[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. 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. Different sources vary as to whether the chariot was golden or silver, but a silver chariot would seem to fit better with the goddess of the moon. Selene and Endymion, in the mural above the stage of the Friedrich von Thiersch Saal in the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. [10] The Greek Stoic philosopher Chrysippus interpreted Selene and Men as, respectively, the female and male aspects of the same god. According to the Homeric Hymn 32, Selene and Zeus together had a daughter named Pandia. Is the Mother of Castor and Pollux a Goddess? And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and Selene (the Moon ). Hyginus, preface to Fabulae. Most mythologists assumed that Selene was an older moon goddess that was replaced later by Artemis in myth. Way). Selene was so enamored of the young man that she left the sky to see him more closely. [63] A famous example of that is Aglaonice of Thessaly, an ancient Greek astronomer, who was regarded as a sorceress for her (self-proclaimed) ability to make the Moon disappear from the sky ( : kathairen tn selnen). Those that do exist are somewhat generic (like the previously mentioned epithets). The goddess Selene was the daughter of Titius Hyperion and Theia. The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. Some even said that the Nemean Lion, as the offspring of Selene, had originally fallen from the moon.[30]. Nyx is the goddess of the night and is thus associated with the new moon. For centuries, those affected by mental illness were referred to as lunatics.. 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 is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun-god Helios, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. In another story she was loved by Pan. With his sister, the Titaness Theia, Hyperion fathered Helios (the Sun), Selene (the Moon) and Eos (the Dawn).. Hyperion was, along with his son Helios, a personification of the sun, with the two sometimes . Selene is the goddess of the moon. The sky was dark at night and the sun more lethargic than usual. Hesiod, Theogony 371ff; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2; etc. That haunted cave [on Mount Latmos] of fair-haired Nymphai (Nymphs) where, as Endymion slept beside his kine, divine Selene watched him from on high, and slid from heaven to earth; for passionate love drew down the immortal stainless queen of night. This might have had a role in the later identification of Selene with Hecate, who was, after all, the goddess of witchcraft and spells. Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. By all accounts, Selene seemed to have played a major role in this war. Two of the original twelve Titans descended from Uranus and Gaia, Hyperion was the Titan god of heavenly light while Theia was the Titan goddess of vision and the aether. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. [7] The Greek word mene, meant the moon, and the lunar month. [19] 'Helen' is related to 'Helios' instead, and it seems that they two figures stem from a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor, the Sun Maiden.[20][21]. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The other gods, angered, sent him two lions to tear him apart. 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). Helius, Selene, Eos, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Nike, Boreas, Zephyrus, Astra) GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 8 (83 IMAGES) As the embodiment of the moon, Selene and the movement of her chariot across the night sky was important for the Greeks to measure time. [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. Selene was written off and Artemis became the goddess of the moon, hunting, and animals. 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 counterpart to her brother, she traveled by night. [95], Anaxagoras also reports that the Nemean lion was said to have fallen from the moon. 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. In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. Euripides, Phoenician Women 17576; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 44.191. The moon goddess was said to have had several lovers, including Zeus and the wild god Pan. Many of these old communities followed the lunar calendar and that made the moon a center of their faith and worship in many ways. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. 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. The most important of Selenes symbols was her moon chariot. [64][65] Those who brought down the Moon were thought to bring ill fortune upon themselves, as evidenced by the proverb ("you are bringing down the Moon on yourself") said for those who caused self-inflicted evils; some witches supposedly avoided this fate by sacrificing their children or their eyeballs. Both of these Goddesses are also associated with Hecate. Lunacy takes its name from Selenes Roman counterpart, Luna. The fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion mark the fifty lunar months of the four year Olympiad Cycle. [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. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. 2022 Wasai LLC. Greek mythology has beautiful explanations for many natural phenomena. [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. 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. [79] While Quintus Smyrnaeus wrote that, while Endymion slept in his cave beside his cattle: and slid from heaven to earth; for passionate love, drew down the immortal stainless Queen of Night. For other uses, see, Detail of Selene from a Roman sarcophagus, A winged Selene seems to be unique to this. Corrections? "[42], According to the Homeric Hymn to Selene, the goddess bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia ("All-brightness"),[43] "exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods". [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. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. 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. 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 herself most often wore a crown of gleaming silver, which matched her silver chariot. 7 (all cited in the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.57); Sappho, frag. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Learn more about our mission. [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. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Selene had an altar at Pergamon, at the sanctuary of Demeter, the goddess of spring. However, hers might not be a name that is quite as well-known. [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. She was said to represent the full moon. There are different versions of this story. [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. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Her grandparents are Gaia, (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). According to Hesiod's 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). See esp. 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. Lilaeon. Virgil, Georgics 3.391ff; Servius on Virgils Georgics 3.391 (citing the second-century BCE poet Nicander as the original source). What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Epimenides, in the theogony that was ascribed to him, also calls her lovely haired, perhaps due to the Homeric Hymns themselves. