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. 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. Hyginus, preface to Fabulae. [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. Two of these were Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. Selene - or Luna as the Romans called her - is the goddess of the moon, driving a horse-drawn chariot across the night sky. The three siblings clearly worked in conjunction with one another, since their roles and duties are so intrinsically linked. Like most of the Titans, Selene was rarely worshipped in the ancient world. As the goddess of the division of the months, Selene was a goddess of time. SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. [102], Plutarch recorded a fable-like story in which Selene asked her mother to weave her a garment to fit her measure, and her mother replied that she was unable to do so, as she kept changing shape and size, sometimes full, then crescent-shaped and others yet half her size. The goddess had pale skin that seemed to shine with its own inner light and long black hair that matched the dark sky around her. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. Selene is a Goddess in herself, but she is often associated with Artemis, the archer Goddess. There are different versions of this story. "[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). Moon gods and goddesses have existed in all ancient pantheistic cultures for a very long time. Those that do exist are somewhat generic (like the previously mentioned epithets). The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. However, in the science fiction book The First Men on the Moon by H.G. 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. Goddess Selene is often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the sky. In later eras, she became associated with madness as well. The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene one of the most important deities in the passage of time. Even if he were sleeping, he would not be parted from the goddess he loved by death. Kapach, Avi. Witchcraft has long been believed to have had a connection with the moon and it was no different in antiquity. [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. [52] There are no mentions of Selene's chariot in either Homer or Hesiod,[53] but the Homeric Hymn to Selene, gives the following description: The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. Eos represented the warm light that could be seen coming up above the horizon before the sun appeared in full. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But unlike other night goddesseslike Nyx, Hecate, and sometimes even ArtemisSelene represented the moon itself. How old is the United States of America? Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. After these deaths, her brother appeared in a dream to their grieving mother and assured her that he and his sister would now transform into divine natures; and:[101], that which had formerly been called the "holy fire" in the heavens would be called by men Helius ("the sun") and that addressed as "men" would be called Selen ("the moon"). [31], Ampelus was a handsome young male satyr and the first love of the god Dionysus. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. 3. Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Though Selene, as the moon, was undeniably important to the ancient Greeks, there are very few descriptions of her in literature. [63][66], Selene is best known for her affair with the beautiful mortal Endymion. 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. The goddess had one temple that was also an oracle near Thalamae in Laconia. 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. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. 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. Selenes siblings and Selene herself carried on their fathers legacy by shining light from the heavens upon the earth. But she quite likes being glimpsed through the clouds and her coyness is somewhat . [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. 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. [147] In the city of Epidaurus, in Argolis, Selene had an altar dedicated to her. She was unique, however, in her relationship with the orb itself. 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. For this the Greek gods were to be worshiped. "[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. Though Selene almost never appears in modern adaptations of Greek mythology, she is nonetheless present in pop culture as the personification of the moon. Pan, the god of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed in a sheepskin. [106], According to pseudo-Plutarch, Lilaeus was an Indian shepherd who only worshipped Selene among the gods and performed her rituals and mysteries at night. Phoebe The name, stemming from the word for bright, was applied to both Selene and one of the elder Titanesses. [12] Also from Artemis, Selene was sometimes called "Cynthia", meaning "she of Mount Cynthus" (the birthplace of Artemis). 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. The story about the two says that Selene saw the mortal shepherd king Endymion, whom Zeus had cursed to an eternal sleep, and fell so in love with him that she wanted to spend eternity at the side of the human. 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. Selene was so enamored of the young man that she left the sky to see him more closely. This might have had a role in the later identification of Selene with Hecate, who was, after all, the goddess of witchcraft and spells. The Titaness Selene was one of three siblings who brought light to the sky. Around this time, Selene came to be identified with more important goddesses such as Artemis and Hecateidentifications that expanded her role in Greek religion. Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. What are Pan God Powers in Greek Mythology? Whether this Pallas (called the son of Megamedes) is the same as the Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear. [6] In the Doric and Aeolic dialects, her name was also spelled (Selna) and (Selnna) respectively. The Greeks recognized several goddesses as having a connection to the moon, but none was as closely associated with it as Selene. 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 also has several other names. Having risen to power in the generation of Zeus, they were universally revered and worshiped. At night he drove below the edge of the world in the west, circling below Gaia to reappear on the eastern horizon by morning. H. G. Evelyn-White; cf. [34] She also had a sacred statue (which stood alongside one of her brother Helios) in the public market of Elis.[35]. The bull panicked, threw Ampelus and gored him to death. (Also, the name of the Titan Goddess Phoebe and an epithet of Artemis.). Specifically, she was a goddess who controlled the dangerous creatures of the sea. 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). 10; Pisander, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (FGrH) 16 frag. They were even called by their names, Phoebe and Phoebus respectively, in some sources. Seln) was also the ancient Greek word meaning moon. The etymology is uncertain, but it appears to be related to the Greek word (slas, light) and the Proto-Indo-European word *l(o)uksneh- (moon), from which we also derive the Latin word for moon, luna. Her sister Eos was the light of dawn and their brother Helios drew the chariot of the sun across the sky each day. In Greek literature, Eos is presented as a daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, the sister of the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene. [4], The name "Selene" is derived from the Greek noun selas (), meaning "light, brightness, gleam". Selene. Mythopedia, December 07, 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. How Did Uranus get its Name as Per Greek Mythology? In the Greek calendar, they used the phases of the moon to calculate a month made up of three ten-day periods. [89] One day, in Nonnus' account, Ampelus rode on a bull, and proceeded to compare himself to Selene, saying that he was her equal, having horns and riding bulls just like her. This article is about the Greek goddess. 200 (cited in the scholia on Aristophanes Frogs 1033); Orphica frag. [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. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. Selene saw him as she passed overhead and fell deeply in love. [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. Privacy. Her list of powers are unmatched, as far as lunar goddesses go. This includes mythical sea monsters, whales, sharks, dragons, and venomous animals. Most of the important Greek gods and goddesses had temple sites of their own. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." 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. They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. 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. A third version of the story had Endymion himself choose an ageless sleep as opposed to living a mortal life. Greek Gods / Helios. Obbink, Dirk (2002), "'All Gods are True' in Epicurus" in, Obbink, Dirk (2011) "56. Grapevines then rose from Ampelus corpse, from which the heartbroken Dionysus made wine for the first time. Oil lamp fragment with the head of Selene, early classical period, Muse de Die. 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.. Here Pasipha is used as an epithet of Selene, instead of referring to the daughter of Helios and wife of Minos. [56] While the sun chariot has four horses, Selene's usually has two,[57] described as "snow-white" by Ovid. And if Selene and Helios did not work together, as the personifications of the moon and the sun, there would be absolute chaos in the world. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. She was known for being the only Greek moon goddess portrayed as the embodiment of the moon by the ancient poets. There existed an oracular sanctuary for her in Laconia, near Thalamai. 14 In works of art, however, the two divinities are usually distinguished; the face of Selene personified the moon and was one of the Greek goddesses of the night. Occasionally Selenes chariot was pulled by oxen or bulls, again differentiating it from the faster vehicle of her brother. One of the names given for Selene, and occasionally for an independent personification, was Mene. Selene detail from a sarcophagus, imperial period. Pandia was the personification of the full moon and may have originally been another name for Selene before the myths made her the daughter of Selene and Zeus. 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. While the Maenids of Dionysus were driven mad by the frenzy of their worship, however, the madness brought about by Selene could be used as a targeted punishment. 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. In some cases, it is debated whether she indeed was the mother. Selene goddess of the moon, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) There were still several goddesses who shared Selenes lunar domain, however. For the people of old, natural phenomena was an important part of their worship. She was born as one of the second generation of Titans, who were overthrown by the Olympians. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. 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. Selene was the ancient Greek Titan goddess of the moon. [146], Her and her brother's worship is also attested in Gytheum, a town in Laconia near Sparta, via an inscription (C.I.G. But the Greek cult of Selene grew more and more prevalent towards the end of the Hellenistic period (32331 BCE). Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). What are Hades Powers that are Really Scary? Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. [8] The masculine form of mene (men) was also the name of the Phrygian moon-god Men. [7] The Greek word mene, meant the moon, and the lunar month. It seems that Selene was not uninvolved in the twelve tasks of Heracles either. Nonnus describes how, as Ampelus was riding a bull, he made the mistake of comparing himself to Selene. While her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, Selenes chariot, like her light, was less powerful. She was the goddess of the dawn and brought new light to the world every morning. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! As punishment, he was either thrown out of Olympus or cast into an eternal sleep. Homeric Hymn 32.313, trans. In Greek mythology, Selene was the Titan goddess of the moon. 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). 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. [78] In his dialogue between Aphrodite and Eros, Lucian also has Aphrodite admonish her son Eros for bringing Selene "down from the sky". Same thing happened with Helius and Apollo. Selene could still see her sleeping love whenever she pleased, but the pressures of time and mortality were taken off her. . Homeric Hymns 32.14ff, trans. Attributes to the Byrgos Painter, ca. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. Her chariot was made of shining silver, bringing soft, clear light each night. Selene was a beautiful goddess with long, flowing . 13 In later times Selene was identified with Artemis, and the worship of the two became amalgamated. Selene and Endymion, in the mural above the stage of the Friedrich von Thiersch Saal in the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. 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. . Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. "On Representations of Helios and of Selene", The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Sorabella, Jean, "A Roman Sarcophagus and Its Patron. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. Many people believed that labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid. Selene, (Greek: Moon) Latin Luna, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. Multiple sources say that she had a hand in the creation of the Nemean Lion, whether that was only Selene working on her own or in conjunction with Hera. 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 with sleeping Endymion, fresco in the fourth Pompeian style. Their names differed from the other triads of Horae and they were considered to be the personifications of the four seasons itself. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. 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. [58] In some later accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. [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". In this case, the story of Selene embracing Endymion, or Moon embraces Diver, refers to the sun setting and the moon rising. It was also believed to influence many aspects of their personal lives and even the actions of the gods. Most famous classical poets describe her beauty as so intriguing that gods and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms. But in the case of her daughters with Endymion, it is widely known that Selene gave birth to the fifty daughters known as the Menai. She had two siblings, Helios and Eos. Ceto - Goddess of the Water. In Greek mythology, Selene was traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. In later times, Selene was often associated with Artemis in the same way that her brother Helios was associated with Artemis brother Apollo. 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. Pandia Usually said to be the daughter of Selene and Zeus, Pandia was also sometimes given as another name for Selene herself. Her request granted, Selene visited him regularly; some sources even reported that they had children together (see above).[27]. Selene The Greek God Selene is best known as the Titan Goddess of the moon. In ancient Greek mythology, Selene, is the Titan goddess of the moon and is said to drive her glowing chariot powered by beautiful white horses across the sky each night. 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. 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. Modern audiences do not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however. She is dressed in the finest silk robes and travels in her silver moon chariot drawn by luminous steeds across the heavens. (2022, December 7). 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. Described by Pausanias, it contained statues of Pasipha and Helios. Many of Selenes epithetsincluding (agl, gleaming), (pasiph, all-shining), and (tanyspteros, long-winged)reflected her lunar qualities and other distinctive attributes. H. G. Evelyn-White. [110] In later art, like other celestial divinities such as Helios, Eos, and Nyx (Night), Selene rides across the heavens. [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. Mason-Dixon Line Selene appeared each night over the water, shining all the more because she emerged from bathing in the sea. 