-Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 10. [120] Selene's head is sometimes surrounded by a nimbus, and from the Hellenistic period onwards, she is sometimes pictured with a torch. Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. The ancient Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the work of a witch, particularly the witches of Thessaly. Hecate and her followers, for example, asked Selene for her cooperation in their magic. Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. Hymn 31, To Helios, also speaks of the two sisters of Helios where the rich-tressed Selene is once again alluded to. 1392). [140] Nonnus also identified Selene with Eileithyia. Accessed on 27 Feb. 2023. [2] She was often associated with cycles of growth and agriculture, female menstruation, and mysterious diseases like epilepsy and demonic possession. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun-god Helios, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. [6] In the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was also spelled (Selna) and (Selnna) respectively. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? Selene was so enamored of the young man that she left the sky to see him more closely. "[2][150][151], The ancient Greeks called Monday "day of the Moon" ( ) after her. [97] Hyginus says that Selene had "nourished" the lion in a "two-mouthed cave". [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. 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. [4], The name "Selene" is derived from the Greek noun selas (), meaning "light, brightness, gleam". 527532; Shear, pp. 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. That was a basic unit of how the Greeks measured time in the old days. In this case, the story of Selene embracing Endymion, or Moon embraces Diver, refers to the sun setting and the moon rising. 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. Selene with sleeping Endymion, fresco in the fourth Pompeian style. Selene has a minor planet named after her, called 580 Selene. Selenes siblings and Selene herself carried on their fathers legacy by shining light from the heavens upon the earth. It is unclear how much of a choice Endymion himself may have had in the matter, although there are versions of the myth which say that Endymion had fallen in love with the beautiful moon goddess as well and asked Zeus to keep him in a state of eternal sleep so that he could be with her forever. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. [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. When Selene spied him sleeping in a cave, she immediately fell in love and asked Zeus to extend his sleep for all eternity. 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. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. [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]. Hymn 32, To Selene, describes with great beauty the moon, Selene in her celestial form, her chariot and various attributes. There existed an oracular sanctuary for her in Laconia, near Thalamai. the crescent moon, full moon, and dark moon, as delinted by the divisions of the calendar month).[154]. [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. In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. Selene fought back the giant, locking horns with Typhon; afterwards, she carried many scars on her orb, reminiscent of their battle. At night he drove below the edge of the world in the west, circling below Gaia to reappear on the eastern horizon by morning. [8], Selene began appearing in the visual arts around the early fifth century BCE. 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. 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. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. How old is the United States of America? Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). 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. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Selene was represented on the pedestal of the throne of Zeus at Olympia, riding on a horse or a mule; 12 and at Elis there was a statue of her with two horns. The pair could also have been the parents of the beautiful and vain Narcissus, for whom the Narcissus flower is named, according to Nonnus, the Greek epic poet of the Roman era. This story seems to have made its way into Roman mythology as well since many of the greatest Roman scholars, from Cicero to Seneca, have written about it. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. 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. In her later identification with Artemis, Selene came to be called Phoebe or Cynthia. Epimenides, in the theogony that was ascribed to him, also calls her lovely haired, perhaps due to the Homeric Hymns themselves. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . 116, no. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. Hypothesis to the scholia on Pindars Nemean Odes. However, Selene was not one of them. 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. [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. [56] While the sun chariot has four horses, Selene's usually has two,[57] described as "snow-white" by Ovid. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. 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. 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). [31] Mesomedes of Crete calls her (glauk, "silvery grey"). Along with presiding over dangerous sea creatures, Ceto produced her own set of frightening . In other words, Selene was the moon (similar to the Roman Luna or even the Norse Mni). And now thou thyself too hast part in a like mad passion; and some god of affliction has given thee Jason to be thy grievous woe. This is at times accompanied by stars to depict the night sky, but the crescent moon was perhaps the most recognizable of Selenes symbols. [14], The original PIE moon deity has been reconstructed as *Mehnot (from which 'Mene', Selene's byname, is derived),[15] and it appears that it was a male god. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs."[70]. [75] Cicero seems to make Selene responsible for Endymion's sleep, so that "she might kiss him while sleeping". 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. The Greek word for the moon was also the word used to delineate the months. Witchcraft has long been believed to have had a connection with the moon and it was no different in antiquity. 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. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Homeric Hymns 32.14ff, trans. Many of Selenes epithetsincluding (agl, gleaming), (pasiph, all-shining), and (tanyspteros, long-winged)reflected her lunar qualities and other distinctive attributes. The tale of Endymion and Selene is one that has resonated with people for millennia. 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. 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). She also had a statue, alongside Helios, in the public marketplace of Elis. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. [87], According to the late account of Nonnus, when the gigantic monster Typhon laid siege against the heavens, he attacked Selene as well by hurling bulls at her, though she managed to stay in her course, and rushed at her hissing like a viper. She is pale, beautiful and indefinably alluring. Selene was said to have several consorts but the man that the goddess of the moon was most linked with was the mortal Endymion. It was only later, when Selene began to be conflated with other lunar goddesses, that she was openly worshiped. The counterpart to her brother, she traveled by night. 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". 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. And a memorial of her couch abides still neath the oaks; for mid the copses round was poured out milk of kine; and still do men marvelling behold its whiteness. Selene then turned Lilaeus into a mountain, Mt. Without Selene giving way to Eos, Helios could not bring the sun back to the world. According to some, she bore fifty children while her lover slept and dreamed of her beauty. [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. She was known for being the only Greek moon goddess portrayed as the embodiment of the moon by the ancient poets. Deciphering the Role of Helios, the Sun God of Greek Mythology. She was descended . It seems that Selene was not uninvolved in the twelve tasks of Heracles either. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. [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. 500450 BCE. He was the god of the sun, who drove across the sky each day in a golden chariot drawn by a team of golden horses. Selene (probably) and Helios adorned the east pediment of the Parthenon, where the two, each driving a four-horsed chariot, framed a scene depicting the birth of Athena, with Helios and his chariot rising from the ocean on the left, and Selene and her chariot descending into the sea on the right. In some later accounts, she is known as the Horned Selene, perhaps due to the crescent moon upon the crown of her head. In Greek mythology, Selene was traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin. 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. Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and Selene (the Moon ). The moon was thought to influence people in other ways, as well. 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selene greek mythology