Endymion. Endymion, in Greek mythology, is a handsome young shepherd or hunter who is loved by the goddess Selene, the moon. Endymion is often depicted in art as a symbol of eternal youth, beauty, and the power of love. He is typically depicted as a young, attractive man in a state of eternal sleep. This portrayal stems from the myth that Selene, enamored with Endymion, asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth and immortality. To preserve his beauty, she placed him in an eternal slumber, allowing her to visit and admire him without fear of him aging or dying. He is usually shown as a youthful, beautiful figure, reflecting his association with Selene and the concept of ideal beauty. His physical appearance often emphasizes his smooth skin, graceful features, and well-proportioned body. As Selene's lover, Endymion is often associated with the moon or a crescent moon symbol. In art, he may be shown with a crescent moon nearby or with Selene, who is often depicted with a crescent moon on her forehead or in her hair. Also, he oftern appears in natural settings, such as woodlands, meadows, or mountains, reflecting his connection to the outdoors and his role as a shepherd or hunter. Endymion is often shown in the presence of Selene, the moon goddess, who is typically depicted as a beautiful woman. In these scenes, Selene may be shown gazing upon the sleeping Endymion, embracing him, or even kissing him, emphasizing their romantic relationship. There is confusion over Endymion's correct identity, as some sources suppose that he was, or was related to, the prince of Elis, and others suggest he was a shepherd from Caria. There is a later suggestion that he was an astronomer: Pliny the Elder mentions Endymion as the first human to observe the movements of the moon, which accounts for Endymion's love. Consequently, there have been two attributed sites of Endymion's burial: the citizens of Heracleia ad Latmo claimed that Endymion's tomb was on Mount Latmus, while the Eleans declared that it was at Olympia. However, the role of lover of Selene, the moon, is attributed primarily to Endymion who was either a shepherd or an astronomer, either profession providing justification for him to spend time beneath the moon. Apollonius of Rhodes is one of the many poets who tell how Selene, the Titan goddess of the moon, loved the mortal Endymion. She believed him to be so beautiful that she asked Endymion's father, Zeus, to grant him eternal youth so that he would never leave her. Alternatively, Selene so loved how Endymion looked when he was asleep in the cave on Mount Latmus, near Miletus in Caria, that she entreated Zeus that he might remain that way. In some versions, Zeus wanted to punish Endymion for daring to show romantic interest in Hera. Whatever the case, Zeus granted Selene's wish and put Endymion into an eternal sleep. Every night, Selene visited him where he slept, and by him had fifty daughters who are equated by some scholars with the fifty months of the Olympiad. According to a passage in Deipnosophistae, the sophist and dithyrambic poet Licymnius of Chios tells a different tale, in which Hypnos, the god of sleep, in awe of his beauty, causes him to sleep with his eyes open, so he can fully admire his face. The Bibliotheke claims that: Calyce and Aethlius had a son Endymion who led Aeolians from Thessaly and founded Elis. But some say that he was a son of Zeus. As he was of unsurpassed beauty, the Moon fell in love with him, and Zeus allowed him to choose what he would, and he chose to sleep for ever, remaining deathless and ageless.