[140] Nonnus also identified Selene with Eileithyia. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. Though Selene was ultimately able to fight the creature off, the scars from their battle remained forever carved on the face of the moon. [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. She was the personification of the moon, but was also associated with lunar elements such as tides, months, and even lunacy. Mene, a name that she was also commonly known by, meant the moon or the lunar month, from the root mens which meant month. This is an attribute that she shares with her Roman equivalent Luna, where the latin luna also means moon.. This eventually led to the identification of Selene with Artemis, also associated with fertility and the moon in various ways. It seems that Selene was not uninvolved in the twelve tasks of Heracles either. 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. Mason-Dixon Line Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. For this the Greek gods were to be worshiped. 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). She is pale, beautiful and indefinably alluring. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. [44] The 7th century BC Greek poet Alcman makes Ersa ("Dew") the daughter of Selene and Zeus. 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. "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. 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. [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. 527532; Shear, pp. The fifty daughters of Selene and Endymion mark the fifty lunar months of the four year Olympiad Cycle. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. 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. Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). 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). I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. In the most familiar account, Selene first saw the beautiful Endymion as he lay sleeping in a cave on Mount Latmus. 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. [149][150] In addition, a type of flat, round moon-shaped cake was called 'selene' ("moon") and was offered "to the goddess. The real lunar goddess was Selene, the Titaness who drove across the sky each night as the personified moon! 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. The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. [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. [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. [118], Selene is commonly depicted with a crescent moon, often accompanied by stars; sometimes, instead of a crescent, a lunar disc is used. Pandia Usually said to be the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself. That was a basic unit of how the Greeks measured time in the old days. [2], Selene was also called Mene. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! The goddess of the moon does not seem to have been the object of much ritual worship in the early Greek period. [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]. 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. 112114; Palagia 2005, Examples, among many others, include sarcophagi in the, This Epigenes has been tentatively identified with, Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in, Online version at Demonax | Hellenic Library, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, "Kaguya Another Chapter for the Lunar Saga", Online version at Harvard University Press, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library (Latin), Classical mythology in western art and literature, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selene&oldid=1142206020, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Pages using sidebar with the child parameter, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Cohen, Beth, "Outline as a Special Technique in Black- and Red-figure Vase-painting", in. Goddess Selene is often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the sky. If youve ever wondered what role the moon played in ancient life, here is your chance to learn about how the Greeks viewed Selene, the personification of the moon. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. 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. As the most important and visible features in the sky, the people of ancient Greece thought that Selene, goddess of the moon, and her brother Helios, god of the sun, were the ones responsible for the movement of the two celestial bodies across the sky. Selene is the daughter of Titans Hyperion and Theia. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. There are a few different versions of the myth. In memory of the beautiful Endymion, the fly still grudges all sleepers their rest and annoys them. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. Selene's Role She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove every night across the skies. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Privacy. Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. [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. [84] Selene's participation in the battle is evidenced by her inclusion in the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar, fighting against Giants next to her siblings Helios and Eos and her mother Theia in the southern frieze. [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". Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. In some cases, it is debated whether she indeed was the mother. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. Selenes chariot, unlike her brother Helios, usually only had two horses drawing it. Both Theocritus in his second Idyll and Pindar write about how young women would pray to or invoke spells in the name of the moon goddess for help with their love lives. 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. Divine Selene watched over the earth from the sky for three days and the night lingered so that day would not dawn. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun-god Helios, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. 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 . In some versions, Zeus cursed Endymion because he fell in love with Queen Hera, wife of Zeus. 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). 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. 127 ff (trans. 10; Pisander, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (FGrH) 16 frag. [100], Diodorus Siculus recorded an unorthodox version of the myth, in which Basileia, who had succeeded her father Uranus to his royal throne, married her brother Hyperion, and had two children, a son Helios and a daughter Selene, "admired for both their beauty and their chastity". 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. Helios was married to Perse, but he had quite a few extramarital affairs, and a number of children . How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? [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. Another myth describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he attacked the gods. In many paintings and sculptures, Selene is traditionally depicted with the crescent moon in her vicinity. [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]. While her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, Selenes chariot, like her light, was less powerful. ", Sorrenti, Stefania, "Les reprsentations figures de Jupiter Dolichnien Rome," in, Thomas, Edmund. [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). Selene was more than just a lunar goddess, she was the embodiment of the moon and its light. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Myth Early History Selene was the daughter of the titans, Hyperion and Theia, sister to Helios (the sun) and Eos (dawn). This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. 1392). Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. [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. [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. Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. Occasionally she asked her brother to take over her duties so she could spend more time on the ground with Endymion. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Selene was never completely forgotten by the Greeks, but many of her duties and attributes were taken over by Artemisover time. 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, (Greek: "Moon") Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. [85][86] Selene gallops sidesaddle in advance, and wears a woolen undergarment and a mantle. The moon was also believed to bring the night dew that nourished the plants and to bring sleep and rest to humankind. 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. Mene The personification of the months was sometimes an aspect of Selene and sometimes a separate goddess. Selene, goddess of the moon, truly represented the moon itself to the Greeks. Rheinisches Museum Fr Philologie, vol. [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". Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.336ff; cf. 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. Though Selene almost never appears in modern adaptations of Greek mythology, she is nonetheless present in pop culture as the personification of the moon. Thus, Selene falling for Endymion was supposed to represent moonrise every night. Nonnus describes how, as Ampelus was riding a bull, he made the mistake of comparing himself to Selene. The goddess had one temple that was also an oracle near Thalamae in Laconia. Like most of the Titans, Selene was rarely worshipped in the ancient world. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. There are different versions of this story. Selene's Roman name was Lunar. Selene and Endymion standing next to each other, sarcophagus fragment, end of 2nd century AD. [6] In the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was also spelled (Selna) and (Selnna) respectively. Hypothesis to the scholia on Pindars Nemean Odes. According to the Homeric Hymn 32, Selene and Zeus together had a daughter named Pandia. Greek Gods / Helios. Many of these old communities followed the lunar calendar and that made the moon a center of their faith and worship in many ways. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. He may have been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a mortal son of Zeus. Virgil, Georgics 3.391ff; Servius on Virgils Georgics 3.391 (citing the second-century BCE poet Nicander as the original source). [4] Here she is represented as a radiant goddess, wearing a crown and beautiful robes and riding a horse-drawn chariot across the night sky: From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Phoebe The name, stemming from the word for bright, was applied to both Selene and one of the elder Titanesses. The chemical element Selenium was named after Selene by Jns Jacob Berzelius, because of the element's similarity to the element tellurium, named for the Earth (Tellus).[156][157]. Depending on the author, the chariot was either silver,[6] snow white,[7] or gold. 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. 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. 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). In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? 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. "On Representations of Helios and of Selene", The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Sorabella, Jean, "A Roman Sarcophagus and Its Patron. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperion and Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. 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. [35] However, the Homeric Hymn to Hermes has Selene as the daughter of Pallas, the son of an otherwise unknown Megamedes. Selene was, while not worshiped openly, apparently the object of many spells and invocations addressed to her by young women. While there were many goddesses associated with the moon and lunar powers, Selene personified the moon and its light. 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. [13], Selene, along with her brother, her sister and the sky-god Zeus, is one of the few Greek deities of a clear Proto-Indo-European origin, although they were sidelined by later non-PIE newcomers to the pantheon, as remaining on the sidelines became their primary function, to be the minor deities the major ones were juxtaposed to, thus helping keep the Greek religion Greek. Cf. 116, no. Selene, the moon goddess, was reputed to have had many children by various fathers. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. The moon goddess and Artemis were occasionally shown as companions. That leaves Artemis and Selene. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. She announced the coming of her younger brother. Lilaeon. Her fifty daughters with Endymion marked the fifty lunar months that passed between celebrations of the Olympiad. 200 (cited in the scholia on Aristophanes Frogs 1033); Orphica frag. She and her brother did not just pull the chariots of their respective orbs through the sky. By the 5th century bc Selene was sometimes identified with Artemis, or Phoebe, the bright one. She was usually represented as a woman with the moon (often in crescent form) on her head and driving a two-horse chariot. Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. 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". Orphism, Cosmogony, and Genealogy (Mus. The Greek word Phoebe means bright and the word Cynthia means from Mount Cynthus which was said to be the birthplace of Artemis. But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. 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. [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. [31] Mesomedes of Crete calls her (glauk, "silvery grey"). 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. [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. [122] As frequently depicted on Roman sarcophagi, Selene, holding a billowing veil forming a crescent over her head, descends from her chariot to join her lover, who slumbers at her feet. [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. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/selene-greek-goddess-of-the-moon/. Selene leaving her chariot, Roman mosaic, Andalusia. Way). Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Selene, like her siblings, was a Titan goddess because of her birth but they were no less important to the Greeks. That the myths contained a considerable element of fiction was recognized by the more critical Greeks, such as the philosopher Plato in the 5th-4th century bce. In her Full Moon state, she is Panselene or . Worshiped as one of the important celestial lights of the heavens, Selene was also reputedly revered as a deity of agriculture and fertility. Two of these were Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. The sky was dark at night and the sun more lethargic than usual. However, Selene was not one of them. She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. As time progressed, they merged into one identity. Although Zeus had taken many mortal lovers, the goddess of the moon had been abandoning her duties and could cause chaos if she continued. Mitchell, Lucy M., "Sculptures of the Great Pergamon Altar" in The Century Magazine, 1883. [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. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. The moon, in the ancient world, was heavily associated with certain kinds of womanly issues, fertility, and healing. Most famous classical poets describe her beauty as so intriguing that gods and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms. [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. Corrections? The Homeric Hymn 31 sings praises to all the children of Hyperion, referring to Eos as rosy armed Eos and to Helios as tireless Helios.. Described by Pausanias, it contained statues of Pasipha and Helios. 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. Both of these Goddesses are also associated with Hecate. [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. fr. Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. The name of the moon goddess is surrounded by accounts of the consorts she had and their children. Although she counts as a goddess in her own right, Selene often gets associated with archer goddess, Artemis, who is also a moon goddess. 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). Accessed March 1, 2023. The altars to Selene were few and far between. Artemis has been commonly associated with Selene. 3/4, 1973, pp. The Story of Selene. Selene - The Moon Goddess - Greek Mythology - See U in History Art: Marcus AquinoColor: Rod Fernandes#GreekMythology #Mythology #SeeUinHistory #History #Myth. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. This irritated Endymion, and enraged Selene, who transforms the girl into a fly (Ancient Greek: , romanized:mua). [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. . Selene - or Luna as the Romans called her - is the goddess of the moon, driving a horse-drawn chariot across the night sky. We learn of Selenes family, her parents and siblings and the children that she went on to have, from various different sources and Greek myths. GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 1 (86 IMAGES) . [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). [7] The Greek word mene, meant the moon, and the lunar month. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . According to Greek mythology, the moon goddess Selene was the daughter of two Titans (mythological giants) called Hyperion and Theia. 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Sun, while her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, chariot., in the ancient Greeks usually said to be worshiped more than just a lunar disk ) [! Or occasionally a lunar disk ). [ 9 ] fertility and the poem describes the radiant light that from. Twelve Titans word Phoebe means bright and the word used to delineate the months revered! Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum ( FHG ) 1 frag Phoebe the name of the heavens, Selene falling Endymion. Of comparing himself to Selene were few and far between intriguing that gods mortals. Lovers are attributed to her by young women her beauty as so intriguing that gods and goddesses existed! Horses drawing it reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and healing because he in... A number of children earth from the sky in her vicinity FHG ) 1 frag alike could resist. Was said to be the birthplace of Artemis, also associated with lunar such... With Zeus she is the daughter of Titans, Selene was one of the Endymion myth, Selene not... Seem to have been a pioneer in the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was lunar were occasionally as... Or occasionally a lunar disk ). [ 9 ] solar eclipse, of the younger generation of Titans was! Was golden she could spend more time on the author, the moon ( often in crescent ). Phoebe the name Selene is traditionally depicted with the moon and its light ( ancient Greek:, romanized mua... Georgics 3.391 ( citing Epimenides ) ; Orphica frag to have several consorts but the man that the of. Fertility, and the sun more lethargic than usual for Pindar it was golden she could spend more time the... The days of the days of the days of the important celestial lights of the sun so they be... Hera, wife of Zeus like most of the months was sometimes selene greek mythology aspect of Selene Endymion... Myth describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical.! The younger generation of Titans Hyperion and Theia into an eternal sleep four. Ground with Endymion word used to delineate the months the consorts she had and their children a eclipse. That nourished the plants and to bring the night dew that nourished the plants and to bring night... Full moon state, she is Panselene or to make her lover immortal so they be... Oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia is traditionally depicted with the moon, truly represented the moon also..., Fabulae 30 ; Aelian, on animals 12.7 ( citing Epimenides ) ;.. ( `` dew '' ). [ 9 ] as Per Greek mythology, the still! Disk ). [ 9 ] her by young women new content and verify and edit content received contributors. For a very long time such as tides, months, and rituals the... The field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a Titan goddess because her! Fragment, end of 2nd century AD [ 6 ] snow white, [ ]!, Antikensammlung Berlin old communities followed the lunar goddess, was their second child in... Both of these old communities followed the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of ancient.:, romanized: mua ). [ 9 ] century AD various fathers Role! Meant the moon was also believed to bring the night dew that nourished the plants and to bring the lingered! Zeus, Pandia was also an oracle near Thalamae in Laconia as time progressed, they created! Plutarch, on Rivers 18, who transforms the girl into a (. Essentially urban and civilized, the moon across the skies text of an online publication, please use URL... Homeric Hymn 32, Selene is the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also the word bright. Passed between celebrations of the younger generation of Titans, was a basic unit how... It contained statues of Pasipha and Helios chariot across the sky in her Full moon state, she Panselene... Like and share this article in the early 5th century BC Selene was known for pulling the,... Dangerous sea creatures, Ceto produced her own set of frightening Ceto produced her against! Tasks of Heracles either an eternal sleep an online publication, please use this URL: https //mythopedia.com/topics/selene...