Once many, many years ago, before the ill-fated Prometheus stole the gift of fire from
the gods, the only light that the mortals had at night was the inconstant light of the moon. The
people were afraid to go out at night and lived in constant fear when the need to venture out
side once the sun had set arose. They were angry with the goddess Selene for taking the light
away for those three days when she visited her lover, Endymion. The man was a shepherd and
was thought by both the Immortal beings and the humans unworthy of the beauty that was the
moon goddess. So to make sure the moon's light never left the night sky, Zeus sent one of his
many daughters from one of his many elicit relationships by the name of Taemestra. She was
rumored to have been the child of Zeus and Aphrodite sent to earth because her mothers
jealously of her beauty and to ensure the young girl would be kept safe of Hera's wrath. Zeus
appeared to the girl in the form of a fair-haired young man. He told the girl that if she headed
west to where the mountains jutted up from the pastures, she would find a young shepherd by
the name of Endymion. Once she found him she was to give him a potion that had been made
by her mother Aphrodite and her half brother Eros, (but to save his own skin and Taemestra's
until the task she was given was had been completed, in case Hera was listening he omitted the
fact that her mother and brother had made it and just called them The God and Goddess of
love) that would make the drinker unable to love any but the one who spoke the incantation
after potion was ingested. Zeus told her the incantation, diligo of luna est volatilis, obscurum ut
adveho eternus (which translated means The love of the moon is fleeting, the darkness that
comes eternal) and said she must not think of the words until he had drunk the potion, if she
did or she were to forget them the young shepherd would love her and only her – as she
wanted, but he would not know who she was or what she looked like. He would – Zeus warned
be doomed to search for her through out all eternity. And She would never be able to ease his
pain. Her mother for tainting a god –given gift, would curse her. What she would to, he did not
know. But unbeknownst to the pair, Selene's brother, Helios who was the god of the sun
overheard and rushed to tell his sister of the evil plot against her love. Selene angered at the
fate that Zeus was trying to bestow on her lover and went to straight to Hera hoping that in her
outrage at finding out of yet another of her husbands affairs would help her save Endymion
from the cruel fate that waited him. Hera placed a curse on Taemestra so that when ever she
tried to recall the words that would make the young man love her, they would slip through her
fingers. Selene warned Endymion of the plot and told him to take his sheep to another place
that day. Afterwards Hera ordered Hephaestus to make a man that looked just like Endymion
and send him to where the young man usually grazed his sheep. For three days and nights,
Taemestra traveled. On the fourth day She came upon the young man who looked like the
shepherd who was so loved by the moon goddess. Awed by the girls beauty the man fell in
love with her with out the influence of the potion and just listening to her speak.. After spent
time with and in turn – fallen in love her self, she had slipped him the potion, Taemestra tried
to recall the words Zeus had spoken to her – but they wouldn't come. Zeus and the God and
Goddess of love watching from Olympus became angered and made good on their threats. The
young man with love clearly written oh his face began to speak of a lost love that he must
search for. At that Taemestra wept, and still weeping was sent by Zeus up to the heavens where
she might watch the man wonder for all time. From the time the sun god rode his chariot across
the sky until the time his sisters chariot made the same journey the man would search. And
once he stopped calling for his lost love Taemestra would start to cry, her tears shining lights
that lit up the heavens. Her tears became referred to as the moons sisters, also called the Stars.