Zeus put Endymion into an eternal sleep. There are a few reasons as to why this might have happened. The two most likely (or most popular) theories are that: Selene may have asked Zeus to do this for her, so she could have Endymion to herself for all eternity; or Zeus could have offered eternal youth to Endymion with the condition that he be put under eternal sleep.

Selene would visit Endymion as he slept, privately, and he fathered her fifty daughters.

Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion are somewhat based on them. The goddess Selene was one of the Greek moon goddesses (the other most commonly known being Hecate, who represented the three phases of the moon; and Artemis, the chaste huntress), and was very different from them. She had a golden crescent moon mark in the middle of her forehead.

In 1818, John Keats wrote his first long poem, entitled "Endymion" based on the classical legend of the mortal Endymion beloved by the moon goddess Selene, and it tells of Endymion's often despairing search for her.

Luna is Spanish for moon and is also the name of the Roman counterpart for the Greek Selene; Diana is the Roman counterpart for the Greek Artemis.

The following descriptions are long, but accurate. The Roman versions are noted, but the Greek gods and goddesses are mainly discussed unless their are significant differences. And, Although not technically Senshi, I have included information related to Helios and Tuxedo Mask as well.

Areas of Special Concern: prophecy, medicine, fine arts, archery, beauty, flocks and herds, law, courage, and wisdom.

Items Associated with Him: the tripod, omphalos (beehive-shaped stone at Delphi, designating that spot as the centre/ navel of the Earth), lyre, bow and arrows, laurel wreath, palm tree, wolf, hawk, crow, fawn.

Nickname: Phoebus, meaning "the brilliant." (Sharman-Burke, 75)

Family: his parents were Zeus and Leto (goddess of Night). Instead of being nourished with mother's milk, he was fed nectar and ambrosia; he immediately threw off his swaddling clothes, endowed with manly vigour. (Sharman-Burke, 75) His twin sister was Artemis, a goddess of the moon. His son Asclepius, became the god of medicine. Linus, another of his sons, was a renowned music teacher.

Weapons: given a bow and far-shooting arrows fashioned for him by the smith Hephaestus. (Sharman-Burke, 75)

Love: Apollo was often rejected in his advances toward women. Of his many loves, one of the best known was Daphne, who fled his embraces and turned into a laurel tree. From then on, he wore a laurel wreath.

Laurels: Laurel wreaths became the prize awarded in athletic and music competitions.

Prophecy: normally a gift of Underworld deities, was gradually appropriated by Apollo until he became the embodiment of far-reaching vision.

Roman Mythology: Apollo represented the literary and fine arts, culture, and the law.

Sanctuary: He chose a mountain gorge which formed the lair of the vicious female serpent Python, a beast sent by the jealous Hera to destroy Apollo's mother. Apollo killed Python with one of his arrows, crowned himself with sacred laurel, and called his new sanctuary Delphi. There he established the shrine of the Delphic Oracle, spoken by a priestess who became known as the Pythoness. Apollo left Delphi every autumn to travel to the land of the Hyperboreans, where he could enjoy an eternally bright sky. (Sharman-Burke, 75-76)

Family: parents were Zeus and Maia. He fathered the double-sexed being Hermaphroditus with Aphrodite.

Functions: protector of flocks and shepherds; guide and protector of travelers; guide of souls into the Underworld; trusted "messenger of the gods;" bringer of sudden good luck and changes in fortune; patron of orators, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves, and liars; ruler of magic and divination.

Visual Portrayal: wore a winged helmet (or broad-rimmed hat) and sandals, carried a herald's staff (caduceus). Also usually pictured with a ram, a lyre, and a shepherd's staff.

Colours: red and white; reflecting the mix of earthly passions and spiritual clarity which are part of his nature. (Sharman-Burke, 21)

Also Called: the Trickster, because he's deceitful and ambiguous.

Wisdom: wise in the knowledge of the heart. Could be deceptive, playful. Rules over chance, fate, intuition.

The Lyre: he created the lyre from a tortoiseshell and gave it to his brother, Apollo, who in turn gave him the gift of divination.

