selene greek mythologyselene greek mythology

According to some, she bore fifty children while her lover slept and dreamed of her beauty. 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]. [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. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Selene detail from a sarcophagus, imperial period. Depending on the author, the chariot was either silver,[6] snow white,[7] or gold. 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. SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Worshiped as one of the important celestial lights of the heavens, Selene was also reputedly revered as a deity of agriculture and fertility. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. They included: The lunar goddesses sometimes worked together. Selene saw him as she passed overhead and fell deeply in love. 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. 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. In the more familiar tradition, however, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and Themis, and there were only three of them (even their names are completely different: Eirene, Eunomia, and Dike). Endymion was, depending on the source, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd. In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. 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, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. Those that do exist are somewhat generic (like the previously mentioned epithets). She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. She began to do this every night, leaving her chariot behind and making the sky dark with her absence. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Omissions? In the center of the main panel Selene descends from her chariot, whose horses are held by a nymph, to join Endymion, who lies to the right. Most famous classical poets describe her beauty as so intriguing that gods and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms. And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. [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]. [11], Just as Helios, from his identification with Apollo, is called Phoebus ("bright"), Selene, from her identification with Artemis, is also called Phoebe (feminine form). 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. 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. "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). This is also not the only Homeric Hymn in which the beautiful goddess finds mention. 500450 BCE. Cf. Names of the Goddess. [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. Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses (e.g., Democritus, frag. [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. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. [72] A scholiast on Apollonius says that, according to Epimenides, Endymion fell in love with Hera, and Zeus punished him with eternal sleep. Kapach, Avi. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. 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. The three children have become much more well-known in general Greek literature than their parents, especially after the fall from grace of Hyperion, who stood by his brother Cronus in the latters war against Zeus and was banished to Tartarus for it. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. 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. Hurwit 2017, pp. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. 527532; Shear, pp. What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. [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. Francoise Gury, Selene/Luna, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich: Artemis, 1994), 7:70615. It was only later, when Selene began to be conflated with other lunar goddesses, that she was openly worshiped. Hesiod, Theogony 371ff; Apollodorus, Library 1.2.2; etc. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs."[70]. 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 some cases, it is debated whether she indeed was the mother. Who were Zeus' Lovers? She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. (Also, the name of the Titan Goddess Phoebe and an epithet of Artemis.). There are different versions of this story. This is a relatively late text. 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. 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. All of these qualities bound Selene to the natural phenomena of time and seasons and the rejuvenation of nature as well, even apart from her ability to shed light. This might have had a role in the later identification of Selene with Hecate, who was, after all, the goddess of witchcraft and spells. Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.1ff (who names Helios as the father of the Horae but does not name the mother). However, her greatest love was a lowly mortal named Endymion. If you thought Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon, you are only partially right. Accessed March 1, 2023. 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 worshipped at the new and full moons. [31] Mesomedes of Crete calls her (glauk, "silvery grey"). 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. A variation of this symbol was the nimbus, which surrounded her head, depicting the celestial light she bestowed on the world. The goddess of the moon does not seem to have been the object of much ritual worship in the early Greek period. Many people believed that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid. [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. The ancient Greeks saw her as the actual representation of the moon. [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. 14)" in, Osborne, Robin, "Looking on Greek Style. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (/slini/; Greek: pronounced[seln], meaning "Moon"[2]) is the personification of the Moon. Obbink, Dirk (2002), "'All Gods are True' in Epicurus" in, Obbink, Dirk (2011) "56. Like Helios with the sun, Selene drove the moon across the sky each night in a chariot. They put Hyperion to the sword, and drowned Helios in the river Eridanus. There are a number of stories about the moon goddess Selene in Greek mythology, in association with the other Greek gods, especially Zeus. The ancient Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the work of a witch, particularly the witches of Thessaly. 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. Selene was, while not worshiped openly, apparently the object of many spells and invocations addressed to her by young women. Selene was not the only lunar goddess of the Greeks. Selene The Greek God Selene is best known as the Titan Goddess of the moon. She was unique, however, in her relationship with the orb itself. [4], The name "Selene" is derived from the Greek noun selas (), meaning "light, brightness, gleam". "[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. Goddess Selene is often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the sky. Most mythologists assumed that Selene was an older moon goddess that was replaced later by Artemis in myth. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. Corrections? 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). 2022 Wasai LLC. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Selene had an altar at Pergamon, at the sanctuary of Demeter, the goddess of spring. The moon, in the ancient world, was heavily associated with certain kinds of womanly issues, fertility, and healing. The bull panicked, threw Ampelus and gored him to death. [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". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Selene is the daughter of Titans Hyperion and Theia. 14 In works of art, however, the two divinities are usually distinguished; the face of Selene, the goddess of the moon, has two siblings: Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Helios, the sun god. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. Whenever the moon could not be seen in the night sky, it was because Selene had paused to take in Endymions beauty once again. According to Greek mythology, the moon goddess Selene was the daughter of two Titans (mythological giants) called Hyperion and Theia. Selene was said to drive her moon chariot across the sky every night, from east to west, following her brother. Lilaeon. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. [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. This was common for many of the younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against Zeus. 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. Whether this Pallas (called the son of Megamedes) is the same as the Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear. The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. Wells, the sophisticated insect-like creatures that live on the moon are called Selenites, cleverly named after the Greek moon goddess. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. [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. In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. Their names differed from the other triads of Horae and they were considered to be the personifications of the four seasons itself. 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 . Way). Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. [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. [103], In Lucian's Icaromenippus, Selene complains to the titular Menippus of all the outrageous claims philosophers are making about her, such as wondering why she is ever waxing or gibbous, whether she is populated or not, and stating that she is getting her stolen light from the Sun, causing strife and ill feelings between her and her brother. 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. She was said to represent the full moon. [132] At Athens, wineless offerings (nephalia) were made to Selene, along with other celestial gods, Selene's siblings Helios and Eos, and Aphrodite Ourania;[133] in Attica, it seems that Selene was identified with Aphrodite. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. Mitchell, Lucy M., "Sculptures of the Great Pergamon Altar" in The Century Magazine, 1883. 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. Is debated whether she indeed was the work of a solar eclipse of! Pan, and healing generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles Zeus. 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