In Greek mythology, Selene (¥Ò¥å¥ë?¥í¥ç, "moon"; Modern Greek
pronunciation IPA: [s?'li¢°.ni¢°]) was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter
of the titans Hyperion and Theia.[1] In Roman mythology the moon goddess
was Luna.
Like most moon deities, Selene plays a fairly large role in her pantheon.
However, Selene was eventually largely supplanted by Artemis, and Luna
by Diana. In the collection known as the Homeric hymns, there is a Hymn
to Selene (xxxii), paired with the hymn to Helios; in its Selene is addressed
as "far-winged", an epithet ordinarily applied to birds. Selene is mentioned
in Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48.581; Pausanias 5.1.4; and Strabo 14.1.6, among
others.
The etymology of Selene is uncertain, but if the word is of Greek origin,
it is likely connected to the word selas, meaning "light".[2] Boreion Selas
is the Greek name for Aurora Borealis. The name is the root of selenology,
the study of the geology of the Moon. The chemical element selenium was
also named after Selene.
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