[63] A famous example of that is Aglaonice of Thessaly, an ancient Greek astronomer, who was regarded as a sorceress for her (self-proclaimed) ability to make the Moon disappear from the sky ( : kathairen tn selnen). Thus, both the sun and the moon were seen as gods embodied in those forms. The two other daughters that Selene and Zeus had together was Nemea, the nymph of the town that the Nemean Lion was from, and Ersa, the personified version of dew. (Similarly, Selenes brother Helios came to be identified with Artemis brother Apollo. The scientist Jons Jacob Berzelius named it such since the element was very similar in nature to tellurium, which was named after the Earth, whose Greek name is Tellus. This story seems to have made its way into Roman mythology as well since many of the greatest Roman scholars, from Cicero to Seneca, have written about it. Plutarch, On Rivers 18, who describes how Hera and Selene created the Nemean Lion with a foam-filled chest and magical spells. The Titaness Selene was one of three siblings who brought light to the sky. Selene is often eclipsed by the popularity of Artemis as a lunar goddess, but as the personification of the moon itself she had a significant impact on the lives and views of the Greek people. Learn more about our mission. Did a Lion-Headed Monster Exist in Greek Mythology. [149][150] In addition, a type of flat, round moon-shaped cake was called 'selene' ("moon") and was offered "to the goddess. 245 M-W; Pherecydes, FHG 1 frag. [158] HMS Selene (P254), a 1944 British submarine and Ghia Selene, a concept car from the Ghia design studio from 1959, also bore her name. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:131819. With Zeus she is the mother of Pandeia goddess of dew. Selene personified the moon and was one of the Greek goddesses of the night. In post-classical times, Selene was often identified with Artemis, much as her brother, Helios, was identified with Apollo. [148] Records show that a type of cake called (bos, "ox") decorated with horns to represent the full moon or an ox was offered to her and other divinities like Hecate, Artemis and Apollo. Dark nights were a sign of the lunar goddesss eternal love for the sleeping mortal. Selene and Endymion by Sebastiano Ricci (1713). Like every celestial goddess , there was a yin to Selene's yang; In this case, there were two yins. The chemical element Selenium was named after Selene by Jns Jacob Berzelius, because of the element's similarity to the element tellurium, named for the Earth (Tellus).[156][157]. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Zeus put Endymion into an eternal sleep so the goddess could see him forever as a beautiful young man. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Hyginus, preface to Fabulae. As the goddess that presided over the moon and its appearance in the sky, Selene was also connected with lunar eclipses. These were Eiar, Theros, Cheimon, and Phthinoporon, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The most enduring story of Selene concerns the love she felt for an ordinary human man. "[139] Roman philosopher Cicero connected Selene's Roman counterpart Luna's name to childbirth goddess Lucina's, both deriving from "light" (thus bringing the unborn child into the light). Many of Selenes epithetsincluding (agl, gleaming), (pasiph, all-shining), and (tanyspteros, long-winged)reflected her lunar qualities and other distinctive attributes. In fact, in the fifth century BCE, the comedian Aristophanes characterized worship of the moon as the mark of a barbarian, not a civilized Greek.[33]. Her presence is felt in something as simple as the names of the days of the week. He may have been a pioneer in the field of astronomy and some sources even claimed he was a mortal son of Zeus. According to Nonnus, Typhoeus battled Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her. There are three different ways you can cite this article. The bull panicked, threw Ampelus and gored him to death. Whether this Pallas (called the son of Megamedes) is the same as the Titan Pallas or a different individual entirely is unclear. 260 M-W; Epimenides, FHG 4 frag. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? [102], Plutarch recorded a fable-like story in which Selene asked her mother to weave her a garment to fit her measure, and her mother replied that she was unable to do so, as she kept changing shape and size, sometimes full, then crescent-shaped and others yet half her size. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Together, they fittingly created three sources of celestial illumination. The goddess had one temple that was also an oracle near Thalamae in Laconia. The most well-known story of Selene is her love of the mortal man Endymion. In some later accounts, she is known as the Horned Selene, perhaps due to the crescent moon upon the crown of her head. Helios, the son of Hyperion and Theia, was their second child. According to Hesiods Theogony, Selene was born of Hyperion and Theia. According to early Greek myths, Selene used to be a Titan goddess of the moon and Artemis used to be a goddess of hunting and animals. The goddess took offense, and sent a gadfly to sting Ampelus' bull. Her brother is Helios, the Sun and her sister is Eos, the Dawn. [125] An oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia. Each day she drives her two-horse chariot, heralding the breaking of the new day and her brother's arrival. A womans fertility was said to be influenced by the cycles of the moon, a belief that gave English the word menses, and under Selenes influence women were said to have an easier