Additionally though, Erebus is commonly thought of as being the deepest reaches of the underworld, although this is more commonly referred to as Tartarus. If considered a region of the underworld, Erebus is often considered to be the first region through which the departed are said to pass. In the fleeting mentions of Erebus, he is often used interchangeably with Hades, the Underworld, or as a region of Hades. Some sources, including Aristophanes, also state that Eros was the offspring of Nyx and Erebus, although the likes of Hesiod would obviously contradict this.Ī long list of non-primordial gods and demons were also said to have been born to Erebus and Nyx, including Charon, Hypnos and Thanatos, the Moirai and the Hesperides.Įrebus doesn’t figure prominently in any mythological tale although both Hesiod and Ovid make mention of him. Nyx and Erebus worked hand in hand, bringing the darkness of night to the world, but each morning Hemera would push aside her parents, allowing daylight (Aether) to envelop the world.
Erebus god of darkness painting code#
If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.Many tales from Greek mythology are about people making sense of the world around them, and Nyx, Erebus, Aether and Hemera played an important part in this. Hades was also the god of the earth, the fertile fields, mining, and metals such as silver and gold.Įrebus and Hades differ in that Erebus is more often referred to in the old stories as a spirit whereas Hades had more human characteristics. He was the god who presided over funerals. Hades inherited the third realm when the world was divided into kingdoms by the three brothers. Hemera’s Roman name was Dies, the Day.Įrebus should not be confused with Hades, the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. In some stories, Erebus, Nyx, and Hemera are referred to as spirits rather than gods. In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Hemera is sometimes confused with both the goddesses Hera and Eos. The Greek poets referred to this as the “Veil of Night.” Erebus and Nyx’s daughter, Hemera, was charged with burning off the dark mists to bring about dawn. Nyx used Erebus’ dark mists to bring night to earth. He did this by filling in the empty places with dark mists. The Underworld was generally invisible to the living.Įrebus was credited with finishing the Underworld after the gods created Earth. The dead spirits kept their earthly shapes and could speak for themselves. It was seen as a place that could be visited by Heroes such as Hercules. The Underworld was important to the ancient Greeks because it was a place where the spirits or souls of the dead were cared for. Tartarus was the place where Zeus sent the Titans after he defeated them. This place was also sometimes called Tartarus. One of his brothers was Eros, the god of love.Įrebus was the father of many gods and goddesses, including Aether, Hypnos (Sleep,) and Thanatos (Death.) According to the Roman author Hyginus, Erebus was also the father of Geras, the god of old age.Įrebus was the Greek god of the Underworld and his name meant “place of darkness between earth and Hades.” His name was often used to refer to part of the Greek Underworld where the spirits of the dead pass after the leave the living bodies. One of his other sisters was Gaia, the goddess of the Earth. In mythology, his most common mistress was the goddess Nyx. Erebus was one of the sons of the first goddess Chaos or Khaos. He was one of the first five of the well-known Greek pantheon that includes Hera, Zeus, and Aphrodite. Erebus was one of the oldest ancient Greek gods.
0 kommentar(er)
