I.the evening star, Hesperus; acc. to the myth, the son of Cephalus and Aurora; cf. Hyg. Astr. 2, 42; or, acc. to another myth, the son of Iapetus and Asia, and brother of Atlas; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 530, and 4, 484: infima est quinque errantium terraeque proxima stella Veneris, quae φωσφόρος Graece, Latine dicitur Lucifer, cum antegreditur solem, cum subsequitur autem Hesperos, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53: “illam non veniens Aurora Cessantem vidit, non Hesperus,” Ov. M. 5, 441; id. F. 2, 314; cf. id. ib. 5, 419: “ite domum saturae, venit Hesperus, ite capellae,” Verg. E. 10, 77.—
II. Derivv.
A. Hespĕrĭus , a, um, adj., of or situated towards the west, western, Hesperian.
1. Adj.: Hesperium fretum, the western ocean, Ov. M. 11, 258: “litus,” id. ib. 2, 142: “undae,” Hor. C. 2, 17, 20: “axis,” Ov. M. 4, 214; cf.: “constitit Hesperio, regnis Atlantis, in orbe,” id. ib. 4, 628: “imperi Porrecta majestas ad ortus Solis ab Hesperio cubili,” Hor. C. 4, 15, 16: rex, i. e. Atlas or Hesperus, Ov. de Nuce, 111: “Hesperios amnes, Rhenum Rhodanumque Padumque, etc.,” western, id. M. 2, 258: et terram Hesperiam venies, the land of the west, i. e. Italy (because situated to the west of the Trojans), Verg. A. 2, 781; cf. in the foll. 2.; so of Italy: “Latium,” id. ib. 7, 601: “fluctus,” Hor. C. 1, 28, 26: “ruina,” id. ib. 2, 1, 32: “duces,” Luc. 5, 703.—Hence,
2. Subst.: Hespĕria , ae, f. (sc. terra), the land of the west, Hesperia; poet. for Italy or Spain: est locus, Hesperiam quam mortales perhibebant, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 23 Vahl.); “imitated by Vergil: est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt,” Verg. A. 1, 530; so of Italy, Hor. C. 3, 6, 8; 4, 5, 38; Luc. 1, 224 al.: “qui nunc Hesperia sospes ab ultima, etc.,” i. e. Spain, Hor. C. 1, 36, 4.—
B. Hespĕris , ĭdis, f., of evening or the west, western, Hesperian.
I. Adj.: corniger Hesperidum fluvius regnator aquarum (Tibris), i. e. Italian (cf. above), Verg. A. 8, 77. —Hence,
2. Subst.
a. Hespĕris , ĭdis, f., the queen's gilliflower, Hesperis tristis, Linn.: “hesperis noctu magis olet, inde nomine invento,” Plin. 21, 7, 18, § 39.—
(α).
The Hesperides, daughters of Hesperus, or of Erebus and Nox, who, on an island beyond Mount Atlas, watched a garden with golden apples, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6; Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; Mel. 3, 1, 3; Hyg. Fab. praef.; Ov. M. 11, 114; Lucr. 5, 32: “Hesperidum mala, poma,” Verg. E. 6, 61; Stat. S. 3, 1, 158: “Hesperidum serpens,” Juv. 14, 114.—
(β).
A group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Mel. 3, 10, 3; “called also: Hesperidum insulae,” Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 201.