Divination: Hermes became master of the elements; eventually teaching humans the skills of geomancy (divination by earth), pyromancy (divination by fire), hydromancy (divination by water), and aeromancy (divination by air). (Sharman-Burke, 22) As master of the elements, his wisdom can penetrate all spheres of life – the mind, the imagination, the heart, and the body. (Sharman-Burke, 23)

The Underworld: a powerful deity of the Underworld, he was also an emissary of Hades. He not only had the ability to usher the dead into the realm of Hades, but also the ability to summon the souls of the dead back to life. When Tantalos, king of Lydia, cut his own son in pieces and served them as a feast for the gods, Hermes reassembled the pieces and restored the young man to life. (Sharman-Burke, 78-79)

Helper of Heroes: Hermes freed heroes such as Theseus who snuck into the realm of Hades without permission and became stuck there. He also guided Orpheus into the dark kingdom to find his wife Eurydice, and guided him out when he lost her again. (Sharman-Burke, 79)

Aphrodite
Chiefly known as the goddess of love and beauty; and well-known for her many affairs, particularly her relationship with the war god, Ares. She protected legitimate unions and presided over the sanctity of marriage. She also greatly enjoyed toying with the romantic affairs of humans. Paris, a human man, judged Aphrodite to be the most beautiful goddess. In return she gave him Helen of Troy, which is said to have led to the Trojan war.

Marriage: She was married to Hephaestus, blacksmith of the gods. This was either by her own choice, because Hephaestus was humble and did not try to compete for her like the other gods; or because Zeus forced her to marry him, which upset her because Hephaestus was unattractive. Either way, Hephaestus was pleased, and created lots of lavish jewellery for her.

Lovers: She had many, among them Adonis and the war god, Ares.

Impressed by the vigour of the handsome Ares, Aphrodite fell in love with him, and he quickly reciprocated. Ares took advantage of the absence of her husband; often dishonouring the marriage. Hephaestus wove an invisible, unbreakable net that he hung over the couch which the lovers frequented, catching them after their next meeting. Before freeing them, he tried to embarrass them by mocking them in front of the other deities of mount Olympus, but to no avail. (Sharman-Burke, 40)

Sacred Items: the myrtle tree, the dove.

Famous Artistic Representations: Aphrodite of Melos (Venus de Milo); Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus."

Personality: A complex goddess, she was the essence of feminine beauty; everything about her was pure charm and harmony. But she could also be jealous, spiteful, vain, deceitful, treacherous, lazy, and vindictive. Throughout nature she spread her life-bringing joy; but she was also the fearful deity who could fill human hearts with a frenzy of passion.

Victims: often unfortunate, they would do things such as betray their families, leave their homes, or even be overcome with incestuous or bestial passions. It is she who, in helping Poseidon punish king Minos, caused the creation of the Minotaur. And it is she, who out of anger, turned the mortal Medusa into a beast for claiming she was more beautiful than even Aphrodite. Medusa is said to have kept her lovely face, but her hair was replaced with serpents, and any person who looked into her eyes would be turned to stone. Medusa was killed by the hero Perseus.

Visual portrayal: usually with three faces. She also wears a crown of the moon in its three phases. She has silvery hair and is clothed in white robes.

Colours: white and silver; associated with the moon because they were believed to contain all colours within them in a nascent state. (Sharman-Burke, 72)

Ruler of: the moon, magic, and enchantment. Powerful both in the sky and beneath the earth. One of the most archaic goddesses, she presided over magic, childbirth, death, the Underworld, and fate.

Zeus honoured Hecate so greatly that he never denied her the ancient power she always enjoyed: that of bestowing or withholding from mortals any desired gift. (Sharman-Burke, 73)

The Underworld: an attendant of Persephone, one of the rulers of the Underworld, and she was called the Invincible Queen, presiding over purifications and expiations. Her companions in the Underworld were the Erinyes or Furies, who punished offenses against nature and represented the three Moirai or Fates.

Goddess of Enchantment: in this role, she sent demons to earth who tormented people through their dreams.

Companions: Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the gate of the Underworld. Said to be her animal form and familiar spirit. Also may have been accompanied by baying hounds.

