Somnus

This article is about the Roman god of sleep. For the thoroughbred racehorse, see Somnus (horse).
Somnus
God of sleep
Somnus and Mors, Sleep and His Half-Brother Death by John William Waterhouse
AbodeUnderworld
Genealogy
ChildrenThe Somnia, which included Morpheus, Phobetor, and Phantasos
Equivalents
GreekHypnos

In Roman mythology, Somnus ("sleep") is the personification of sleep.[1] His Greek counterpart is Hypnos. Somnus resided in the underworld. According to Virgil, Somnus was the brother of Death (Mors),[2] and according to Ovid, Somnus had a 'thousand' sons,[3] the Somnia ('dream shapes'), who appear in dreams 'mimicking many forms'.[4] Ovid named three of the sons of Somnus: Morpheus, who appears in human guise, Icelos / Phobetor, who appears as beasts, and Phantasos, who appears as inanimate objects.[5]

  1. ^ Jordan, s.v. Somnus p. 291; Tripp, s.v. Somnus, p. 534.
  2. ^ Virgil, Aeneid 6.278
  3. ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.633.
  4. ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.613.
  5. ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.633–643.