The Story of Pan and Selene

Pan, an ugly god that had goat legs, a tail, beard and horns, was known to seduce many nymphs including Echo and Eupheme, but by far his greates conquest was that of the goddess Selene. Some stories claim that she succumbed to his wishes in exchange for a fine fleece. Others claim that Pan disguised his deformed form within white fleeces. She rode on his back and allowed Pan to do as he wished.

The Nemean Lion

The first labor of Hercules was to slay the Nemean lion, a beast known for its pelt proof against iron, bronze, and stone. Some stories of the lion claim that Selene gave birth to the lion and deposited it on earth at the mouth of a cave on Mount Tretus which is near Nemea, a city named after her daughter by Zeus. As a punishment to her own people for an unfullfilled sacrifice she set the lion to prey upon them. Another story explains that Selene created the lion out of sea foam at the request of Hera. It was then carried to the Nemean mountains by Iris.

Endymion and Selene

By far the most well-known myth in regards to Selene is her love affair with the mortal, Endymion. Some stories call him the King of Elis, the city he founded, but the majority of them call him a shepard who was spotted while tending his flock on Mount Latmos one evening as Selene rode across the sky in her silver chariot. Struck by his beauty she came to earth to be with him. In some stories Zeus was angered that Selene was abandoning her duty and to punish her, he cast Endymion into an everlasting sleep. Others claim that Selene asked Zeus to give Endymion perpetual youth by putting him into a neverending slumber, for she prefered to kiss and caress him rather than the more intimate interludes and wished to keep him forever. Still others speak of Endymion as the son of Zeus and the nymph Calyce and he asked his father to sleep forever for he feared to age. But even in his everlasting sleep, he and Selene had 50 daughters.