She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. The phases of the moonespecially the new moon and the full moonplayed a central role in the ancient Greeks understanding of time and agriculture. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. [141], Selene played an important role in love magic. Selene the moon goddess was a minor figure in ancient Greek mythology. Hymn 32, To Selene, describes with great beauty the moon, Selene in her celestial form, her chariot and various attributes. This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Selene-Greek-and-Roman-mythology, Ancient Origins - Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon. Two winged steeds pulled her across the sky each night. Kapach, Avi. [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 moon goddess was said to have had several lovers, including Zeus and the wild god Pan. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. Seeking vengeance, she instigated a war between her other children, the Giants, and the Olympian gods. [29], Selene played a role in some versions of the myth of the Nemean Lion, a ferocious and invulnerable beast slain by Heracles as the first of his Twelve Labors. The altars to Selene were few and far between. Modern audiences do not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however. [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. A third version of the story had Endymion himself choose an ageless sleep as opposed to living a mortal life. The ancient Greeks saw her as the actual representation of the moon. In rarer traditions, she is the daughter of the Titan Pallas. In her Full Moon state, she is Panselene or . 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"). In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and Selene (the Moon ). Because Basileia's other brothers envied these offspring, and feared that Hyperion would try to seize power for himself, they conspired against him. Selene had a relationship with the god Pan, according to Virgil. Witchcraft has long been believed to have had a connection with the moon and it was no different in antiquity. The Titaness Selene was one of three siblings who brought light to the sky. [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. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. Selene saw him as she passed overhead and fell deeply in love. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. I have been in love with all things related to 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. That leaves Artemis and Selene. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) "[139] Roman philosopher Cicero connected Selene's Roman counterpart Luna's name to childbirth goddess Lucina's, both deriving from "light" (thus bringing the unborn child into the light). According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. For centuries, those affected by mental illness were referred to as lunatics.. Zeus put Endymion into an eternal sleep so the goddess could see him forever as a beautiful young man. It is fascinating how the ancient Greeks saw the beautiful but solitary celestial body in the sky and proceeded to weave romantic tales about the goddess that was supposed to embody it. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. [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). But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. Ceto - Goddess of the Water. Whenever the moon could not be seen in the night sky, it was because Selene had paused to take in Endymions beauty once again. Occasionally she asked her brother to take over her duties so she could spend more time on the ground with Endymion. Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). The myth of Selene, the moon goddess, is no exception. Most mythologists assumed that Selene was an older moon goddess that was replaced later by Artemis in myth. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. "[42], According to the Homeric Hymn to Selene, the goddess bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia ("All-brightness"),[43] "exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods". Endymion was, depending on the source, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd. The first mention of the moon goddess in Greek mythology was probably in the Homeric Hymns. Pandia Usually said to be the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself. [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. However, hers might not be a name that is quite as well-known. The sky was dark at night and the sun more lethargic than usual. While most of the Homeric Hymns were written in the seventh or sixth century BCE, the Homeric Hymn to Selene was probably composed no earlier than the fourth century BCE. Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. And unlike Hera or Aphrodite or Artemis, Selene is still quite a common first name in the English-speaking world, which is perhaps the moon goddesss own form of sweet justice over a civilization where she was only worshiped in secret by young women and expectant mothers for fear of being considered barbarians.. 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. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. 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). What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? Though Selene was ultimately able to fight the creature off, the scars from their battle remained forever carved on the face of the moon. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Deciphering the Role of Helios, the Sun God of Greek Mythology. There was an Athenian festival named the Pandia, held in honor of Zeus, which was perhaps celebrated on a full moon night. 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? How old is the United States of America? From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. In other versions, Endymion was actually taken to Mount Olympus. But while there, he committed some transgression (usually, he was said to have fallen in love with Zeus wife Hera). 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. Helius, Selene, Eos, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Nike, Boreas, Zephyrus, Astra) GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 8 (83 IMAGES) 13 In later times Selene was identified with Artemis, and the worship of the two became amalgamated. Privacy. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. But on nights the moon could not be seen, there was a very good reason for her absence. Finally, although this account is more in doubt, some stories say that Selene and her brother Helios together birthed one of the generations of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. Perhaps the most colorful ancient description of Selene comes from Homeric Hymn 32 (the Homeric Hymn to Selene). However, Selene was not one of them. 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. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." The two other daughters that Selene and Zeus had together was Nemea, the nymph of the town that the Nemean Lion was from, and Ersa, the personified version of dew. 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). The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. [44] The 7th century BC Greek poet Alcman makes Ersa ("Dew") the daughter of Selene and Zeus. 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. 199; Strabo, Geography 14.1.8; Catullus, Odes 66.5; Propertius, Elegies 2.15; Ovid, Heroides 15.89ff, 18.59ff; Seneca, Phaedra 309ff; Hyginus, Fabulae 271; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 8.28ff; Lucian, Dialogues of the Gods 19; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 2.325ff, 4.195ff, 7.237ff, and passim; Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.125ff; etc. