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Luna (goddess)

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Ancient Roman statuette of the goddess Luna, known by her crescent moon hat, from the Macon treasure, now displayed in a museum exhibition.

Luna, the Moon Goddess

Luna was an important goddess in ancient Roman stories. She was the goddess of the Moon. People believed she watched over the night sky and guided the moon as it moved.

Luna was often shown in art with a shining crescent moon and riding in a special two-horse chariot called a biga. She was called the “two-horned queen of the stars” by a writer named Horace.

Many stories about Luna came from Greek tales about a goddess named Selene. One popular story was about a man named Endymion, and artists loved to paint this scene in homes.

The Romans built temples to honor Luna. One was on Aventine Hill, and another on Palatine Hill where she was called Noctiluna, meaning “Night-Shiner.” People celebrated her each year on March 31.

Luna was a symbol of light, beauty, and the changing moon, shining gently in the night for everyone to see.

Images

Ancient Roman artwork depicting the moon goddess Luna, showcasing mythological art from Germany.
A bronze lamp from ancient Rome showing the moon-goddess Luna, on display at the British Museum in London.
Ancient Roman cameo showing Julia Domna as the goddess Luna, from the British Museum.
An ancient Roman relief showing mythological scenes from the Mithras cult, featuring the Sun-god Sol in a chariot and the Moon Goddess Luna, found in Rome.
An ancient roundel art piece showing the Moon as a personified figure.

Related articles

Moon
Selene
Palatine Hill

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Luna (goddess), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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