Endymion (mythology)
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In Greek mythology, Endymion was a handsome shepherd (or, more rarely, a king or a hunter) from Asia Minor. He was so beautiful that Selene, the moon goddess, asked Zeus (or Hypnos) to grant him eternal life so he would never leave her. Alternatively, Selene trusted and loved Endymion so much he made the decision to live forever in sleep. Either way, Zeus blessed him by putting him into an eternal sleep. Every night, Selene visited him where he was buried on Mt. Latmus near Milete, in Asia Minor. Selene and Endymion had fifty daughters including Naxos.
Endymion also had a son named Aetolus, the King of Elis. Later, he ruled Aetolia, which was named after him. Endymion had another son, Epeius, who won his father's kingdom by beating his brothers in a race.
External link
- 'Diana and Endymion' (http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/picture-of-month/displaypicture.asp?venue=2&id=155) at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/index.asp)
Endymion (http://artyzm.com/world/g/girodet/endymion.htm) by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson at the Louvrede:Endymion fr:Endymion (mythologie) it:Endimione