Selene was an early goddess of the Moon. She drove a silver chariot pulled by silver horses. She is most known for her affair with Endymion, king of Elis. She is associated with the goddesses Artemis and Hecate, who are also identified with the moon.
Myths & Legends[]
Selene and Endymion[]
The first known mention of the myth of King Endymion and Selene comes from Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes in the fourth book:
| “ | 'Not I alone then stray to the Latinian 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. And now thou thyself too hast part in a like mad passion; and some god of affection has given thee Jason to be thy grievous woe. Well, go on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of pain, fraught with many sighs.' | ” |
The myth goes, one night Selene was traveling across the night sky in her chariot. When passing over the city-state of Elis, she saw King Endymion peacefully sleeping in his bed chambers. Instantly she fell in love with his beautiful and youthful face. She wished for him to forever stay like that, but instead of turning him immortal she granted him the gift of eternal sleep. That way, he would remain youthful for eternity.
As a moon goddess[]
Like her brother Helios, the Sun god, who drives his sun chariot over the sky each day, Selene is additionally said to drive a chariot over the sky. There are no notices of Selene's chariot in either Homer or Hesiod, but the Homeric Hymn to Selene, gives the taking after depiction:
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. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.
Selene driving her moon chariot.
The first known portrayal of Selene driving a chariot decorates the interior of an early 5th century BC red-figure container credited to the Brygos Painter, appearing Selene diving her chariot, drawn by two winged steeds, into the ocean (Berlin Antikensammlung F 2293). The geographer Pausanias, reports seeing a help of Selene driving a single horse, because it appeared to him, or as a few said, a donkey, on the platform of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia (c. 435 BC). Whereas the sun chariot has four steeds, Selene's ordinarily has two, depicted as "snow-white" by Ovid. In a few afterward accounts the chariot was drawn by oxen or bulls. In spite of the fact that the moon chariot is regularly portrayed as being silver, for Pindar it was brilliant.
In mythology, the lunar eclipse wonders were thought to be caused by witches, especially the ones from Thessaly, who brought the Moon/Selene down with spells and summons of enchantment. References to this mysterious trap, differently alluded to as καθαιρεῖν (kathaireĩn), are scattered all through old writing, while shrouds of both the Sun and the Moon were called kathaireseis ("casting-downs") by the Greek people. A celebrated case of that's Aglaonice of Thessaly, an old Greek stargazer, who was respected as a sorceress for her (self-proclaimed) capacity to form the Moon vanish from the sky (καθαιρεῖν τὴν σελήνην: kathaireĩn tén selénen). This claim has been taken–by Plutarch at to begin with, and along these lines by cutting edge astronomers–to cruel that she may anticipate the time and common zone where an obscure of the Moon would happen. Those who brought down the Moon were thought to bring sick fortune upon themselves, as prove by the adage ἐπὶ σαυτῷ τὴν σελήνην καθαιρεῖς ("you're bringing down the Moon on yourself") said for those who caused self-inflicted disasters; a few witches as far as anyone knows dodged this destiny by relinquishing their children or their eyeballs.
Role in the Gigantomachy[]
Selene riding horseback, detail of the Gigantomachy frieze, Pergamon Altar, Pergamon museum, Berlin, c. 180–159 BC
Gaia, furious that her children the Titans had being tossed into Tartarus taking after their overcome, brought forward the Giants, to assault the divine beings, in a war that was called the Gigantomachy. When Gaia listened of a prediction that a mortal would offer assistance the divine beings to overcome the monsters, she looked for to discover a herb that would make them undefeatable. Zeus listened of that, and requested Selene as well as her kin Helios (Sun) and Eos (Day break) not to shine, and collected all of that plant for himself. Selene's interest within the fight is evidenced by her incorporation within the Gigantomachy frieze of the Pergamon Altar, battling against Giants following to her siblings Helios and Eos and her mother Theia within the southern frieze. Selene gallops sidesaddle in progress, and wears a woolen undergarment and a mantle.
Family[]
Selene is the daughter of Hyperion, god of light and Theia, mother of the sun. She has two siblings: Helios, god of the sun and Eos, goddess of dawn. Selene has many cousins such as Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis, Asteria, mother of Hecate, Prometheus, the Fire Theif, Atlas, grandfather of Hermes, the messenger god, and the nine Muses. Selene is the mother of the Menai, the goddesses of the 50 lunar months, the Horae by Helios and others. The Titanesses Phoebe, Rhea, Themis, Tethys, and Mnemosyne are her aunts and the Titans Coeus, Oceanus, Cronos, Iapetus, and Crius are her uncles. Selene's grandmother is Gaia, primordial goddess of the earth who was the sister to Nyx, mother of Sleep and Death (Hypnos and Thanatos). Her grandfather is Ouranós, primordial god of the sky.
Other Family[]
Selene like most gods & goddesses in Greek Mythology, descended from the Primordials. The goddess Nyx is her great aunt. Erebus, Eros, & Tartarus are her great uncles. Selene is the 2nd cousin of Hypnos, Thanatos, Aether, Hemera, the Moirae, the Oneiroi, the Keres, and many others.
Gallery[]
References[]
- https://www.theoi.com/Text/ApolloniusRhodius4.html
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Selene-Greek-and-Roman-mythology
| Titans | |
|---|---|
| Parents | Ouranós • Gaîa |
| Elder Titans | Coeus • Crius • Cronus • Hyperion • Iapetus • Oceanus |
| Elder Titanesses | Dione • Mnemosyne • Phoebe • Theia • Rhea • Themis • Tethys |
| Coeonides | Asteria • Leto |
| Crionides | Astraeus • Pallas • Perses |
| Hyperionides | Eos • Hḗlios • Selene |
| Iapetonides | Atlas • Epimetheus • Menoetius • Prometheus |
| Oceanides | Potamoi • Rhode • Styx |
| Others | Anemoi • Astra Planeta • Kratos • Eurynome • Hecate • Lelantos • Melisseus • Metis • Nike • Ophion |
| Topics | Overthrowing of Ouranós • Titanomachy |