Myth and Folklore Wiki
Register
Advertisement


Hesperis (Greek: Ἑσπερις, meaning "Evening") was the tenth sister of the Horae. She was the daughter of Chronos and Ananke.

Myths & Legends[]

She represented the time of evening. She is sometimes depicted as dressed in yellow tinged with brown.

Accompanies Helios[]

The Horae are known to accompany Helios into the sky, and take care of the horses that pull the chariot of the sun. As mentioned in the poem below, they would assist in taking the horses out to pasture, taking Helios' corona off his head, and putting away the chariot.

"Far on the sloping margin of the western sea sinking Sol (the Sun) [Helios] had unyoked his flaming steeds, and laved their bright manes in the springs of Oceanus . . . and the swift-striding Horae (Hours), who strip him of his reins and the woven glory of his golden coronet, and relive his horse's dripping breasts of the hot harness; some turn the well-deserving steeds into the soft pasture, and lean the chariot backward, pole in air."

- Statius, Thebaid 3. 406 ff (trans. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.)

Mother of the Hesperides[]

In some stories, she is also the mother of the Hesperides, born from her and Atlas. The Hesperides were the women who protected the golden apples from the tree of Hesperides.

Advertisement