Hauntings & Worshipings: she most frequently haunted crossroads, tombs, and crime scenes. Three-headed images sacred to her were erected at crossroads and worshipped on the eve of the full moon. Secret rites associated with magic were also performed at crossroads under a full moon in her honour. (Sharman-Burke, 73)

The Crab: a creature who belongs wholly to neither the water nor earth realms, but makes its home in between. An image of the dream world, which arises from the unknown depths but also intrudes upon the day world in the form of powerful images and feelings which can't be ignored. (Sharman-Burke, 72)

Visual Portrayal: lean and athletic, frequently accompanied by a deer.

Also Called: Cynthia (assumed to have been born on Mount Cynthos, on the island of Delos)

Family: daughter of Zeus and Leto. Twin sister of Apollo.

Protectress of Women: in this role, she was often called upon to ensure swift, painless death. Women who died in such a manner were said to be slain by one of her silver arrows.

Items Sacred to Her: the hind, the cypress tree

Visual Portrayal: a huntress with a quiver and bow, accompanied by a deer or a hound

God of War: He enjoyed fighting, and his two squires Phobos (Terror) and Deimos (Fear), sometimes said to be his sons, accompanied him on the battlefield. Unlike the goddess Athena, who represented strategy and foresight in battle; he was very passionate and aggressive, in love with the glory of battle. Associated with conflict and bloodshed. Zeus and Athena disliked him for his brute strength and lack of refinement. (Sharman-Burke, 39)

Family: said to be conceived solely by Hera, queen of the gods.

Visual Portrayal: dressed in bronze armour, he carries a large spear and a bronze shield; drives a bronze chariot, pulled by one black and one white horse.

Love: Aphrodite fell in love with him, and he quickly reciprocated. Ares took advantage of the absence of Aphrodite's husband, Hephaestus; often dishonouring the marriage. Hephaestus tried to embarrass them, but to no avail. Ares fathered a daughter, Harmonia, with Aphrodite.

God of: inspiration and sudden creative vision; mental and spiritual heights. Traditionally a weather god, he controlled meteorological phenomena.

Parents: the Titans Cronus and Rhea.

Claim to Fame: When given the prophecy that one of his sons would overthrow him, Cronus took it upon himself to destroy them. For five years, Rhea bore him sons and daughters, but Cronus swallowed them before they opened their eyes. This greatly upset Rhea, who fled secretly to Acadia and gave birth to Zeus in a cave. Wrapping a large stone in swaddling clothes, she presented it to Cronus as their son, and he promptly swallowed it. When full-grown; Zeus came to his father, disguised as a cup-bearer. He prepared a potion which made Cronus violently ill, and out of his mouth came the five children he'd swallowed and the stone. (Sharman-Burke, 27-28) Zeus led his siblings, and they overthrew Cronus. Zeus assumed the throne as king of the gods and established a hierarchy among the gods. Zeus split the powers of the Earth chiefly with two of his brothers: Poseidon, whom he gave the sea; and Hades, whom he gave the Underworld.

Marriage: He took Hera, his sister, as his wife, and she became queen. Hera was pleased with her title, but became very upset over the years with Zeus's numerous love affairs. Ironically, Zeus was protective of Hera, and did not want another god or man to have her. Zeus fashioned a cloud in the likeness of Hera to prevent Ixion, son of Ares, from making love to the goddess herself. From this strange union, Chiron (king of the centaurs) was born.

Bird: the eagle, for its keen sight and power to fly higher than other birds. As a bird of prey, it also expresses Zeus's aggression and conquering instinct. (Sharman-Burke, 27)

Divine Form: thunder and lightning.

Personality: He could be compassionate, but he also had a very angry and vindictive side if his authority was challenged, or his laws broken. He saw to it that humankind was punished for their wrongdoing.

Love: he had many affairs, including many of the goddesses and some human women. He fathered many of his children out of wedlock. The only child he had entirely on his own was Athena (a warrior and goddess of wisdom), who sprang from his forehead, fully armed.

