Greek and Roman mythology
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External Websites
- World History Encyclopedia - Selene
- Greek Gods and Goddesses - Selene - Greek Titan Goddess of the Moon
- Mythopedia - Selene
- Encyclopedia Mythica - Selene
- Ancient Origins - Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon
- Greek Legends and Myths - The Titan Selene in Greek Mythology
- Theoi - Selene
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- World History Encyclopedia - Selene
- Greek Gods and Goddesses - Selene - Greek Titan Goddess of the Moon
- Mythopedia - Selene
- Encyclopedia Mythica - Selene
- Ancient Origins - Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon
- Greek Legends and Myths - The Titan Selene in Greek Mythology
- Theoi - Selene
Also known as: Luna
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated:•Article History
Category: History & Society
- Greek:
- “Moon”
- Latin:
- Luna
- On the Web:
- Greek Gods and Goddesses - Selene - Greek Titan Goddess of the Moon (Dec. 15, 2023)
Selene, (Greek: “Moon”) in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos (Dawn). In the Homeric Hymn to Selene, she bears the beautiful Pandeic to Zeus, while Alcman says they are the parents of Herse, the dew. She is often linked with Endymion, whom she loved and whom Zeus cast into eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmus; there, Selene visited him and became the mother of 50 daughters. In another story she was loved by Pan. 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. As Luna, she had temples at Rome on the Aventine and Palatine hills.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
