Why does the god of sleep in Rome said to have a thousand sons? ?
The Greek equivalent is Hypnos…. http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Hypnos.html I think that dreams were considered manifestations of the sons of Somnus. See this passage from Ovid’s Metamorphoses 11. 585 ff (trans. Melville) The father Somnus chose from among his sons, his thronging thousand sons, one who in skill excelled to imitate the human form; Morpheus his name, than whom none can present more cunningly the features, gait and speech of men, their wonted clothes and turn of phrase. He mirrors only men. Another (son) forms the beasts and birds and the long sliding snakes. The gods have named him Icelos; A third (son) excelling in an art diverse, is Phantasos; he wears the cheating shapes of earth, rocks, water, trees–inanimate things. To kings and chieftains these at night display their phantom features; other dreams (the other sons) will roam among the people, haunting common folk. All these dream-brothers ……the
