"One of these Planetoi (Planets) is horned Selene (the Moon) whitening the sky; when she has completed all her circuit, she brings forth with her wise fire the month, being at first half seen, then curved, then full moon with her whole face."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 38.244
🏛️ Roman #mosaic, 4th century CE, Basílica de San Pedro del Vaticano
"`Stars, bow to my prayer, and become sightless; Moon (Mênê) [Selene], suffer your light to sink swiftly and depart!' So she [Hero] spoke, for to see Leandros was all her heart's desire."
Anonymous, Hero and Leander Fragment, Select Papyri III, No. 126
#3GoodThings for a #Monday that started out with full-fledged Monday-itis but wound up not too bad, all things considered.
Finished formatting an article for submission! Sadly, I found out they're closing their portal till the first week of September. But at least it's done!
I worked with zeal on my long-delayed monograph. I decided to turn the entire article which I could not submit to a special issue into a book chapter and that in turn informed the changing of focus for my book. Now it's fully a #hauntology monograph and I couldn't be more pleased with myself.
I left work pretty late because my academic brain was fully engaged! then I went to a newly re-launched grocery store+foodcourt (on the other end of the mall from That Place That Stocks Ravioli and Lemon Sorbet). It is cheep! I am so excited by the range of products. Then I had a nice dinner at the foodcourt, sizzling hot plate noodles! YUM.
"May no shepherd i.e. [#Endymion] make boast over you [#Selene the Moon]."
Seneca, Phaedra 422
🏛️ Selene-Diana and Endymion as a couple, Roman statue part of an ivory Querinian diptych, circa 5th CE, found in #Brescia. Exhibited in the archaeological Santa Giulia Museum, in Brescia, Italy.
"Mene [#Selene] helped Bromios [#Dionysos], attacking Pentheus with her divine scourge; the frenzied reckless fury of distracting Selene joining in displayed many a phantom shape to maddened Pentheus [who became lunatic or moon-struck], and made the dread son of Echion forget his earlier intent."
Dionysiaca 46.97
🏛️ #Luna, Roman statuette, Antikensammlung #Berlin
"#Luna the Moon's [Selene's] course also has a sort of winter and summer solstice; and she emits many streams of influence, which supply animal creatures with nourishment and stimulate their growth and which cause plants to flourish and attain maturity."
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2.14
"The changing circuits of Selene as she comes back and back again--how she changes her returning shape in three circles, new-shining, half-moon, and gleaming with full face; how her splendour now touching, now shrinking back, at the male furnace of father Helios"
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 4.279
🏛️ #Selene, Mosaic of the Planetarium, Italica, #Spain
"From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that arises from her shining light."
Homeric Hymn 32 to #Selene
🏛️ A #Roman gold medallion of the moon goddess Luna circa 3rd-6th century CE.
"‘Yoke your own car, I pray, bright #Selene, send forth your rays which make the trees and plants to grow, because this marriage foretells the birth of plant-cherishing Dionysos; rise over the lovely roof of Semele, give light to my desire with the star of the Kyprian [Hesperos].’"
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 7.280
🏛️ Roman marble head of Selene-Luna, ca 1st-2nd century CE
"But now she stands out among Lydian women
as sometimes at sunset
rosy-fingered #Selene
surpasses all the stars. And her light
stretches over salt sea
equally and flowerdeep fields.
And the beautiful dew is poured out
and roses bloom and frail
chervil and flowering sweetclover.
But she goes back and forth remembering
gentle Atthis and in longing desire
she bites her tender mind."
Sappho 96
"She [Kallisto] was a hunting companion of Artemis, imitating her dress and remaining under oath a virgin for the goddess. But #Zeus fell in love with her and forced her into bed, taking the likeness, some say, or Artemis, others, of Apollon."
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.100
The dual deity Mawu-Lisa came to the #Fon pantheon from the Aja people. In the dual Mawu-Lisa, #Mawu is female and Lisa male. Their union is regarded as the basis of the universal order. The Fon identify Mawu with the #moon, night, fertility, motherhood, gentleness, forgiveness, rest, and joy while Lisa is the sun. They are the parents of #Hevioso, God of Thunder.
I read that in Hindu #mythology, Agni, the god of fire is married both to the goddess Svaha and the male Moon god Soma with Agni having a receptive role in this relationship and tha fire (agni) and water (soma), determined the gender of a child. Anyone know if this #bisexual marriage really is a thing in Hindu mythology?
"Not ye had the wakeful dawn put all the stars to flight from heaven, and Luna (the Moon) was beholding the approach of day with fading horn."
Statius, Thebaid 12.1
🏛️ The goddess #Luna in her biga, relief on the Arch of Constantinus, tondo on short west side, 312—315 CE, #Rome