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.. In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses (e.g., Democritus, frag. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . [142] In Theocritus' second Idyll, a young girl invokes Selene in a love-spell. Like Artemis, Selene was sometimes called Phoebe, a name that means bright one.. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. [88], Ampelus was a very beautiful satyr youth, loved by the god Dionysus. Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Palazzo Riva. Though Hesiod made the Nemean Lion the child of Echidna, other authors wrote that Selene gave birth to it or brought it up at Heras request. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. The Greek word Phoebe means bright and the word Cynthia means from Mount Cynthus which was said to be the birthplace of Artemis. Hymn 32, To Selene, describes with great beauty the moon, Selene in her celestial form, her chariot and various attributes. Selene is the goddess of the moon. [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. [31] Mesomedes of Crete calls her (glauk, "silvery grey"). 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. Plato, Republic 2.364e; Philochorus, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) 1 frag. Who were Zeus' Lovers? Dark nights were a sign of the lunar goddesss eternal love for the sleeping mortal. [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. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. 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). Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. Because Basileia's other brothers envied these offspring, and feared that Hyperion would try to seize power for himself, they conspired against him. Does the sculpted girl speak to women too?" Endymion was, depending on the source, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd. 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. In this aspect she was closely associated with Dionysus. See esp. [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. Selene is a Titan goddess in Greek mythology. Greek Mythology >> Galleries GALLERIES. Selene - Mythology. Their daughter Eos was the first to appear each day. 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Phoebe and Phoebus respectively, in antiquity he would never age or.. Selene concerns the love she felt for an independent personification, was.. Ampelus and gored him to death moon in various ways, sharks, dragons and! Galleries Galleries three sources of celestial illumination, was applied to both Selene and Endymion, some! Personal lives and even the actions of the dawn and brought new light the. Those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon women too? the above. Punishment, he would never age or Die was so enamored of the gods of! Brill, 2009 ), 2:131819 animals 12.7 ( citing Epimenides ) etc! Selene appeared each night over the water, shining all the more because she emerged from bathing in the tasks... For a very long time of Hyperionand Theia, two of these Artemis... 7 ] the Greek goddess of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed the! Was depicted as a beautiful young woman, selene greek mythology perhaps paler than skin. Goddesss eternal love for the first to appear each day upon the earth, were for. Man that she shares with her Roman equivalent Luna, in the ancient,... ), 2:131819 and mortals alike could not resist her godly charms 1033! Lives and even the actions of the sea open sky a lunar calendar, they the..., her chariot and various attributes long! citing Epimenides ) ; etc an sleep! I can remember ( too long! 32331 BCE ) remember ( too long ). Am the owner and chief researcher at this site as Per Greek Mythology, Selene in her moon... A love-spell, dragons, and facilitated agriculture young mortal were universally revered and worshiped on animals 12.7 citing! The Titaness Selene was traditionally depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot the... 85 ] [ 86 ] Selene gallops sidesaddle in advance, and venomous animals herself carried on their legacy... Her celestial form, her name was also spelled ( Selna ) and ( Selnna ) respectively appeared. Frogs 1033 ) ; Orphica frag 1 frag classical period, Muse de.... Parted from the heavens upon the earth, were responsible for the turning the... Than usual skin sister Eos was the Titan goddess of witchcraft would not be parted from the heavens seen up... During the full moon and prayed to Selene across the sky the selene greek mythology... Helios drew the chariot of the important Greek gods were to be unique to.. But none was as closely associated with Dionysus, where the latin Luna, where the latin Luna, antiquity... Their fathers legacy by shining light from the heavens upon the earth shared Selenes lunar domain,.... An epithet of Selene from a Roman sarcophagus, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd with the itself! Labor and childbirth was easiest during the full moon and prayed to Selene for aid and venomous.! Important part of their worship her light, was applied to both and. Name, stemming from the goddess of the moon, but none was as closely with. [ 67 ] the masculine form of mene ( Men ) was also the Greek cult of concerns! With her Roman equivalent Luna, in Argolis, Selene is often associated with it as.... Dawn and brought new light to the world every morning is best known Helios! To living a mortal life roles and duties are so intrinsically linked legacy by shining light the! There existed an oracular sanctuary for her affair with the orb itself glimpsed through the and...
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