Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon, a Titaness who drives her silver chariot across the night sky. She is the personification of the moon itself, distinct from Artemis, who later became associated with lunar aspects but was originally a goddess of the hunt and wilderness.
Origins and Family
Selene is one of the older deities in Greek mythology, belonging to the generation of Titans that preceded the Olympians. According to Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), her parents are the Titans Hyperion and Theia, making her the sister of Helios (the Sun) and Eos (the Dawn). This trio of celestial siblings naturally divides the sky: Helios drives the sun by day, Eos announces his arrival each morning, and Selene takes over as night falls.
In some later traditions, Selene’s parentage is given differently. The Homeric Hymn to Selene (c. 7th–6th century BCE) calls her the daughter of Hyperion and his sister, but other sources, such as the Orphic hymns, sometimes name her father as Pallas or even Zeus. These variations are common in Greek mythology, where local cults and poetic traditions often adjusted genealogies to suit their narratives. What remains consistent is her role as the moon’s embodiment.
Appearance and Iconography
Selene is typically depicted as a beautiful woman with a pale, luminous complexion, often wearing a long robe and a crescent-moon crown. She is most frequently shown riding a silver chariot pulled by two white horses or, in some depictions, oxen. The chariot itself is sometimes described as having a crescent-shaped wheel, symbolizing the moon’s phases.
In art, she is often shown alongside her brother Helios, who drives a golden chariot. A famous example is the east pediment of the Parthenon (c. 447–432 BCE), where Selene’s head is seen sinking into the ocean at dawn, marking the end of her nightly journey. She also appears on many vase paintings, usually in scenes of her love affairs or her descent to the mortal world.
Myths and Stories
The most famous myth involving Selene is her love for the mortal shepherd Endymion. According to the tradition recorded by Apollonius of Rhodes and later Roman poets, Selene saw Endymion sleeping on Mount Latmus in Caria (modern-day Turkey) and fell deeply in love with him. She asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth and immortality, but the request came with a catch: Endymion would remain in an eternal sleep, forever young but never awake. Selene visited him every night, and together they had fifty daughters, the Menae, who personified the lunar months.
Another myth tells of Selene’s affair with the god Pan, who won her favor by disguising himself as a white ram’s fleece. This story is less well-known but appears in some Hellenistic sources. Selene also had a brief connection with Zeus himself; according to some accounts, she bore him a daughter, Pandia, who was worshipped at Athens as a goddess of the full moon.
Worship and Cult
Selene had a relatively limited cult compared to major Olympians like Zeus or Athena, but she was not without her own sanctuaries. She was worshipped at Elis, where a statue of her was paired with one of Helios, and at Olympia, where her altar stood near that of the Sun. Her cult often merged with that of other lunar deities, such as Hecate, Artemis, and even the Roman Luna.
In everyday Greek religion, Selene was more often invoked in private rituals and magic than in public festivals. Lunar cycles were important for agriculture, navigation, and women’s rites, so Selene’s favor was sought for fertility, safe travel, and protection against the dark. The full moon was considered her most powerful time, and offerings of white animals, especially cows, were sometimes made to her.
Selene vs. Artemis: A Common Confusion
Many people assume that Artemis is the Greek moon goddess, but that is only partially true. Artemis was originally a goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and childbirth. Over time, especially in the Hellenistic period, she absorbed some lunar attributes because of her association with the night and her role as a protector of young women. However, the Greeks themselves usually distinguished between the two: Selene was the moon itself, while Artemis was a separate deity who could be called upon for lunar matters but was not the moon’s personification.
This distinction is clear in ancient texts. For example, in the Iliad, Homer refers to Selene by name when describing the moon, but Artemis is always a separate character. Later writers, like the poet Nonnus in the Dionysiaca (5th century CE), explicitly differentiate them, even while acknowledging their shared lunar symbolism. The confusion arises largely from Roman mythology, where Luna (Selene) and Diana (Artemis) were often conflated, and from modern popular culture, which tends to merge all moon-related goddesses into one.
Selene in Later Literature and Art
Selene’s influence extended well beyond ancient Greece. In Roman literature, she was identified with Luna, and her myths were retold by Ovid in the Metamorphoses and the Fasti. The story of Endymion became a favorite subject for Renaissance and Baroque artists, including paintings by Tintoretto and Guercino, and it inspired John Keats’s poem Endymion (1818), which opens with the famous line “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
In modern times, Selene appears in various media, from Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series to video games like Hades (2020), where she is portrayed as a mysterious but benevolent figure. These depictions often draw on her ancient attributes—the chariot, the crescent crown, and the melancholic love for Endymion—while adapting her to new narratives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Selene and Artemis?
Selene is the personification of the moon itself, a Titaness who drives the moon across the sky. Artemis is an Olympian goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and childbirth, who later acquired some lunar associations but was never the moon itself. The Greeks saw them as distinct deities, though later traditions often blurred the line.
Who were Selene’s parents?
According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Selene’s parents are the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Her siblings are Helios (the Sun) and Eos (the Dawn). Some later sources give different parentage, but the Hyperion-Theia version is the most widely accepted.
Why did Selene put Endymion to sleep?
Selene fell in love with the mortal shepherd Endymion and asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth. Zeus agreed but made Endymion sleep forever, so he would never age or die. Selene visited him every night, and they had fifty daughters, the Menae, who represented the lunar months.
Did the Greeks worship Selene?
Yes, but her cult was relatively small. She had sanctuaries at Elis and Olympia, and she was honored in private rituals, especially those involving lunar cycles, fertility, and magic. Her worship often overlapped with that of Hecate and Artemis.
Is Selene the same as the Roman goddess Luna?
Yes, the Romans identified Selene with their own moon goddess Luna. They shared similar attributes, such as the chariot and crescent crown, and Luna was often depicted in the same way as Selene. The two were effectively the same deity under different names.
What symbols are associated with Selene?
Selene’s main symbols are the crescent moon, a silver chariot, and a torch or a pair of white horses. She is also sometimes shown with a bull, because in some myths she rode a bull or had oxen pull her chariot. The crescent crown is her most recognizable attribute.
Related
- Hephaestus in Greek Mythology: God of Fire
- Ganesha in Hindu Mythology: Role, Birth, Symbols
- Heracles in Greek Mythology: The Hero, His Labors, and His Legacy
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