddess of spring. Although Zeus had taken many mortal lovers, the goddess of the moon had been abandoning her duties and could cause chaos if she continued. Occasionally Selenes chariot was pulled by oxen or bulls, again differentiating it from the faster vehicle of her brother. They were even called by their names, Phoebe and Phoebus respectively, in some sources. This was common for many of the younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against Zeus. The masculine form, Phoebus, was used in reference to either Apollo or. 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. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. 14 In works of art, however, the two divinities are usually distinguished; the face of Selene with sleeping Endymion, fresco in the fourth Pompeian style. This eventually led to the identification of Selene with Artemis, also associated with fertility and the moon in various ways. Her list of powers are unmatched, as far as lunar goddesses go. Let's take a closer look at her story. But Selene was also called by many generic epithets that were used for other goddesses as well, including (euplokmos, she of the beautiful hair), (leuklnos, white-armed), (glaukpis, gray-eyed, bright-eyed, an epithet most commonly associated with Athena), and (kyanpis, dark-eyed, essentially the opposite of glaukpis). 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. 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. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. Attic red-figure kylix showing Selene riding the chariot of the moon, drawn by two winged horses. [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. Endymion 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. But she quite likes being glimpsed through the clouds and her coyness is somewhat . The other gods, angered, sent him two lions to tear him apart. As the goddess of the division of the months, Selene was a goddess of time. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. The name of the moon goddess is surrounded by accounts of the consorts she had and their children. She announced the coming of her younger brother. She began to do this every night, leaving her chariot behind and making the sky dark with her absence. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. The myth of Selene, the moon goddess, is no exception. 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. Selene and Helios together were said to be the parents of the four Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. Hymn 31, To Helios, also speaks of the two sisters of Helios where the rich-tressed Selene is once again alluded to. Selene fought back the giant, locking horns with Typhon; afterwards, she carried many scars on her orb, reminiscent of their battle. The moon goddess was said to have had several lovers, including Zeus and the wild god Pan. If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right. The ancient Greeks saw her as the actual representation of the moon. In this case, the story of Selene embracing Endymion, or Moon embraces Diver, refers to the sun setting and the moon rising. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs."[70]. "[80], Lucian also records an otherwise unattested myth where a pretty young girl called Muia becomes Selene's rival for Endymion's affections; the chatty maiden would endlessly talk to him while he slept, causing him to wake up. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. 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. The animals, however, were almost always shown as pure white regardless of their type. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. The bull panicked, threw Ampelus and gored him to death. [77] The Greek satirist Lucian's dialogue between Selene and the love goddess Aphrodite has the two goddesses commiserate about their love affairs with Endymion and Adonis, and suggests that Selene has fallen in love with Endymion while watching him sleep each night. 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. 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. In Greek literature, Eos is presented as a daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, the sister of the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene. In this aspect she was closely associated with Dionysus. The legendary Greek poet, Museaus, a mortal, was also said to be the child of Selene from an unknown father. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. [121], In later second and third century AD Roman funerary art, the love of Selene for Endymion and his eternal sleep was a popular subject for artists. She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. Both of these Goddesses are also associated with Hecate. The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. Selene then turned Lilaeus into a mountain, Mt. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. 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 sky was dark at night and the sun more lethargic than usual. Another myth describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he attacked the gods. This is at times accompanied by stars to depict the night sky, but the crescent moon was perhaps the most recognizable of Selenes symbols. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperion and Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. Way). There are different versions of this story. Indeed, it reflects the fascinating way the Greeks observed the . Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. Zeus had enough sympathy for Selene to not kill Endymion outright, but he put the human man in an enchanted sleep on Mount Latmus in the East so Selene would have no further reason to descend to earth each night. Pandia (or Pandia Selene) may have personified the full moon,[130] and an Athenian festival, called the Pandia, usually considered to be a festival for Zeus,[131] was perhaps celebrated on the full moon and may have been associated with Selene. 500450 BCE. She and her brother did not just pull the chariots of their respective orbs through the sky. The goddess of the hunt became associated with the moon and lunar cycles. Her name is linked with those of various other goddesses, such as Artemis and Hecate, who are also associated with the moon. [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 another story she was loved by Pan. Same thing happened with Helius and Apollo. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. The Greeks (like many other ancient peoples) were notoriously terrified of eclipses, viewing them as signs of the gods displeasure.[3]. The first mention of the moon goddess in Greek mythology was probably in the Homeric Hymns. 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. Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. While her brother was clad in shining gold, her light was softer and more clear. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. [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. 573 Bernab. 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). [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. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. [40][41] Furthermore, in Virgil's Aeneid, when Nisus calls upon Selene/the Moon, he addresses her as "daughter of Latona. Occasionally she asked her brother to take over her duties so she could spend more time on the ground with Endymion. The scientist Jons Jacob Berzelius named it such since the element was very similar in nature to tellurium, which was named after the Earth, whose Greek name is Tellus. [31], Ampelus was a handsome young male satyr and the first love of the god Dionysus. 527532; Shear, pp. There existed an oracular sanctuary for her in Laconia, near Thalamai. ; s take a closer look at her story is one of the months, Selene falling for was. 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