Question: Who was the Greek goddess of the moon?
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Selene.
The Greek goddess of the moon was Selene. Selene, often depicted as a beautiful woman with a luminous crown or a crescent moon on her head, was one of the deities in Greek mythology associated with the celestial body that lights up the night sky. She is the personification of the moon and is known for driving her chariot across the heavens, bringing the night.
Selene is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, making her the sister of Helios, the sun god, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn. According to mythology, each evening Selene would begin her journey across the sky in a chariot pulled by two white horses (sometimes depicted as oxen or mules), shedding her silver light upon the Earth.
Selene’s role in Greek mythology extends beyond merely lighting the night sky. She is often depicted in literature and art as a figure of great beauty and serene demeanor, embodying the tranquil and mysterious nature of the moon. Her most notable myth involves her love for Endymion, a handsome mortal shepherd (or, in some versions, a king or an astronomer). Selene was so enamored with Endymion’s beauty that she asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth and sleep so that she could visit him every night without him aging. Zeus agreed, and Endymion was placed in an eternal slumber, remaining forever young and beautiful, visited nightly by the goddess.
In later Greek mythology, Selene’s identity and attributes often merged with those of Artemis, the more widely known goddess of the hunt and the moon. Artemis, originally a goddess of hunting and wilderness, gradually assumed the role of the lunar deity, and over time, Selene became less prominent in mythological stories, although she remained a distinct deity.
Selene was also invoked in various ancient rituals and spells, particularly those involving the moon’s phases, reflecting her significant role in ancient Greek religious and cultural practices. Her Roman equivalent is Luna, who similarly personified the moon and was worshipped with similar reverence in Roman religion.