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. In other words, Selene was the moon (similar to the Roman Luna or even the Norse Mni). Selene does not appear in modern adaptations of Greek myths, since she is not exactly one of the major Greek gods like Zeus or Aphrodite. Selene's Role She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove every night across the skies. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. 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. [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. But unlike other night goddesseslike Nyx, Hecate, and sometimes even ArtemisSelene represented the moon itself. Updates? H. G. Evelyn-White; cf. She was often said to be the mother of the Horai, the personifications of the division of time and the seasons. [117] Selene also appears on horseback as part of the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar. Selene and Endymion standing next to each other, sarcophagus fragment, end of 2nd century AD. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order [2], Selene was also called Mene. Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. As time progressed, they merged into one identity. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. Hyperions role is not fully known today, but given that he was the god of heavenly light in all its forms, it may be assumed that his children, powerful as they were in their individual capacities, only held a fraction of the might of their Titan father. [75] Cicero seems to make Selene responsible for Endymion's sleep, so that "she might kiss him while sleeping". 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". Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. There are a number of stories about the moon goddess Selene in Greek mythology, in association with the other Greek gods, especially Zeus. In antiquity, Selene would also often be depicted either riding upon a bull, or upon a silvery chariot drawn by two winged horses. Selene was more than just a lunar goddess, she was the embodiment of the moon and its light. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. The goddess took offense, and sent a gadfly to sting Ampelus' bull. The first depictions of Selenes moon chariot goes back to the early 5th century BCE. Selene, the goddess of the moon, has two siblings: Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Helios, the sun god. . The most important of Selenes symbols was her moon chariot. This was the mythological explanation for the movement of the moon across the sky. The Theoi Project galleries contain more than 1,200 images of ancient Greek and Roman art. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. The counterpart to her brother, she traveled by night. Most of the important Greek gods and goddesses had temple sites of their own. In Greek mythology, Selene was the Titan goddess of the moon. Greek months began with the first new moon and were organized into three ten-day weeks that roughly followed the progression of the lunar cycle. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. [104] Zeus agrees, urged by Selene's complaints and having long intended to deal with the philosophers himself. The concept of Selene as the lunar goddess also made her an important goddess of childbirth and female fertility. 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. [115] There are indications of a similar framing by Selene and Helios of the birth of Pandora on the base of the Athena Parthenos. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . 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. Mythopedia, December 07, 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. Mene The personification of the months was sometimes an aspect of Selene and sometimes a separate goddess. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Selene. Mythopedia, 7 Dec. 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. [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. [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. Helios was married to Perse, but he had quite a few extramarital affairs, and a number of children . 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. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. She was said to represent the full moon. Selene had an altar at Pergamon, at the sanctuary of Demeter, the goddess of spring. The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Does the sculpted girl speak to women too?" 1. According to Hesiods Theogony, Selene was born of Hyperion and Theia. The Greek word Phoebe means bright and the word Cynthia means from Mount Cynthus which was said to be the birthplace of Artemis. The goddess Selene was the daughter of Titius Hyperion and Theia. The idea that Selene would also give easy labours to women paved way for identification with Hera and the Roman Juno and Lucina, three other childbirth goddesses; Plutarch calls Selene "Hera in material form. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. 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). And along with Selene, the moon moved as well. [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. Selene then turned Lilaeus into a mountain, Mt. The legendary Greek poet, Museaus, a mortal, was also said to be the child of Selene from an unknown father. Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.1ff (who names Helios as the father of the Horae but does not name the mother). 1999, Mark P. O. Morford, Robert J. Lenardon, Classical Mythology, page 43, Balancing Arria is the union of Selene and Endymion. . [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. The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, in which months were delineated by the cycles of the moon. 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. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. According to the Homeric Hymn 32, Selene and Zeus together had a daughter named Pandia. How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Palazzo Riva. Selene, like her siblings, was a Titan goddess because of her birth but they were no less important to the Greeks. Certain types of insanity were said to be brought on by the moons influence, and it was believed that Selene had the power to create lunacy with purpose. Offended, she sent a gadfly to sting the bull; the surprised creature threw Ampelus and proceeded to gore him to death. The moon goddess and Artemis were occasionally shown as companions. Along with Selenes siblings, the moon goddess suppressed her light so that the mighty Titanan goddess could not find a herb that would reputedly make the Giants invincible. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Eos represented the warm light that could be seen coming up above the horizon before the sun appeared in full. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. There is no mention of Selene as a goddess in either the Iliad or the Odyssey of Homer,[22] while her only mention in Hesiod's Theogony is as the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Eos. The tale of Endymion and Selene is one that has resonated with people for millennia. Although Zeus had taken many mortal lovers, the goddess of the moon had been abandoning her duties and could cause chaos if she continued. Selene leaving her chariot, Roman mosaic, Andalusia. Other tales said that the sleep put on Endymion was more of a punishment than a gift. Pan, the god of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed in a sheepskin. Omissions? Often she was shown in a chariot drawn by a team of horses or oxen, but other times there was no chariot, and Selene would instead appear on the back of a horse or mule. Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. However, in the science fiction book The First Men on the Moon by H.G. They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. 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. 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