With silver wings and a golden diadem, the goddess Selene shone brightly throughout the lands of ancient Greece. As the goddess of the moon , Selene captivated the hearts of ancient poets, authors, and orators, becoming as much a symbol of the glorious night as the proverbial light in the darkness.
Three paintings showing three deities of Greek mythology as personifications of the times of the day. From left to right: Helios (or sun god Apollo) personifying Day, Eos (or Hesperos) embodying Dawn, and Selene (or Diana, Luna) personifying Night or the Moon. ( Public domain )
The Mythical Family of Selene, Goddess of the Moon
The daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, Selene was the original and principal moon goddess in early ancient Greek mythology . Also known by the epithets Phoebe (not to be confused with her aunt Phoebe) and Mene, goddess Selene was considered by the ancient Greeks to be the physical personification of the moon, not merely the symbol or emblem of it.
Like every celestial goddess , there was a yin to Selene’s yang; In this case, there were two yins. The moon goddess Selene had two siblings — the sun and the dawn, also known as Helios and Eos respectively. While Selene was known for pulling the moon across the sky in her silver chariot drawn by two beautiful, long-haired horses (sometimes oxen or bulls), Selene’s brother Helios drew the sun across the sky in his fiery chariot.
Her sister, Eos, in her own way, melded the two, blending her brother’s and her sister’s…
