Hours and Parts of the Day

Three canvases depicting three deities from Greek mythology as personifications of the hours of the day. Helios personifying Noon, Hesperus personifying Evening, and Diana personifying Night, c. 1765 by Anton Raphael Mengs

In Greco-Roman mythology, Hesperus is the personification of the Evening Star. He is deeply connected to Aurora (Eos), as he is traditionally considered the son of the dawn goddess and the starry deity Astraeus. While his mother announces the breaking of the day, Hesperus heralds the arrival of twilight and the coming of the night.

In Roman mythology, Aurora is the radiant goddess of the dawn, sharing her stories and origins with her Greek equivalent, Eos. She is a Titaness, born to Hyperion and Theia, which makes her the sister of Sol, the sun god, and Luna, the moon goddess. Every morning, she sweeps across the sky in a beautifully crafted, horse-drawn chariot to announce the arrival of her brother, parting the darkness and bringing the first light of day to the world. She is traditionally depicted as a beautiful, winged woman flying across the horizon, often carrying a torch or scattering rose petals.

A fascinating aspect of Aurora's mythology is her tragic habit of falling in love with mortal men, which often ended in sorrow. Her most famous myth involves the handsome Trojan prince Tithonus. Desperately in love, Aurora begged Jupiter to grant Tithonus immortality so they could be together forever. However, she made a devastating mistake: she forgot to ask for eternal youth. Tithonus aged continuously, eventually shrinking and withering away until Aurora transformed him into a cicada. Another poignant legend suggests that the morning dew found on grass and leaves are actually Aurora's tears, shed every day in eternal grief for her son Memnon, who was slain by Achilles during the Trojan War