The Planet Guy has Kids
This Planet has so many kids by itself (which makes sense since he's a planet, but I feel like it doesn't happen much. Or maybe it does.) Usually there's an "implied" second parent because they're married. (Like Polemos; Alala has no stated mother, but because he's married to Hybris, it can be implied she's her birth mother. But I say "no" lmao)
But with Hesperus specifically, he has no mentioned lovers AT ALL except Hymenaeus. Love that for them.
Anyway, let us list the chillins before yapping about em:
Keyx, Daidalion, Leukonoe, Hesperis, the Hesperides
alrighty let's go
Leukonoe
Starting with the gal with the least amount of information. She's named as a lover of Apollo and that's kinda it. She's the mother of Philammon, however, more commonly, Hesperus' granddaughter Khione is the mother of Philammon and his twin Autolycus. (And I also follow that version lol)
She's a nymph of Phokis (central Greece) and that's it. I place her as the youngest of Hesperus' children because of this. Also that she has the simplest life out of all her siblings. Not a lot of responsibility or tragedy.
She's just average, and I appreciate that lol. Just having a 'simple' figure every once in a while is very refreshing to me. She's just a gal. A divine gal.
Hesperus shows great love towards his children. I think the two of them would have a very casual and easy relationship. They see each other every once in a while, but nothing feels off or distant. Hesperus likes Leukonoe is just living her life rather carefree and in the way she wants to.
Keyx and Daidalion
(Beautiful names btw I really like them lolol)
Starting with Daidalion
Oh man.. basically this is the father of Khione, a woman so beautiful she drew the attention of thousands of suitors and the Gods Apollo and Hermes. (Roman sources:) The two both assaulted her on the same night and she later birthed the twins Philammon (famed for song & lyre) and Autolycus (adept at tricks of every kind). Khione later boasts to be better than Artemis and she was slewed for her hubris.
Daidalion tried throwing himself off a cliff three times during Khione's funeral, being pulled back. For the forth time, he ran with incredible speed up a mountain and jumped, with Apollo pitying him and turning him into a hawk that holds his courage, strength, grief, and rage.
We'll get back to that. We learn on Daidalion's personality from Keyx and he's described as being fond of cruel warfare and powerful in the art of war. He subdued strong kinds and nations. So, clearly strong and courageous.
In one source (Pausanias) he seems to live through his grief because he raises Autolycus (the way it's worded makes it seem like its saying he's the father of Autolycus but it's not) He's the father figure who stepped up.
maybe he jumped from a mountain afterwards tho idk
Then there's Keyx, who describes himself as cherishing peace and loving the "quiet of [his] married life." King of Trachis, his wife was Alcyone. These two were the couple that addressed each other as Zeus and Hera.
This angered Zeus (not Hera), so while Keyx went out to sea, Zeus struck down his boat and he drowned. Alcyone was informed of his death by the God Morpheus, and she casted herself into the sea (this family jumps from cliffs a lot-)
The Gods then felt bad and turned the two of them into birds (kingfishers) and the two preside over the halcyon days (times for good sailing).
Keyx is mentioned being hospitable and supportive of Heracles. He also tried his best in consoling his brother in Khione's death (though failed to succeed). Really showing his peaceful soul.
Speaking of him drowning (lol), Keyx swore on his father [Hesperus'] radiance that he'd return in about two months. Not only that, but when holding onto a plank in the sea, he prayed to Alcyone's father Aeolus and his father Hesperus, but it being in vain (being Zeus' will and all).
And in the text it says "That dawn Lucifer [Eosphoros the Morning Star] shone faint and strange; the heavens he might not leave, but veiled his grief in a dense canopy of weeping clouds."
(Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.560)
OUGH he's like ELEKTRA (pleiad) NOOOOOOO MY BABY
I think we can all assume the favorite out of the two- (he loves them both I swear). Maybe Hesperus wished Daidalion wouldn't be so eager of war, but at least he's good at home and towards his family.
I place these two twins as second youngest of his children. They're his only sons too and he lost both of them. They seem to be his only mortal children as well, hm.
I already assume Hesperus raises his children (because where else would they go. Well ig the mountains, but nah, he raises his babies. He made em himself)
Ovid also says Eosphorus [Hesperus] doesn't leave the heavens (and seeing as he's a planet, yeah- yeah that makes sense on a logical standpoint) but a mythical standpoint, its eh, since personifications leave their homes all the time lol (like Elektra in Samothrace). So I mainly put it that he's busy (he IS a busy guy in his duties) and he makes up for it by shining brighter for his sons in nighttime to help lead them on their way (as Hesperus is praised for doing)
The Hesperides
The Hesperides, Goddesses of the Evening. The Goddesses entrusted to care for the tree of golden apples (gifted by Gaea to Hera for her wedding gift). They are also entrusted as vault keepers and guardians, keeping the Gods' important items and treasures. (I HC that these women are skilled in fighting)
Now, Hesperus is rather low on the list to being their parent (usually either Nyx or Atlas and Hesperis) but I'm too much of a sucker for girl-dad Hesperus. They have his name. He's a source of parentage, I'm picking him.
(Idk why Hesperus and Atlas are brothers in that one source but I don't go with it lol)
Out of all the Hesperides, only one had a child; Erytheia was the mother of Eurytion.
The Hesperides are "heralds of the bridal night," so they have a marriage association (other than the apples), meaning they work with their dad. And I find that adorable. (Means they work with his boyfriend too which is funny) They also possess power of sweet songs, so that's cool. Maybe they sing with the Muses.
I'm sure Hesperus is very proud of his daughters' work (and Eurytion was an infant when they were given their houses of solid gold and duty with the golden apples); also they got a sick dragon pet/friend out of it (before Heracles killed 'em smh). Sources say they lived on river Oceanus, so they were probably living there beforehand.
Seeing as Hesperus marshals over the time all stars, Helios, and Eos are supposed to move and rise, I can only imagine it's the same with the Hesperides. So he spends a lot of time with his daughters.
They are all his middle children.
Hesperis
Despite the similar names, these are different people (Hesperus what are you doing man, all you did was change the vowel)
Hesperus may or may not be the same as the Horae Hesperis. They seem to be treated as different as Hesperus is not mentioned (on theoi) as her father. So that's the likely they're different. And she's only mentioned as a lover of Atlas to birth the Hesperides, but for the fun of it, I'll say they're the same lmao
This would mean she's among the Horai (hours of the day); and Hesperis would mark the Evening. The rest of the Horai are daughters of Helios (so they're Hesperus' cousins)
Yet again, another group he'd be associated with because they are friends of Eos. And of course, their line of work aligns with Hesperus, Eos, and Helios. So they're all coworkers as well.
I have Hesperis being his oldest (because, yknow) and he loves his ray of evening light. Also proud of her, yes yes. He spends a lot of time with her, just like the Hesperides.