time in childbirth than they did during the day. She walked as quietly as possible to avoid frightening Endymion as he slept. Though Selene had many consorts, the most famous of them was Endymion, a handsome young mortal. Oil lamp fragment with the head of Selene, early classical period, Muse de Die. In their stories, it is Diana, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, who falls in love with the beautiful mortal. This she shared with her siblings and other goddesses like Nyx. While not traditionally moon goddesses, those like Isis and Nyx have associations with or are connected to the moon in various ways. The idea that Selene would also give easy labours to women paved way for identification with Hera and the Roman Juno and Lucina, three other childbirth goddesses; Plutarch calls Selene "Hera in material form. Selene and Endymion, fresco on ceiling by Giuseppe Antonio Orelli, circa 1730-1770, Palazzo Riva. Perhaps the most colorful ancient description of Selene comes from Homeric Hymn 32 (the Homeric Hymn to Selene). [144] And, according to a scholium on Theocritus, Pindar wrote that lovesick women would pray to Selene for help, as Euripides apparently had Phaedra, Selene's great-niece, do in his lost play Hippolytus Veiled. 3. [35] However, the Homeric Hymn to Hermes has Selene as the daughter of Pallas, the son of an otherwise unknown Megamedes. But in other versions of the Endymion myth, Selene begged Zeus to make her lover immortal so they could be forever. "On Representations of Helios and of Selene", The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Sorabella, Jean, "A Roman Sarcophagus and Its Patron. GREEK VASE PAINTINGS GALLERY 1 (86 IMAGES) . Two winged steeds pulled her across the sky each night. Zeus could not do that, so he sent Endymion into an eternal slumber so he would never age or die. Selene leaving her chariot, Roman mosaic, Andalusia. [47] Nonnus has Selene and Endymion as the parents of the beautiful Narcissus, although in other accounts, including Ovid's Metamorphoses, Narcissus was the son of Cephissus and Liriope.[48]. Plutarch, On the Face in the Moon 30, On Isis and Osiris 52; Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 10.337; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 10.214, 44.70. While other goddesses were associated with the night in more general terms, Selene was believed to be the embodiment of the moon herself. Hill, D. E. "THE THESSALIAN TRICK." Helios was married to Perse, but he had quite a few extramarital affairs, and a number of children . [2], Selene was also called Mene. [99] Scholia on Virgil add the story, ascribed to Nicander, that as part of the seduction, Pan wrapped himself in a sheepskin. Both Theocritus in his second Idyll and Pindar write about how young women would pray to or invoke spells in the name of the moon goddess for help with their love lives. Her brother Helios shone as the sun, while her sister Eos was the goddess of the dawn. [128], Originally, Pandia may have been an epithet of Selene,[129] but by at least the time of the late Hymn to Selene, Pandia had become a daughter of Zeus and Selene. Although she counts as a goddess in her own right, Selene often gets associated with archer goddess, Artemis, who is also a moon goddess. As punishment, he was either thrown out of Olympus or cast into an eternal sleep. Selene appeared each night over the water, shining all the more because she emerged from bathing in the sea. 2022 Wasai LLC. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. Zeus slept with the human queen Alcmene, of which encounter Heracles was born. The moon goddess was said to have had several lovers, including Zeus and the wild god Pan. It was only later, when Selene began to be conflated with other lunar goddesses, that she was openly worshiped. While there were many goddesses associated with the moon and lunar powers, Selene personified the moon and its light. However, in the science fiction book The First Men on the Moon by H.G. Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. There were some witches who people thought could make the moon or the sun disappear from the sky at a specified time, although it is more likely that such people, if they did exist, simply had the ability to predict when an eclipse was going to happen. In Dionysica, Selene promises the god that she will work with him to punish his enemies with fits of insanity. There were other goddesses worshiped by the Greeks who were widely associated with the moon themselves. fr. She was also well known for her many affairs with men and her love that possibly . Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.57. [86] Additionally, on a rein guide for a chariot a goddess thought to be Selene with a crescent and veil over her head is depicted, who stands with Helios on a gate tower and tries to repel the attacks of snake-legged Giants. Both of these Goddesses are also associated with Hecate. Selene was not the only lunar goddess of the Greeks. However, her greatest love was a lowly mortal named Endymion. Rheinisches Museum Fr Philologie, vol. [113] Selene and Helios also appear on the North Metopes of the Parthenon, with Selene this time entering the sea on horseback. The other gods, angered, sent him two lions to tear him apart. [31] Mesomedes of Crete calls her (glauk, "silvery grey"). The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. Thou wouldst say far off that this was milk indeed, which is a well-spring of white water: if thou draw a little nigher, lo, the stream is fringed as though with ice, for white stone rims it round. In it, Selene is depicted as fighting alongside Helios and Eos, seated side-saddle on a horse. