Aurora
Roman goddess of the dawn who opened the gates of heaven each morning, equivalent to the Greek Eos
The Myth of Aurora
Aurora was the sister of Sol and Luna, and each day she rose from her bed beside her lover Tithonus to ride her chariot across the sky, announcing the coming of the sun. Her most poignant myth concerned Tithonus himself: Aurora begged Jupiter to grant him immortality but forgot to ask for eternal youth, and so Tithonus aged endlessly, shrinking and withering until he became a grasshopper, chirping forever. Roman poets loved Aurora as a literary device — "rosy-fingered Dawn" was a formula borrowed from Homer — and she appears in countless descriptions of daybreak. Her tears were said to be the morning dew, shed for her son Memnon, killed at Troy.
Parents
Hyperion and Theia
Children
Memnon
Symbols
Fun Fact
The aurora borealis (northern lights) takes its name from this goddess — literally meaning "dawn of the north"
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Eos
⚡ godTitaness of the dawn
The rosy-fingered goddess of the dawn who rose each morning to open the gates of heaven for her brother Helios and his sun chariot.
Goddess of Dawn
💭 conceptDawn, morning light, renewal
Eos opens the gates of heaven each morning, spreading her rosy fingers across the sky to herald the sun.
Eos
🏔 titanTitan goddess of the dawn
The rosy-fingered goddess of dawn who opened the gates of heaven each morning for her brother Helios's chariot.
Proserpina
⚡ godSpring, underworld, renewal
Roman queen of the underworld and goddess of spring growth, equivalent to the Greek Persephone
Hemera
🌀 primordialPersonification of Day
Hemera was the primordial goddess of daytime, who each morning scattered the darkness to fill the world with light.
Persephone
⚡ godQueen of the Underworld
The daughter of Demeter who became queen of the dead — the goddess who bridges the living world and the realm of the departed.
Demeter
⚡ godGoddess of harvest and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Demeter was the goddess of grain, harvest, and fertility whose grief over Persephone's abduction explained the seasons and whose Mysteries promised hope beyond death.
Aura
🏔 titanBreezes, Speed
A swift Titaness of the morning breeze, known for her tragic story involving Dionysus and a boast that cost her everything.
Persephone
⚡ godQueen of the underworld, goddess of spring
Daughter of Demeter and queen of the underworld. Her annual return from Hades brings spring; her descent brings winter — the mythological explanation of the seasons.
Selene
⚡ godTitaness of the moon
The Titaness who personified the moon, driving her silver chariot across the night sky. She fell in love with the mortal Endymion and visited him nightly as he slept.
Demeter
⚡ godGoddess of the harvest and sacred law
The goddess of grain and agriculture whose grief at losing her daughter created winter and whose mysteries at Eleusis promised life after death.
Iris
⚡ godGoddess of the rainbow and divine messenger
The swift-footed goddess of the rainbow who served as Hera's personal messenger, bridging heaven and earth with her arc of colour.