Family: daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

Marriage: wed her brother Zeus, becoming queen of the gods. Angered by her husband's numerous love affairs, she often plotted revenge against the women he loved, and the children he had with them. Sneaky and clever, she was able to cause the death of a fair amount of the women who had helped her husband be unfaithful; but the children usually escaped or defeated her vicious plots of revenge.

Goddess of: marriage, women, childbirth.

Sacred Emblems: apple, pomegranate, peacock.

Trojan War: she favoured the Greeks because the Trojan, Paris, named Aphrodite the most beautiful goddess instead of herself.

Children: Displeased with the appearance of her son, Hephaestus, she said that he was born lame. In spite, Hephaestus fashioned a throne which bound her fast. She was also said to be the sole parent of Ares.

Family: son of Uranus and Gaea. He was the youngest of the Titans. Wed his sister Rhea, fathered six Olympian gods and goddesses.

Ascension to the Throne: Given a scythe by his mother, Cronus helped her get revenge and castrated his father, casting the genitals into the sea. Then he freed his siblings and became king of the gods.

Under his long, patient reign, the work of Creation was completed, and the time became known as the Golden Age, for the abundance over which Cronus presided. (Sharman-Burke, 52)

God of time: he ruled over the passing of the seasons; birth and growth followed by death, gestation, and rebirth. He was worshipped both as a grim reaper who set the boundaries which man and nature could not pass and also as a god of fertility. (Sharman-Burke, 52)

Even he had trouble accepting his own cyclical laws. He embodies the meaning of time and also rebels against it (Sharman-Burke, 52).

Fall from the Throne: When it was prophesied that his own son would overthrow him, as he did his own father, he swallowed his children as they were born in order to preserve his rule. However, his wife, Rhea, became increasingly upset with the loss of her children. She gave birth to her youngest son, Zeus, secretly in a cave and returned; presenting a large stone disguised as her child. Upon presenting it to her husband, Cronus, he promptly swallowed it. When Zeus had grown, he came in disguise and fed a potion to Cronus which made him extremely ill, causing all five of the children he swallowed (as well as the stone) to come right back out of his mouth, completely unharmed. (Sharman-Burke, 27-28)

A 10 year struggle followed between the Titans, led by Cronus; and his children, led by Zeus. Overthrown by his children; Cronus was banished.

Some say he was banished to the Blessed Isles, where he sleeps awaiting a new Golden Age; other say he was banished to the depths of the Underworld. (Sharman-Burke, 52 )

Negative Side: Has a stubborn resistance to change and the passing of time.

Creative side: Ability to change what can be changed, to accept what can't be changed, and to wait in silence until one knows the difference. (Sharman-Burke, 53)

Gaea was angered and planned her revenge. She fashioned a scythe, and gave it to her youngest son, Cronus. In the evening, Uranus rejoined his wife in bed. As he slept, Cronus (with his mother's help), lay in hiding, armed with the scythe. He castrated his father and threw the bleeding genitals into the sea. From this, sea foam arose, and Aphrodite was born.

God of: the sea, ocean depths, earthquakes. He ruled over the surface of the earth because earth was sustained by his waters and he could shake it at will. Lord of the physical universe.

Visual portrayal: Although an earth-god, Poseidon is portrayed with the tail of a fish, linking him with the cold-blooded creatures of the sea. He wore a golden crown on his head and carried a trident, which reflects the lunar crescent, linking him with the realm of the instincts and the night. (Sharman-Burke, 66)

Family: son of Cronus and Rhea. He received his area of rule from his brother, Zeus, as his inheritance. He is sometimes interpreted as the father of Aphrodite, the foam born, who arrived ashore standing in a sea shell. He is the father of Persephone with Demeter. Father of Pegasus with Medusa.

Marriage: A fertility god, Poseidon was married to either Demeter, the Earth Mother; or Amphitrite, granddaughter of Oceanus.

Associated with: bulls, horses, dolphins.

Love: renowned for his many love affairs. One of his conquests was Medusa, when she was still a beautiful woman. Supposedly, he made love to her in one of Athena's temples, the virgin goddess turned her into a hideous creature and helped Perseus slay her. Medusa is alternatively said to have been turned into a monster by Aphrodite for claiming to be more beautiful that the goddess of beauty herself.