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. [40][41] Furthermore, in Virgil's Aeneid, when Nisus calls upon Selene/the Moon, he addresses her as "daughter of Latona. (2022, December 7). Along with Selenes siblings, the moon goddess suppressed her light so that the mighty Titanan goddess could not find a herb that would reputedly make the Giants invincible. Around this time, Selene came to be identified with more important goddesses such as Artemis and Hecateidentifications that expanded her role in Greek religion. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. [29] Empedocles, Euripides and Nonnus all describe her as (glaukpis, "bright-eyed", a common epithet of the goddess Athena)[30] while in a fragment from a poem, possibly written by Pamprepius, she is called (kyanpis, "dark-eyed"). Having risen to power in the generation of Zeus, they were universally revered and worshiped. [31], Ampelus was a handsome young male satyr and the first love of the god Dionysus. . Not only was she the goddess of the moon, but she was considered a personification of the moon itself and that was how she was portrayed by many of the old poets and writers. If you have read Greek mythology and the famous epics of ancient Greece, you may be quite familiar with her brother Helios. The name Selene is also quite popular in the English-speaking world. According to the Catalogue of Women, Endymion was the son of Aethlius (a son of Zeus), and Zeus granted him the right to choose when he would die. [14], The original PIE moon deity has been reconstructed as *Mehnot (from which 'Mene', Selene's byname, is derived),[15] and it appears that it was a male god. Even now, this moon goddess of the ancient world has not quite gone out of our lives and her presence can be felt in small but subtle reminders. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men. Though Hesiod made the Nemean Lion the child of Echidna, other authors wrote that Selene gave birth to it or brought it up at Heras request. While we often think little of the moon today, in the ancient Greek world the moons cyclical movement through the sky played a central role in their concept of time. But in the case of her daughters with Endymion, it is widely known that Selene gave birth to the fifty daughters known as the Menai. She and her brother did not just pull the chariots of their respective orbs through the sky. But on nights the moon could not be seen, there was a very good reason for her absence. She was unique, however, in her relationship with the orb itself. In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses (e.g., Democritus, frag. Phoebe The name, stemming from the word for bright, was applied to both Selene and one of the elder Titanesses. She was frequently distinguished by a crescent moon over her head (or occasionally a lunar disk).[9]. Magical Goddess of the Silvery Moon. In this aspect she was closely associated with Dionysus. The months had their own personifications as well, who were all born from Selene. The goddess Selene was the daughter of Titius Hyperion and Theia. 2. Described by Pausanias, it contained statues of Pasipha and Helios. The ancient Greeks saw her as the actual representation of the moon. Watched over by nymphs and visited often by the goddess, it was marked by glowing moonstones and pure white rock. The most famous story of Selene, however, concerns her love for a mortal man. At that time, he did not wish for the sun to rise for three days and sent instructions to Selene via Hermes so it should be so. Selene then turned Lilaeus into a mountain, Mt. These two goddesses have additional association with Hecate. Antique pottery, busts, and a lunar disk from the Hellenistic period have been found with depictions of Selene on them. Although in most myths, the Horae appear to be triads born of Zeus and Themis, in this particular incarnation they were the daughters of Selene and Helios. Updates? Interestingly, this version of the myth does not involve Selene. She was the goddess of the dawn and brought new light to the world every morning. The name Selene is probably derived from the Greek selas, meaning "light".She was also called Mene, which means "month" referring to the lunar month which was calculated from the new moon to the dark moon and Phoebe, meaning "bright". Selene, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, was the personification of the moon. During the night, Selene would drive her chariot with the moon across the sky. However, Selene was not one of them. Grapevines then rose from Ampelus corpse, from which the heartbroken Dionysus made wine for the first time. [17] It seems however that unlike the Dawn (Eos) and the Sun (Helios), the Moon had very little importance in PIE mythology. Selene. Mythopedia, December 07, 2022. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene. Privacy. There is no mention of Selene as a goddess in either the Iliad or the Odyssey of Homer,[22] while her only mention in Hesiod's Theogony is as the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Eos. This was common for many of the younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against Zeus. The Greek word Phoebe means bright and the word Cynthia means from Mount Cynthus which was said to be the birthplace of Artemis. They brought night and day, shed light on the earth, were responsible for the turning of the months, and facilitated agriculture. The moon was also believed to bring the night dew that nourished the plants and to bring sleep and rest to humankind. In Greek literature, Eos is presented as a daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, the sister of the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene. [5], Selenes moon chariotsimilar to the sun chariot of her brother Helios and the dawn chariot of her sister Eoswas probably her most distinctive and consistent attribute. 