Selene
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.
The Myth of Selene
Selene was the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios (Sun) and Eos (Dawn). Each night, she drove her silver chariot across the sky, illuminating the darkness with the moon's pale light. She was depicted as a beautiful woman with a luminous crescent on her brow.
Her most famous myth is her love for the mortal shepherd Endymion. So beautiful was the sleeping youth that Selene asked Zeus to grant him eternal sleep so that he would never age or die. Zeus agreed, and Endymion sleeps forever in a cave on Mount Latmus while Selene visits him each night, her moonlight caressing his unchanging face.
In later Greek religion, Selene was gradually merged with Artemis, who took on lunar associations. But in the older myths, they remained distinct: Selene was the moon itself, while Artemis was the goddess of the hunt who happened to carry a bow shaped like a crescent moon.
Parents
Hyperion and Theia
Children
Fifty daughters by Endymion (in some versions)
Symbols
Fun Fact
The element selenium is named after Selene, and selenology is the scientific study of the moon.
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
Selene
⚡ godTitaness of the moon
Selene was the Titaness who drove the silver chariot of the moon across the night sky — she loved the mortal Endymion and visited him each night as he slept eternally.
Luna
⚡ godMoon, night, cycles
Roman goddess of the moon, equivalent to the Greek Selene
Selene
🏔 titanTitan goddess of the moon
The Titan goddess who drove the silver chariot of the moon across the night sky, daughter of Hyperion and Theia.
Goddess of the Moon
💭 conceptMoon, night sky, lunar cycles
Selene drives her silver chariot across the night sky, illuminating the world with reflected light.
Endymion
🗡 heroShepherd loved by the Moon
Endymion was a beautiful shepherd whom the moon goddess Selene loved so deeply that she asked Zeus to grant him eternal sleep — so she could gaze upon him forever.
Diana
⚡ godHunt, moon, wilderness, crossroads
Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and wild places, identified with the Greek Artemis
Achelois
🐉 creatureMoon, healing
Minor moon goddess or epithet meaning she who washes away pain, associated with lunar healing rites
Ganymede
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The largest moon in the solar system, named after Ganymede, the beautiful Trojan prince abducted by Zeus to serve as cupbearer of the gods on Olympus
Callisto
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
A moon of Jupiter named after Callisto, the nymph companion of Artemis who was transformed into a bear and placed among the stars as the constellation Ursa Major
Europa
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
A moon of Jupiter named after Europa, the Phoenician princess abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull, now one of the most promising candidates for extraterrestrial life
Artemis
⚡ godGoddess of the hunt, wilderness, the moon, childbirth
Twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt. Artemis roamed the wild forests with her band of nymphs, fiercely protecting her virginity and the natural world.
Hecate
⚡ godGoddess of crossroads, magic, and the moon
A powerful Titan goddess associated with crossroads, doorways, magic, witchcraft, and the night. Hecate was one of the few Titans honored by Zeus after the Titanomachy.