Somnus shown here with wings.
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Somnus was a god and dream personified. He was the twin brother of Mors – the goddess and personification of death. Both were shown as youths holding upside-down torches. Their mother was Nyx – the personification of the night. The Greek counterpart of Somnus was Hypnos. He was accompanied by his son Morpheus, who was the god of dreams.
The Lete River flowed near Somnus’s lair, putting passersby to sleep.
His existence was probably limited to literature, like many other mythical figures “borrowed” from Greece by poets, but not adopted by the Roman religion.
Sources
- Kempiński Andrzej, Encyklopedia mitologii ludów indoeuropejskich, Warszawa 2001
- Schmidt Joël, Słownik mitologii greckiej i rzymskiej, Katowice 1996
