LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
proper noun · masculinesecond declension

Hesperus

Hesperus m sg (genitive Hesperī)
Classical[ˈhɛs.pɛ.rʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈɛs.pe.rus]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingularthe evening star
  2. masculinesingulara mythological character, son of Aurora

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeHesperusHesperī
genitiveHesperīHesperōrum
dativeHesperōHesperīs
accusativeHesperumHesperōs
ablativeHesperōHesperīs
vocativeHespereHesperī

Hespĕrus or -os, i, m., = Ἕσπερος (the evening; pure Lat., with the digamma, vesper; hence transf.),
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.—
b. He-spĕrĭdes, um, f.
(a). 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.—
(b). A group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Mel. 3, 10, 3; called also: Hesperidum insulae, Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 201.

Origins

From Ancient Greek ἕσπερος (hésperos, “pertaining to the evening, western”), from Proto-Hellenic *wésperos, from Proto-Indo-European *wek(ʷ)speros. Cognates include Old Armenian գիշեր (gišer) and Old Church Slavonic вєчєръ (večerŭ). Compare it's direct Latin cognate vesper.

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

Quick answers

What does Hesperus mean in Latin?
Hesperus, a proper noun, means “the evening star; a mythological character, son of Aurora”.
What is the genitive of Hesperus?
The genitive singular is Hesperī. Hesperus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce Hesperus?
In classical Latin, [ˈhɛs.pɛ.rʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɛs.pe.rus].