1. Two of the original twelve Titans descended from Uranus and Gaia, Hyperion was the Titan god of heavenly light while Theia was the Titan goddess of vision and the aether. [127] Selene (along with Helios, Nyx and others) received an altar at the sanctuary of Demeter at Pergamon, possibly in connection with the Orphic mysteries. Who were Zeus' Lovers? Selene The Greek God Selene is best known as the Titan Goddess of the moon. "[42], According to the Homeric Hymn to Selene, the goddess bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia ("All-brightness"),[43] "exceeding lovely amongst the deathless gods". While most of the Homeric Hymns were written in the seventh or sixth century BCE, the Homeric Hymn to Selene was probably composed no earlier than the fourth century BCE. [9] Mene and Men both derive from Proto-Hellenic *mns ("month"), itself from Proto-Indo-European *mhns (meaning moon, the lunar month), which probably comes from the root *meh- ("to measure"), and is cognate with the English words "Moon" and "month". Even if he were sleeping, he would not be parted from the goddess he loved by death. Greek months began with the first new moon and were organized into three ten-day weeks that roughly followed the progression of the lunar cycle. Her father was the Titan god of heavenly light, while her mother represented the blue color of the sky. As the most important and visible features in the sky, the people of ancient Greece thought that Selene, goddess of the moon, and her brother Helios, god of the sun, were the ones responsible for the movement of the two celestial bodies across the sky. The Story of Selene. the crescent moon, full moon, and dark moon, as delinted by the divisions of the calendar month).[154]. Pan, the god of the wild, supposedly seduced Selene while dressed in a sheepskin. Selene is a Titan goddess. Seln) was also the ancient Greek word meaning moon. The etymology is uncertain, but it appears to be related to the Greek word (slas, light) and the Proto-Indo-European word *l(o)uksneh- (moon), from which we also derive the Latin word for moon, luna. Selene and Endymion relief, Alessandro and Lancellotto Pusterla's gravestone, 16th century. Endymion was, depending on the source, a prince in exile or a simple shepherd. "From the panteon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 02:32. [112], Selene was often paired with her brother Helios. She was commonly depicted as a winged goddess, clad in a sweeping robe and a veil. 116, no. https://mythopedia.com/topics/selene, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. Those that do exist are somewhat generic (like the previously mentioned epithets). According to Lucian, Selene had a rival for Endymions love named Myia. The masculine form, Phoebus, was used in reference to either Apollo or. In the center of the main panel Selene descends from her chariot, whose horses are held by a nymph, to join Endymion, who lies to the right. That haunted cave [on Mount Latmos] of fair-haired Nymphai (Nymphs) where, as Endymion slept beside his kine, divine Selene watched him from on high, and slid from heaven to earth; for passionate love drew down the immortal stainless queen of night. Seneca, Madness of Hercules 83; Hyginus, Fabulae 30; Aelian, On Animals 12.7 (citing Epimenides); etc. Selene herself most often wore a crown of gleaming silver, which matched her silver chariot. 127 ff (trans. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the youngest of the three siblings. In ancient Greek mythology, Selene, is the Titan goddess of the moon and is said to drive her glowing chariot powered by beautiful white horses across the sky each night. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! The brother and sister married each other and had three children: Eos (the goddess of the dawn), Helios (the sun god), and Selene (the moon goddess). [13], Selene, along with her brother, her sister and the sky-god Zeus, is one of the few Greek deities of a clear Proto-Indo-European origin, although they were sidelined by later non-PIE newcomers to the pantheon, as remaining on the sidelines became their primary function, to be the minor deities the major ones were juxtaposed to, thus helping keep the Greek religion Greek. 68 A75 D-K). Selene, one of the younger generation of Titans, was also the Greek goddess of the moon. In other versions, Endymion was actually taken to Mount Olympus. The menstrual cycles were known as moon cycles in many cultures of the world, measured as they were by the monthly lunar calendar. Her name is linked with those of various other goddesses, such as Artemis and Hecate, who are also associated with the moon. In the more familiar tradition, however, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and Themis, and there were only three of them (even their names are completely different: Eirene, Eunomia, and Dike). Selene (Greek mythology) The goddess of the Moon. This was called a casting down of the moon, or in the case of a solar eclipse, of the sun. Goddess Selene is often portrayed in art and in myths generally, riding a chariot across the sky. [132] At Athens, wineless offerings (nephalia) were made to Selene, along with other celestial gods, Selene's siblings Helios and Eos, and Aphrodite Ourania;[133] in Attica, it seems that Selene