Also called: "earth shaker," for his ability to move mountains and cause the seas to flood the land. He is a raw force of nature. Although Poseidon was not often seen by humans or above the water, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Crete and the Minotaur: Minos, the wealthy, powerful king of Crete was given power by Poseidon who agreed to make Minos sovereign of the seas if the king offered to sacrifice a beautiful white bull to the god. King Minos did not want to give up the bull and, hiding it in his herd, offered a lesser animal instead. In anger, Poseidon called upon the aid of Aphrodite, who made Minos' wife, Pasiphae, fall madly in love with the bull. The queen bribed the palace artisan, Daedalus, to build her a wooden cow. Pasiphae hid inside the wooden cow, and from her union with the bull, the Minotaur, a creature with a man's body and head of a bull which fed on human flesh, was born. In his terror, the king hid the creature at the heart of a Labyrinth which he ordered Daedalus to build. With the help of Minos' daughter, Ariadne, Theseus (the joint son of Poseidon and King Aegeus by Aethra) slew the Minotaur. At the same moment, Poseidon arose from the sea in anger and struck at the Labyrinth. The building was reduced to rubble by the earthquake, burying King Minos and the corpse of the Minotaur. At the same time, all of Minos' slaves were set free. Theseus was then proclaimed king of Crete, a new era began, and the Labyrinth was never raised again. (Sharman-Burke, 66-67)

Also known as: the Invisible. When he emerged into the daylight, his helmet would render him invisible to mortals. Later came to be known as Pluto/ Pluton, with the name Hades referring only to the name of his Underworld kingdom.

Family: son of Cronus and Rhea, rescued by his brother, Zeus, who gave him the kingdom of the Underworld as his share of the inheritance. Hades ruled his domain as absolute master and would judge people upon death, deciding where they would spend their afterlife.

Passage to Hades: The rites of death required a gold coin be placed within the mouth of the corpse. Without offering this payment to Hades, souls would be doomed to forever wander the shores of the river Styx. (Sharman-Burke, 60)

Power: often viewed as having a lesser status than that of his brother, Zeus, it was really Hades who possessed the greater power. Hades' law was irrevocable. Once a soul entered the kingdom of Hades, not even Zeus could retrieve it again. However, certain heroes such as Orpheus and Theseus managed to illegally enter Hades' realm; tricking Charon and managing to avoid Cerberus. Though they managed to trespass, they never returned to the surface unchanged. The gods swore their oaths by the river Styx, which was both deadly poison and bestowed immortality. (Sharman-Burke, 61)

The judges of the dead would decide whether a soul would go to the Elysian Fields (for the virtuous); Tartarus (a place of punishment); or the Asphodel Meadows (for those neither virtuous nor evil).

Marriage: Overcome with desire, he rose out of the earth in his chariot drawn by two black horses and abducted the maiden Persephone, daughter of Demeter (goddess of Nature) and Poseidon. In her rage, Demeter allowed the Earth to fall barren and refused to restore its former abundance. Demeter was unable to accept what happened. Persephone had willingly eaten some of a pomegranate, the fruit of the Underworld, and Hades had treated Persephone with honour, making her his queen. Eventually, the clever, all-seeing god Hermes intervened and fashioned a compromise. For nine months of the year, Persephone would live with her mother; and for the remaining three she ruled the Underworld beside her dark husband. Demeter never fully came to terms with this solution, and every year while her daughter was away, she went into mourning, creating the season of winter. Upon Persephone's return, Spring would also return. Persephone could never speak of the secrets she learned in the land of the dead, the realm of Hades.

Barriers and Guards of the Underworld: the kingdom of the Underworld was surrounded by the rivers Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Cocytus, and Phlegethon. No living person could cross the river Styx without the express permission of Hades himself. Hermes, as guide of souls, could usher through exceptional heroes who had gained the god's consent. Even the souls of the dead could not pass without paying a coin to Charon, the old ferryman who rowed the boat of passage across the Styx. At the gateway to Hades' realm, there was the three-headed dog, Cerberus who devoured any trespasser who did not respect the laws of the realm.