In
Greek mythology, Hymenaeus was a god of marriage ceremonies, such as feasts and songs (like wedding hymns). In art, he was portrayed with a marriage feast torch. He was mentioned in the
Iliad (
Homer), the
Aeneid (
Virgil) and two plays by
William Shakespeare:
As You Like It and
The Tempest.
Hymenaios presided over many of the weddings in Greek mythology, for all the deities and their children.
He was the son of Aphrodite and Dionysus.
Alternative: Hymenaeus, Hymenaues, Hymen