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. [46], From Pausanias we hear that Selene was supposed to have had fifty daughters, by her lover Endymion, often assumed to represent the fifty lunar months of the Olympiad. Myth Early History Selene was the daughter of the titans, Hyperion and Theia, sister to Helios (the sun) and Eos (dawn). The goddess of the hunt became associated with the moon and lunar cycles. In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. Her fifty daughters with Endymion marked the fifty lunar months that passed between celebrations of the Olympiad. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases. 3. 80; Acusilaus, FHG 1 frag. 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. [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"). 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). Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. 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"). [72] A scholiast on Apollonius says that, according to Epimenides, Endymion fell in love with Hera, and Zeus punished him with eternal sleep. As time progressed, they merged into one identity. [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. Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. A third version of the story had Endymion himself choose an ageless sleep as opposed to living a mortal life. How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? [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]. 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 Greek word Phoebe means bright and the word Cynthia means from Mount Cynthus which was said to be the birthplace of Artemis. Endymion Privacy Policy. [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". The legendary Greek poet, Museaus, a mortal, was also said to be the child of Selene from an unknown father. 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. 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? [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. 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. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. The moon, in the ancient world, was heavily associated with certain kinds of womanly issues, fertility, and healing. Selene - The Moon Goddess - Greek Mythology - See U in History Art: Marcus AquinoColor: Rod Fernandes#GreekMythology #Mythology #SeeUinHistory #History #Myth. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. Like Artemis, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. 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. [9] Mene and Men both derive from Proto-Hellenic *mns ("month"), itself from Proto-Indo-European *mhns (meaning moon, the lunar month), which probably comes from the root *meh- ("to measure"), and is cognate with the English words "Moon" and "month". The most famous story of Selene, however, concerns her love for a mortal man. [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 most well-known story of Selene is her love of the mortal man Endymion. Selene, (Greek: "Moon") Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death 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. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. Chiswick House, London, UK. It did not take long for Zeus to notice something was amiss. This is at times accompanied by stars to depict the night sky, but the crescent moon was perhaps the most recognizable of Selenes symbols. Like her brother Helios, the Sun god, who drives his sun chariot across the sky each day, Selene is also said to drive a chariot across the heavens. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. 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. Mene The personification of the months was sometimes an aspect of Selene and sometimes a separate goddess. [5], Selenes moon chariotsimilar to the sun chariot of her brother Helios and the dawn chariot of her sister Eoswas probably her most distinctive and consistent attribute. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. This eventually led to the identification of Selene with Artemis, also associated with fertility and the moon in various ways. Although in most myths, the Horae appear to be triads born of Zeus and Themis, in this particular incarnation they were the daughters of Selene and Helios. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. 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. She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. "On Representations of Helios and of Selene", The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Sorabella, Jean, "A Roman Sarcophagus and Its Patron. [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. The second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft following was named SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) after Selene, and was also known as Kaguya in Japan. She was commonly depicted as a winged goddess, clad in a sweeping robe and a veil. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. Eventually, she became identified with Artemis, goddess of the wilderness, who was sometimes associated with the moon. 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. SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. This claim has been takenby Plutarch at first, and subsequently by modern astronomersto mean that she could predict the time and general area where an eclipse of the Moon would occur. Selene, the moon goddess, was reputed to have had many children by various fathers. In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses (e.g., Democritus, frag. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. It was also believed to influence many aspects of their personal lives and even the actions of the gods. How old is the United States of America? She was worshipped at the new and full moons. Selene was the ancient Greek Titan goddess of the moon. Hurwit 2017, pp. Her list of powers are unmatched, as far as lunar goddesses go. 573 Bernab. Sometimes these were winged horses, although some later accounts had the chariot drawn by bulls. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. [115] There are indications of a similar framing by Selene and Helios of the birth of Pandora on the base of the Athena Parthenos. fr. When Selene spied him sleeping in a cave, she immediately fell in love and asked Zeus to extend his sleep for all eternity. 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. She and her brother did not just pull the chariots of their respective orbs through the sky. According to Hesiods Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos (Dawn). Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. While her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, Selenes chariot, like her light, was less powerful. What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? She was often said to be the mother of the Horai, the personifications of the division of time and the seasons. She was known for being the only Greek moon goddess portrayed as the embodiment of the moon by the ancient poets. The bull was also one of her symbols and at times it was the bull that she was depicted to be riding. [127] Selene (along with Helios, Nyx and others) received an altar at the sanctuary of Demeter at Pergamon, possibly in connection with the Orphic mysteries. She was the Greek goddess of the Moon and her sisters were the Eos and Helios. Selene was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. 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