Editing Selene (section)

=== Heracles ===
[[File:Arte romana, statuetta di nyx o selene, I secolo ac.JPG|thumb|right|[[Roman Empire|Roman-era]] bronze statuette of Selene ''[[velificans]]'' or [[Nyx]] (Night) ([[Getty Villa]]).]]

When Zeus desired to sleep with the mortal queen [[Alcmene]] and sire Heracles, he made the night last three days, and ordered Selene via [[Hermes]] to dawdle in the sky during that time.<ref>Stuttard, [https://archive.org/details/greekmythologytr0000stut/page/114/mode/2up?view=theater p. 114]; [[Lucian]], ''[[Dialogues of the Gods]]'' [https://archive.org/details/lucianvolviiloeb00luci/page/308/mode/2up 14 (10)].</ref>

Selene also played a small role in the first of Heracles' twelve [[Labours of Hercules|labours]]; whereas for Hesiod, the [[Nemean Lion]] was born to [[Orthrus]] and the [[Chimera (mythology)|Chimera]] (or perhaps [[Echidna (mythology)|Echidna]]) and raised by [[Hera]],<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA63 p. 63]; [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/hesiod-theogony/2018/pb_LCL057.29.xml 326&ndash;329 (Most)].</ref> other accounts have Selene involved in some way in its birth or rearing.<ref>Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft#page/456/mode/2up pp. 456–457]; Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA256 p. 256].</ref> [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]] states: "They say that the Lion of Nemea fell from the moon", and quotes [[Epimenides]] as saying:<ref>Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft#page/456/mode/2up p. 456]; Gantz, p. 25; Burkert 1972, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0qqp4Vk1zG0C&pg=PA346 p. 346 n. 47]; West 1983, pp. 47–48.</ref>

{{blockquote|For I am sprung from fair-tressed Selene the Moon, who in a fearful shudder shook off the savage lion in Nemea, and brought him forth at the bidding of Queen Hera.<ref>[[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]], ''On Animals'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/aelian-characteristics_animals/1958/pb_LCL449.23.xml 12.7] [= [[Epimenides]] fr. 3B2 [[Hermann Alexander Diels|Diels]] = [https://books.google.com/books?id=B75GgVdxYT0C&pg=PA10, fr. 2 Freeman] ([http://demonax.info/doku.php?id=text:epimenides_of_crete_fragments Online version at Demonax | Hellenic Library].  Gantz, p. 25, remarks that this refers to Selene "probably in her role as the moon rather than the goddess".</ref>}}

[[Anaxagoras]] also reports that the Nemean lion was said to have fallen from the moon.<ref>Burkert 1972, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0qqp4Vk1zG0C&pg=PA346 p. 346 with n. 48]; [[Anaxagoras]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=PA6HMrSrjfkC&pg=PA111 fr. A77 Curd] [= Scholia on [[Apollonius of Rhodes]]'s ''[[Argonautica]]'' 1.498]. See also [[Plutarch]], ''[[Moralia]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/plutarch-moralia_table_talk/1961/pb_LCL424.399.xml?rskey=UQkRts&result=2&mainRsKey=m1fL2Z 677 A] [= [[Euphorion of Chalcis|Euphorion]] [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euphorion_chalcis-poetic_fragments/2010/pb_LCL508.337.xml fr. 107 Lightfoot] = fr. 84 Powell = fr. 47 Meineke] (Nemean Lion called "Menê’s fierce-eyed son"). For other accounts see Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft#page/457/mode/2up p. 457 notes 2 and 3].</ref> [[Pseudo-Plutarch]]'s ''On Rivers'' has Hera collaborating with Selene, "employing magical incantations" to create the Nemean Lion from a chest filled with foam.<ref>[[Pseudo-Plutarch]], ''On Rivers'' [http://www.roman-emperors.org/Pseudo-P%20Revised.pdf#page=22 18.4]; Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft#page/457/mode/2up p. 457 n. 3].</ref> Hyginus says that Selene had "nourished" the lion in a "two-mouthed cave".<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#30 30]; Cook, [https://archive.org/stream/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft#page/456/mode/2up p. 456].</ref>