EREBUS (Erebos) - Greek Primordial God of Darkness Translation Darkness (erebos) EREBOS (Erebus) was the primordial god (protogenos) of darkness and the consort of Nyx (Night). His dark mists encircled the world and filled the deep hollows of the earth. In the evening, Erebos' wife Nyx drew Erebos' darkness across the sky bringing night and his daughter Hemera scattered it at dawn bringing day--the first obscuring Aither (Aether), the heavenly light of the ether, the second revealing it. In the ancient cosmogonies the heavenly ether (aither) and the dark mists of the netherworld (erebos) were regarded as the sources of day and light rather than the sun. The name Erebos was also used as a synonym for the netherworld realm of Haides.

FAMILY OF EREBUS [2.1] KHRONOS & ANANKE (Orphic Fragment 54) OFFSPRING PROTOGENOI [1.1] AITHER , HEMERA (by Nyx ) (Hesiod Theogony 124, Cicero De Natura Deum 3.17) [1.2] AITHER (Aristophanes Birds 1189) [1.4] AITHER , HEMERA , EROS (by Nyx ) (Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.17) OFFSPRING DAIMONES [1.2] EROS (AMOR) , DOLOS (DOLUS) , DEIMOS (METUS) , PONOS (LABOR) , NEMESIS (INVIDENTIA) , MOROS (FATUM) , GERAS (SENECTUS) , THANATOS (MORS) , KERES (TENEBRAE) , OIZYS (MISERIA) , MOMOS (QUERELLA) , PHILOTES (GRATIA) , APATE (FRAUS) , ?

(OBSTINACIA), THE MOIRAI (PARCAE) , THE HESPERIDES , THE ONEIROI (SOMNAI) (by Nyx ) (Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.17) ENCYCLOPEDIA E′REBOS (Erebos), a son of Chaos, begot Aether and Hemera by Nyx, his sister. (Hesiod. Theog. 123.) Hyginus (Fab. p. 1) and Cicero (de Nat. Deor. iii. 17) enumerate many personifications of abstract notions as the offspring of Erebos. The name signifies darkness, and is therefore applied also to the dark and gloomy space under the earth, through which the shades pass into Hades. (Hom. Il. viii. p. 368.) Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. ALTERNATE NAMES EREBUS & THE BIRTH OF THE COSMOS I. THE COSMOGONY OF HESIOD Hesiod, Theogony 115 ff (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "Verily at first Khaos (Chaos, the Gap) [Air] came to be, but next wide-bosomed Gaia (Gaea, Earth) . . . and dim Tartaros (the Pit) in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros (Love), fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Khaos (Chaos) [Air] came forth Erebos (Erebus, Darkness) and black Nyx (Night); but of Nyx (Night) were born (Aether, Bright Upper Air) and Hemera (Day), whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebos. And Gaia (Gaea, Earth) first bore starry Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven), equal to herself, to cover her on every side." Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans.

Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "From Caligine (Mist) [was born] : Chaos. From Chaos [was born]: Nox (Night) [Nyx], Dies (Day) [Hemera], Erebus, Aether." Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3. 17 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) : "The parents of Caelus (Sky) [Ouranos (Uranus)], Aether (Upper Air) and Dies (Day) [Hemera] . . . fabled to be the children of Erebus (Darkness) and Nox (Night) [Nyx]." II. THE COSMOGONY OF ALCMAN Alcman, Fragment 5 (from Scholia) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (Greek lyric C7th B.C.) : "‘[First came] Thetis (Creation). After that, ancient Poros (Contriver) [perhaps Khronos (Chronos)] and Tekmor (Tecmor, Ordinance) [perhaps Ananke]’ : Tekmor came into being after Poros . .

. thereupon . . . called him Poros (Contriver) since the beginning provided all things; for when the matter began to be set in order, a certain Poros came into being as a beginning. So Alkman (Alcman) represents the matter of all things as confused and unformed. Then he says that one came into being who set all things in order, then that Poros came into being, and that when Poros had passed by Tekmor followed. And Poros is as a beginning, Tekmor like an end. When Thetis (Creation) had come into being, a beginning and end of all things came into being simultaneously, and all things have their nature resembling the matter of bronze, while Thetis has hers resembling that of a craftsman, Poros and Tekmor resembling a beginning and the end. He uses the word ancient for old. ‘And the third, Skotos' (Scotus, Darkness) [Erebos]’ : since neither sun nor moorn had come into being yet, but matter was still undifferentiated. So at the same moment there came into being Poros and Tekmor and Skotos.

