[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. [16][18], Although attempts have been made to connect Selene to Helene due to the similarity of their names, in two early dedications to Helen from Laconia her name is spelled with a digamma (Ancient Greek: , romanized:Welna), ruling out any possible connection between them. They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. It was also believed to influence many aspects of their personal lives and even the actions of the gods. ), The name Selene (Greek , translit. She was descended . Selene, the moon goddess, was reputed to have had many children by various fathers. The ancient Greeks believed that a lunar eclipse was the work of a witch, particularly the witches of Thessaly. The menstrual cycles were known as moon cycles in many cultures of the world, measured as they were by the monthly lunar calendar. [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. Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. 14)" in, Osborne, Robin, "Looking on Greek Style. 14 In works of art, however, the two divinities are usually distinguished; the face of 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. As the goddess of the division of the months, Selene was a goddess of time. According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. In rarer traditions, she is the daughter of the Titan Pallas. The months had their own personifications as well, who were all born from Selene. Kapach, A. Selene leaving her chariot, Roman mosaic, Andalusia. Names of the Goddess. Way). Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany. Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. [112], Selene was often paired with her brother Helios. Myth Early History Selene was the daughter of the titans, Hyperion and Theia, sister to Helios (the sun) and Eos (dawn). Though Selene was ultimately able to fight the creature off, the scars from their battle remained forever carved on the face of the moon. This irritated Endymion, and enraged Selene, who transforms the girl into a fly (Ancient Greek: , romanized:mua). [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. This was common for many of the younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against Zeus. [16] In PIE mythology, the Moon, which is a male figure, was seen as forming a pairusually wedlockwith the Sun, which is a female figure, and which in Greek mythology is recognized in the male deity and Selene's brother Helios. Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). According to Hesiods Theogony, Selene was born of Hyperion and Theia. 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.. She was the goddess of the dawn and brought new light to the world every morning. 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. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. Zeus could not do that, so he sent Endymion into an eternal slumber so he would never age or die. In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. Selene was, while not worshiped openly, apparently the object of many spells and invocations addressed to her by young women. Selene was written off and Artemis became the goddess of the moon, hunting, and animals. Selene was a beautiful goddess with long, flowing . Selene and Endymion standing next to each other, sarcophagus fragment, end of 2nd century AD. 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). Selene is a Titan goddess in Greek mythology. She was said to represent the full moon. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Selene was more than just a lunar goddess, she was the embodiment of the moon and its light. Upon the head of Selene was normally found a crown that was representative of the spherical moon. In antiquity, Selene would also often be depicted either riding upon a bull, or upon a silvery chariot drawn by two winged horses. The Greeks recognized several goddesses as having a connection to the moon, but none was as closely associated with it as Selene. Selene also has a chemical element named after her, Selenium. 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 tale of Endymion and Selene is one that has resonated with people for millennia. 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. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. Attributes to the Byrgos Painter, ca. 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. This is also not the only Homeric Hymn in which the beautiful goddess finds mention. 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. It was devoted to Selene, under the name Pasiphae, and to Helios. [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". The cave in Anatolia where Endymion was said to sleep became a holy place for Selene. Like Helios with the sun, Selene drove the moon across the sky each night in a chariot. [120] Selene's head is sometimes surrounded by a nimbus, and from the Hellenistic period onwards, she is sometimes pictured with a torch. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. Her sister Eos was the light of dawn and their brother Helios drew the chariot of the sun across the sky each day. 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. Some even said that the Nemean Lion, as the offspring of Selene, had originally fallen from the moon.[30]. Same thing happened with Helius and Apollo. There are different versions of this story. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. [27], In late accounts, Selene (like the moon itself) is often described as having horns. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . [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). 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? In Greek mythology, Ceto was a goddess of the water. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Most of the important Greek gods and goddesses had temple sites of their own. [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. 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. Selenes siblings and Selene herself carried on their fathers legacy by shining light from the heavens upon the earth. She was the personification of the moon, but was also associated with lunar elements such as tides, months, and even lunacy. Selene the moon goddess was a minor figure in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is Luna. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. We knew of her that she was a goddess of the moon, but so was Artemis (Greek mythology) . Selene saw him as she passed overhead and fell deeply in love. By all accounts, Selene seemed to have played a major role in this war. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Zeus had enough sympathy for Selene to not kill Endymion outright, but he put the human man in an enchanted sleep on Mount Latmus in the East so Selene would have no further reason to descend to earth each night. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. 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). Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Apollo: The God of Music, Poetry, and Light, Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. Privacy. Selene, the goddess of the moon, has two siblings: Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Helios, the sun god. [7] The Greek word mene, meant the moon, and the lunar month. 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