Hesperus
- the evening star, Hesperus; acc. to the myth, the son of Cephalus and Aurora; cf. Hyg. Astr. 2, 42; or, acc. to another myth, the son of Iapetus and Asia, and brother of Atlas; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 530, and 4, 484: infima est quinque errantium terraeque proxima stella Veneris, quae φωσφόρος Graece, Latine dicitur Lucifer, cum antegreditur solem, cum subsequitur autem Hesperos, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53: illam non veniens Aurora Cessantem vidit, non Hesperus, Ov. M. 5, 441; id. F. 2, 314; cf. id. ib. 5, 419: ite domum saturae, venit Hesperus, ite capellae, Verg. E. 10, 77.—
- II Derivv.
- A Hespĕrĭus, a, um, adj., of or situated towards the west, western, Hesperian.
- 1 Adj.: Hesperium fretum, the western ocean, Ov. M. 11, 258: litus, id. ib. 2, 142: undae, Hor. C. 2, 17, 20: axis, Ov. M. 4, 214; cf.: constitit Hesperio, regnis Atlantis, in orbe, id. ib. 4, 628: imperi Porrecta majestas ad ortus Solis ab Hesperio cubili, Hor. C. 4, 15, 16: rex, i. e. Atlas or Hesperus, Ov. de Nuce, 111: Hesperios amnes, Rhenum Rhodanumque Padumque, etc., western, id. M. 2, 258: et terram Hesperiam venies, the land of the west, i.e. Italy (because situated to the west of the Trojans), Verg. A. 2, 781; cf. in the foll. 2.; so of Italy: Latium, id. ib. 7, 601: fluctus, Hor. C. 1, 28, 26: ruina, id. ib. 2, 1, 32: duces, Luc. 5, 703.—Hence,
- 2 Subst.: Hespĕria, ae, f. (sc. terra), the land of the west, Hesperia; poet. for Italy or Spain: est locus, Hesperiam quam mortales perhibebant, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 23 Vahl.); imitated by Vergil: est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt, Verg. A. 1, 530; so of Italy, Hor. C. 3, 6, 8; 4, 5, 38; Luc. 1, 224 al.: qui nunc Hesperia sospes ab ultima, etc., i.e. Spain, Hor. C. 1, 36, 4.—
- B Hespĕris, ĭdis, f., of evening or the west, western, Hesperian.
- I Adj.: corniger Hesperidum fluvius regnator aquarum (Tibris), i. e. Italian (cf. above), Verg. A. 8, 77. —Hence,
- 2 Subst.
- a Hespĕris, ĭdis, f., the queen's gilliflower, Hesperis tristis, Linn.: hesperis noctu magis olet, inde nomine invento, Plin. 21, 7, 18, § 39.—
- b He-spĕrĭdes, um, f.
- α The Hesperides, daughters of Hesperus, or of Erebus and Nox, who, on an island beyond Mount Atlas, watched a garden with golden apples, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6; Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; Mel. 3, 1, 3; Hyg. Fab. praef.; Ov. M. 11, 114; Lucr. 5, 32: Hesperidum mala, poma, Verg. E. 6, 61; Stat. S. 3, 1, 158: Hesperidum serpens, Juv. 14, 114.—
- β A group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Mel. 3, 10, 3; called also: Hesperidum insulae, Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 201.
(Ἕσπερος), the evening-star, is called by Hesiod a son of Astraeus and Eos, and was regarded, even by the ancients, as the same as the morning star, whence both Homer and Hesiod call him the bringer of light, ἑωσφόρος (Il. 22.317, 23.226; comp. Plin. Nat. 2.8; Mart. Capell. 8.882, &c., ed. Kopp.) Diodorus (3.60) calls him a son of Atlas, who was fond of astronomy, and once, after having ascended Mount Atlas to observe the stars, he disappeared. He was worshipped with divine honours, and regarded as the fairest star in the heavens. (Eratosth. Catast. 24.) Hyginus (de Sign. Coel. 2) says that some called him a son of Eos and Cephalus. The Romans designated him by the names Lucifer and Hesperus, to characterise him as the morning or evening star. [L.S]
- , Ἕσπερος, the evening star, C., V., O.
(Ἕσπερος). The evening star, son of Astraeus and Eos (Aurora), of Cephalus and Eos, or of Atlas. He was also regarded as the same as the morning star. See Lucifer.