The chief Roman goddess of the Moon was Luna, whose name is the Latin word for “Moon.” Diana was also associated with the Moon, especially in Roman religion and later literature, but she was not simply another name for Luna: the two goddesses had distinct identities and histories.
Luna, the Roman Moon goddess
Luna personified the Moon and its light. Romans could understand her both as a divine power in her own right and as the heavenly body itself, a common feature of ancient Roman religious language. Her Greek counterpart was Selene, and Roman writers sometimes drew on Greek stories and images when describing Luna.
Luna’s divine status is reflected in Roman public religion. She had a temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome, traditionally associated with King Servius Tullius, although details of the early temple’s history are not certain. A second shrine stood on the Palatine, near the Temple of Apollo. The presence of these sanctuaries shows that Luna was more than a poetic name for moonlight: she received formal worship in the city.
In art and literature, Luna is commonly represented with a crescent Moon or a lunar crown. Roman depictions could show her driving a two-horse chariot across the sky, echoing the Greek image of Selene. Such imagery presents the Moon’s nightly course as a divine journey. These visual conventions are useful clues, but they do not mean that every Roman image of a crescent depicts Luna; context and accompanying figures matter.
Diana’s lunar associations
Diana was a major Roman goddess associated with the hunt, wild places, childbirth, and the protection of women. Over time, Roman writers and worshippers also connected her with the Moon. This association became especially prominent as Roman religion engaged with Greek traditions, in which Artemis—the goddess most closely identified with Diana—was linked with the Moon and with Selene.
That connection does not erase Diana’s other roles. In Roman religious practice she was worshipped at sanctuaries such as the celebrated grove at Nemi, where she had a strong association with nature and sacred woodland. The lunar aspect is one part of a broad divine identity, not a complete definition of her. A reader asking for the “Roman Moon goddess” should therefore begin with Luna, while recognizing Diana as a prominent lunar-associated goddess.
Luna, Diana, and the Greek influence
Roman religion did not operate as a fixed catalogue in which every god had one unchanging job. Gods could have overlapping powers, and their identities developed through local worship, political life, poetry, and contact with neighboring cultures. The Romans often identified their gods with Greek ones, but the match was not always exact.
Luna was commonly equated with Selene, the Greek personification of the Moon. Diana was identified with Artemis, a goddess whose own traditions included hunting and wilderness as well as later lunar associations. Greek poets also sometimes grouped or blended lunar goddesses in ways that influenced Roman understandings. Consequently, a Roman author might emphasize a connection that is less central in a particular cult or earlier tradition.
This cultural exchange explains why modern summaries can appear inconsistent. One source may call Diana a Moon goddess, while another names Luna as the Roman equivalent of Selene. Both can be accurate if they distinguish a direct personification from a broader association.
Other Roman figures linked with the Moon
Roman sources and later interpretations sometimes connect additional goddesses with lunar symbolism, but these links should be stated carefully. Juno, for example, had many roles in Roman religion, and particular titles or local traditions could associate her with aspects of the heavens. That does not make Juno the standard Roman Moon goddess in the way Luna is.
Roman religion also included the personification of heavenly bodies and natural forces, while poetic language could treat the Moon as a goddess without specifying a separate cult figure. For a clear, useful distinction:
- Luna: the direct personification and principal Roman goddess of the Moon.
- Diana: a major goddess of hunting and nature who acquired strong lunar associations.
- Selene: the Greek Moon goddess, not a Roman goddess, though her imagery and stories influenced Roman depictions of Luna.
These are not three interchangeable Roman names. Selene belongs to Greek mythology; Luna is her Roman counterpart, while Diana is a distinct Roman goddess with overlapping lunar symbolism.
Moon worship and the Roman calendar
The Moon was important to ancient timekeeping because its changing phases offered a visible way to mark the passage of time. Roman months retained lunar connections in their early history, although the Roman calendar later became a complex civic system that was not a simple month-by-month reflection of lunar phases. It is therefore misleading to assume that every Roman religious date followed the Moon exactly.
Festivals and rites could take place on particular days of the month, and the first day, the Kalends, was a key recurring date in the Roman calendar. The calendar’s structure and reforms changed over time, however, and lunar observation should not be treated as the sole basis of Roman scheduling. Luna’s significance belonged to a wider religious world in which celestial cycles, civic duties, and local custom all mattered.
Common misconceptions
The most common mistake is to answer “Diana” alone when asked for the Roman goddess of the Moon. Diana is certainly associated with the Moon, but Luna is the clearest answer when the question means the goddess who personifies the lunar body. A second mistake is to treat Luna and Diana as synonyms. Their overlapping imagery reflects religious and literary development, not identical origins or functions.
It is also worth separating mythology from astronomy. The Romans understood the Moon as a divine presence, but that religious understanding was not the same as a modern scientific explanation of lunar phases. Ancient descriptions of a chariot or goddess moving through the sky are mythic and artistic expressions, not technical accounts of celestial mechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Roman goddess of the Moon?
Luna is the principal Roman goddess and personification of the Moon. Her Greek counterpart is Selene.
Is Diana a Roman Moon goddess?
Diana is associated with the Moon, particularly in later Roman interpretation and literature, but her central Roman roles also include hunting, wild nature, and childbirth. Luna is the more direct answer.
Are Luna and Diana the same goddess?
No. They are distinct goddesses whose identities overlap in some lunar symbolism. Luna personifies the Moon, while Diana has a wider range of roles.
What is the difference between Luna and Selene?
Luna is the Roman Moon goddess; Selene is her Greek counterpart. Roman writers and artists borrowed Greek stories and imagery, so the two are closely related but belong to different religious traditions.
Did the Romans worship Luna?
Yes. Luna had temples in Rome and a place in Roman public religion. Her worship existed alongside that of Diana and other gods, rather than replacing them.
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