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Phosphorus (gr. Phosphoros), or as the poets call him heosphoros or Phaesphoros (Lat. Lucifer), that is, the bringer of light or of Eos, is the name of the planet Venus, when seen in the morning before sunrise (Hom. Il. xxiii. 226; Virg. Gerl. i. 288; Ov. Met. ii. 115, Trist. i. 3. 72.) The same planet was called Hesperus (Vesperugo, Vesper, Noctif or Nocturnus) when it appeared in the heavens after sunset. (Hom. Il. xxii. 318 ; Plin. H. N. ii. 8; Cic. De Nat. Deor. ii. 20; Catull. 62, 64; Horat. Carm. ii. 9. 10.) Phosphorus as a personification is called a son of Astraeus and Eos (Hes. Theog. 381), of Cephalus and Eos (Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 42), or of Atlas (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 879). By Philonis he is said to have been the father of Ceyx (Hygin. Fab. 65; Ov. Met. xi. 271), and he is also called the father of Daedalion (Ov. Met. xi. 295), of the Hesperides (Serv. ad Aen. iv. 484), or of Hesperis, who became by his brother Atlas the mother of the Hesperides. (Diod. iv. 27; Serv. ad Aen. i. 530.)

Phosphorus also occurs as a surname of several goddesses of light, as Artemis (Diana Lucifera, Pausanias iv. 31. § 8; Serv. ad Aen. ii. 116), Eos (Eurip. Ion. 1157) and Hecate. (Eurip. Helen. 569.)

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