"Not I alone then stray to the Latmian cave, nor do I alone burn with love for fair Endymion; oft times with thoughts of love have I been driven away by thy crafty spells, in order that in the darkness of night thou mightest work thy sorcery at ease, even the deeds dear to thee. 68 A75 D-K). These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. 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. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. Grapevines then rose from Ampelus corpse, from which the heartbroken Dionysus made wine for the first time. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. 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. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver . For centuries, those affected by mental illness were referred to as lunatics.. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) The Greeks followed a lunar calendar, making Selene one of the most important deities in the passage of time. Two of the original twelve Titans descended from Uranus and Gaia, Hyperion was the Titan god of heavenly light while Theia was the Titan goddess of vision and the aether. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (/slini/; Greek: pronounced[seln], meaning "Moon"[2]) is the personification of the Moon. 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. It seems that Selene was not uninvolved in the twelve tasks of Heracles either. Because the Greek endyein meant "to dive," the name Endymion ("Diver") at first simply described the process of the setting sun "diving" into the sea. There are a few different versions of the myth. [108], In antiquity, artistic representations of Selene/Luna included sculptural reliefs, vase paintings, coins, and gems. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. Updates? In Greek mythology, Selene was traditionally depicted as a beautiful young woman, with perhaps paler than usual skin. Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. Selene personified the moon and was one of the Greek goddesses of the night. According to early Greek myths, Selene used to be a Titan goddess of the moon and Artemis used to be a goddess of hunting and animals. Surviving descriptions of Selene's physical appearance and character, apart from those which would apply to the moon itself, are scant. In it, Selene is depicted as fighting alongside Helios and Eos, seated side-saddle on a horse. [143] The idyll opens with the girl ordering her maid to bring potions and magical utensils, followed by an invocation to Selene and Hecate, and finally the rather lengthy spell itself; once she finishes her spell, the girl recounts to Selene of how she met and was betrayed by her lover, and calls upon the goddess to witness and help her, hence the love tail is woven into the love spell. She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. Eos represented the warm light that could be seen coming up above the horizon before the sun appeared in full. Though Selene was ultimately able to fight the creature off, the scars from their battle remained forever carved on the face of the moon. [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. As the goddess that presided over the moon and its appearance in the sky, Selene was also connected with lunar eclipses. Chiswick House, London, UK. [1], Selene was often identified with other goddesses, including Men (also spelled Mene), the divine personification of the lunar month; Bendis, a goddess of Thracian origin; Hecate, a goddess of witchcraft; and (especially in later antiquity) Artemis, the goddess of hunting and wild things. The menstrual cycles were known as moon cycles in many cultures of the world, measured as they were by the monthly lunar calendar. As the daughter of the Titan god of heavenly light, it is an apt name. Selene is a Titan goddess. The most well-known story of Selene is her love of the mortal man Endymion. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. While her husbands team of horses usually consisted of four animals, Selenes chariot, like her light, was less powerful. [141], Selene played an important role in love magic. Selene the moon goddess was a minor figure in ancient Greek mythology. The myth of Selene claims that this goddess had several lovers, both divine and mortal. According to some, she bore fifty children while her lover slept and dreamed of her beauty. [134], Selene was sometimes associated with childbirth, for it was believed that during the full moon women had the easiest labours; this helped in her identification with the goddess Artemis,[138] as well as other goddesses connected to women's labours. There was an Athenian festival named the Pandia, held in honor of Zeus, which was perhaps celebrated on a full moon night. There are three different ways you can cite this article. 7 (all cited in the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.57); Sappho, frag. Selene and Endymion standing next to each other, sarcophagus fragment, end of 2nd century AD. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperionand Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. Modern audiences do not often think about Selenes cyclical nature, however. The second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft following was named SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) after Selene, and was also known as Kaguya in Japan. 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. Oil lamp fragment with the head of Selene, early classical period, Muse de Die. [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. [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. [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". 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. Another myth describes how Selene held her own against the monster Typhoeus when he attacked the gods. The moon goddess and Artemis were occasionally shown as companions. Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Kapach, Avi. [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. Attic red-figure kylix showing Selene riding the chariot of the moon, drawn by two winged horses. As the goddess of the division of the months, Selene was a goddess of time. In memory of the beautiful Endymion, the fly still grudges all sleepers their rest and annoys them. 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. [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. Lunacy takes its name from Selenes Roman counterpart, Luna. 3/4, 1973, pp. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But Selene was also called by many generic epithets that were used for other goddesses as well, including (euplokmos, she of the beautiful hair), (leuklnos, white-armed), (glaukpis, gray-eyed, bright-eyed, an epithet most commonly associated with Athena), and (kyanpis, dark-eyed, essentially the opposite of glaukpis). [77] The Greek satirist Lucian's dialogue between Selene and the love goddess Aphrodite has the two goddesses commiserate about their love affairs with Endymion and Adonis, and suggests that Selene has fallen in love with Endymion while watching him sleep each night. If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. [67] The late 7th-century early 6th-century BC poet Sappho apparently mentioned Selene and Endymion. [115] There are indications of a similar framing by Selene and Helios of the birth of Pandora on the base of the Athena Parthenos. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. Does the sculpted girl speak to women too?" 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. [7] The Greek word mene, meant the moon, and the lunar month. [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". 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. She was the Greek goddess of the Moon and her sisters were the Eos and Helios. In later times, Selene was often associated with Artemis in the same way that her brother Helios was associated with Artemis brother Apollo. Who were Zeus' Lovers? 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