Who was Phoebe in Greek mythology?
Phoebe was a Titan, one of the children of Uranus and Gaia, and a goddess of intellect and prophecy. She married her brother Coeus and was the grandmother of Apollo, Artemis, and Hecate.
Questions about Phoebe (Titaness)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What does the name Phoebe mean?
Phoebe comes from Phoîbos, the Greek word for pure, bright, radiant, used as an epithet for Apollo as a sun-god. Its feminine form was also applied to Artemis as a moon-goddess, and it later gave rise to the verb phoibázō, meaning to prophesize.
Who were Phoebe's children and grandchildren?
Phoebe's daughters were Leto and Asteria. Through Leto she was the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis, and through Asteria she was the grandmother of Hecate.
Why did Phoebe control the Oracle of Delphi?
According to a speech in Aeschylus's play The Eumenides, Phoebe received the oracle at Delphi from her sister Themis, who had received it from their mother Gaia. Phoebe then passed the oracle and her own name to her grandson Apollo as a birthday gift.
Is Phoebe depicted in ancient Greek or Roman art?
Phoebe has no fixed iconography because she had little independent presence in Greek and Roman art. One rare appearance survives on the Pergamon Altar, where she fights a Giant during the Gigantomachy while wearing a diadem and wielding a flaming torch.
What is Phoebe's connection to Saturn's moon and the modern given name Phoebe?
One of Saturn's moons is named Phoebe after the Titaness, who was the sister of Cronus, the Greek equivalent of Saturn. Phoebe, sometimes spelled Phebe, is also a popular feminine given name in the English-speaking world today.