Phoebe (mythology)

Phoebe (mythology)

In Greek mythology "golden-wreathed" Phoebe (Ancient Greek Φοίβη, Phoibe pronounced /IPA|'fiː.biː/ in English), in her very name simply the feminine counterpart of Phoebus, was one of the original Titans, one set of sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia. [Hesiod, "Theogony".] She was traditionally associated with the moon (see Selene), as in Michael Drayton's "Endimion and Phœbe", (1595), the first extended treatment of the Endymion myth in English. Her consort was her brother Coeus, with whom she had two daughters, Leto, who bore Artemis and Apollo, and Asteria, a star-goddess who bore an only daughter Hekate. [Hesiod, "Theogony", 404ff.]

Through Zeus she was the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. The names "Phoebe" and "Phoebus" came to be applied as a synonym for Artemis and an epithet of Apollo. [Compare the relation of the comparatively obscure archaic figure of Pallas and Pallas Athena.] According to a speech that Aeschylus, in "Eumenides", puts in the mouth of the Delphic priestess herself, she received control of the Oracle at Delphi from Themis: "Phoebe in this succession seems to be his private invention," D.S. Robertson noted, [D. S. Robertson, "The Delphian Succession in the Opening of the Eumenides" "The Classical Review" 55.2 (September 1941, pp. 69-70) p 69. ] reasoning that in the three great allotments of oracular powers at Delphi, corresponding to the three generations of the gods, "Ouranos, as was fitting, gave the oracle to his wife Gaia and Kronos appropriately allotted it to his sister Themis." In Zeus' turn to make the gift, however, Aeschylus could not report that the oracle was given directly to Apollo, who had not yet been born, Robertson notes, and thus Phoebe was interposed. These supposed male delegations of the powers at Delphi as expressed by Aeschylus are not borne out by the usual modern reconstruction of the sacred site's pre-Olympian history.

References

External links

* [http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanisPhoibe.html Theoi.com: Phoebe]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Phoebe — or Phebe is a female given name. Mythology*Phoebe (mythology), one of the Titans. *One of the Heliades *Phoebe (Leucippides), the daughter of Leucippus *Another name for Artemis *Helen s sister, daughter of LedaNature* Phoebe (plant), a genus of… …   Wikipedia

  • Phoebe Halliwell — Charmed character Alyssa Milano as Phoebe First appearance Something Wicca Thi …   Wikipedia

  • Phoebe (name) — Phoebe (pronounced FEE bee) is a feminine name, a Latinized form of the Greek name Φοιβη (Phoibe), which meant bright, pure from Greek φοιβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of… …   Wikipedia

  • phoebe — /fee bee/, n. any of several small American flycatchers of the genus Sayornis, esp. S. phoebe, of eastern North America. [1690 1700, Amer.; imit.; sp. by influence of PHOEBE] * * * Any of three species (family Tyrannidae, suborder Tyranni) of… …   Universalium

  • Phoebe — /fee bee/, n. 1. Class. Myth. a Titan, daughter of Uranus and Gaea and mother of Leto, later identified with Artemis and with the Roman goddess Diana. 2. Astron. one of the moons of Saturn. 3. Literary. the moon personified. 4. a female given… …   Universalium

  • Phoebe (moon) — Infobox Planet name = Phoebe alt names = Saturn IX adjectives = Phoebean bgcolour = #ffc0c0 discovery = yes discoverer = W.H. Pickering discovered = March 17, 1899 / August 16, 1898 orbit ref = [http://cfa… …   Wikipedia

  • Phoebe (Leucippides) — In Greek mythology, Phoebe was a daughter of Leucippus and Philodice. She was one of the Leucippides, along with her sister Hilaeira. Phoebe and Hilaeira were priestesses of Athena and Artemis, and betrothed to Idas and Lynceus, the sons of… …   Wikipedia

  • Phoebe — fɪːbɪ n. female first name; goddess of the moon (Greek Mythology); one of the moons of Saturn …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Phoebe — /ˈfibi/ (say feebee) noun 1. Greek Mythology Artemis (Diana) as goddess of the moon. 2. Poetic the moon personified. {Latin, from Greek Phoibē, properly feminine of Phoibos, literally, bright} …  

  • Thebe (mythology) — In Greek mythology, the name Thebe refers to few different people including some deities. * An Amazon * A nymph, daughter of Asopus and Metope, wife of Zethus. Zeus loved her. * Daughter of Zeus and Iodame, wife of King Ogyges and mother of Aulis …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”