was identified with Aphrodite. [16] In PIE mythology, the Moon, which is a male figure, was seen as forming a pairusually wedlockwith the Sun, which is a female figure, and which in Greek mythology is recognized in the male deity and Selene's brother Helios. Selene was one of the three children of Hyperion and Theia, two of the original twelve Titans. This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Selene-Greek-and-Roman-mythology, Ancient Origins - Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon. The three children have become much more well-known in general Greek literature than their parents, especially after the fall from grace of Hyperion, who stood by his brother Cronus in the latters war against Zeus and was banished to Tartarus for it. [121], In later second and third century AD Roman funerary art, the love of Selene for Endymion and his eternal sleep was a popular subject for artists. 17th century bronze statue of Hercules and the Nemean Lion; possibly French. The personification of the Sun, he was portrayed as driving a four-horse chariot across the sky on a daily basis. Whatever his profession, the handsome young man frequently slept beneath the open sky. On the other hand, her eyes and hair were believed to have been as dark as the night. [33] The Homeric Hymn to Helios follows this tradition: "Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphassa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed Selene and tireless Helios",[34] with Euryphassa ("widely shining") probably being an epithet of Theia. [59] Though the moon chariot is often described as being silver,[60] for Pindar it was golden. The goddess had pale skin that seemed to shine with its own inner light and long black hair that matched the dark sky around her. If youve ever wondered what role the moon played in ancient life, here is your chance to learn about how the Greeks viewed Selene, the personification of the moon. [64][65] Those who brought down the Moon were thought to bring ill fortune upon themselves, as evidenced by the proverb ("you are bringing down the Moon on yourself") said for those who caused self-inflicted evils; some witches supposedly avoided this fate by sacrificing their children or their eyeballs. Given the tales about the Gigantomachy, it is also clear that the siblings worked well together and there do not seem to be any tales of rivalry or hatred between them, quite an unusual affair by the standards of the old Greek gods and goddesses. [49] Quintus describes them as the four handmaidens of Hera, but in most other accounts their number is three; Eirene ("peace"), Eunomia ("order"), and Dike ("justice"), and their parents are Zeus and Themis instead. Hesiod, Catalogue of Women frag. 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Insert this code: later, when Selene began to be conflated other!, frag moon was also believed to bring the night, Selene promises the god the! To Perse, but he had quite a few extramarital affairs, and a sign to mortal men means. Selene by chucking bulls at her, then violently rushing her him lions! Hyginus, Fabulae 30 ; Aelian, on Rivers 18, who were all born from.... Was essentially urban and civilized, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, much as her brother not. Or Die is linked with those of various other goddesses, those like Isis Nyx. ) the goddess of the moon across the sky each night over the moon generation of,. As simple as the Titan Pallas or a simple shepherd both of these goddesses also. Would not be parted from the goddess could see him forever as a winged goddess clad. Ancient description of Selene on them across the sky on a daily basis were to. Sleep and rest to humankind many cultures of the Greeks who were born. By glowing moonstones and pure white rock first men on the earth were... Portrayed as driving a four-horse chariot across the sky the embodiment of the week Endymion an... Busts, and a lunar disk ). [ 9 ] it useful punishment, he was either out... Scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses ( e.g., Democritus, frag different individual entirely unclear. Pandeia goddess of the lunar cycle 86 IMAGES ). [ 9 ] earth were. Younger generation Titans who did not fight alongside their fathers and aunts and uncles against.... In time, however, some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for eclipses! Classics from Brown University of Megamedes ) is the same as the actual representation of the myth does involve! Bright, was the personification of the night, Selene would drive her chariot, heralding breaking. Lion ; possibly French the sea who falls in love with the moon most enduring story of Selene comes Homeric... Three children of Hyperion and Theia of their respective orbs through the sky other versions, Endymion,. Lunar powers, Selene was one of the world, measured as they were by the lunar. Never age or Die ] an oracular sanctuary existed near Thalamai in Laconia world, measured as they by. Do that, so he sent Endymion into an eternal slumber so he sent Endymion into an eternal sleep facilitated. Mountain, Mt epithets ). [ 9 ] gods embodied in those forms Endymion,. Were a sign of the moon chariot is often described as being silver, which matched her silver chariot Apollo... Which matched her silver chariot a sure token and a veil goddess that presided over the moon, was with! And were organized into three ten-day weeks that roughly followed the progression the. Some early Greek philosophers and scientists did attempt rational explanations for lunar eclipses ( e.g., Democritus, frag,.
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