‘Amar (Day) [Hemera] and Melana (Moon) [Selene] and third, Skotos (Darkness) as far as Marmarugas (Flashings)’ : days does not mean simply day, but contains the idea of the sun. Previously there was only darkness, and afterwards, when it had been differentiated, light came into being." III. THE ORPHIC COSMOGONY Aristophanes, Birds 685 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) : "At the beginning there was only Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [Air], Nyx (Night), dark Erebos (Darkness), and deep Tartaros (the Pit). Ge (Gaea, Earth), Aer (Air) [probably Aither] and Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) had no existence.

Firstly, black-winged Nyx (Night) laid a germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deeps of Erebos (Darkness), and from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Eros [the primordial Eros]." Aristophanes, Birds 1189 ff : "Aer (Air) [i.e. Aither], the son of Erebos (Erebus), in which the clouds float." Orphica, Theogonies Fragment 54 (from Damascius) (trans. West) (Greek hymns C3rd - C2nd B.C.) : "Originally there was Hydros (Water), he [Orpheus] says, and Mud, from which Ge (Gaea, the Earth) solidified : he posits these two as first principles, water and earth . . . The one before the two [Thesis, Creation], however, he leaves unexpressed, his very silence being anintimation of its ineffable nature.

The third principle [Khronos (Chronos), Time] after the two was engendered by these--Ge (Earth) and Hydros (Water), that is--and was a Serpent (Drakon) with extra heads growing upon it of a bull and a lion, and a god's countenance in the middle; it had wings upon its shoulders, and its name was Khronos (Chronos, Unaging Time) and also Herakles (Heracles). United with it was Ananke (Inevitability, Compulsion), being of the same nature, or Adrastea, incorporeal, her arms extended throughout the universe and touching its extremities. I think this stands for the third principle, occuping the place of essence, only he [Orpheus] made it bisexual [as Phanes] to symbolize the universal generative cause.

And I assume that the theology of the [Orphic] Rhapsodies discarded the two first principles (together with the one before the two, that was left unspoken) [i.e., the Orphics discarded the concepts of Thesis, Khronos and Ananke], and began from this third principle [Phanes] after the two, because this was the first that was expressible and acceptable to human ears. For this is the great Khronos (Unaging Time) that we found in it [the Rhapsodies], the father of Aither (Aether, Light) [upper air] and Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [lower air]. Indeed, in this theology too [the Hieronyman Rhapsodies], this Khronos (Time), the serpent has offspring, three in number : moist Aither (Aether, Light)--I quote--, unbounded Khaos (Chaos), and as a third, misty Erebos (Darkness) . . .

Among these, he says, Khronos (Chronos, Time) generated an egg--this tradition too making it generated by Khronos, and born ‘among’ these because it is from these that the third Intelligible triad is produced [Protogonos-Phanes]. What is this triad, then? The egg; the dyad of the two natures inside it--male and female--[Ouranos (Uranus) and Gaia (Gaea), Heaven and Earth], and the plurality of the various seeds between; and thirdly an incorporeal god [Phanes] with golden wings on his shoulders, bulls' heads growing upon his flanks, and on his head a monstrous serpent, presenting the appearance of all kinds of animal forms." EREBUS FATHER OF DAEMONES (DAIMONES) Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "From Chaos and Caligine [were born] : Nox (Night) [Nyx], Dies (Day) [Hemera], Erebus, Aether.

From Nox (Night) [Nyx] and Erebus [were born]: Fatum (Fate) [Ker], Senectus (Old Age) [Geras], Mors (Death) [Thanatos], Letum (Dissolution) [Moros], Continentia (Continence), Somnus (Sleep) [Hypnos], Somnia (Dreams) [Oneiroi], Amor [Eros]--that is Lysimeles, Epiphron, Porphyrion, Epaphus, Discordia (Discord), Miseria (Wretchedness), Petulantia (Wantonness), Nemesis, Euphrosyne, Amicitia (Friendship) [Philotes], Misericordia (Compassion), Styx; the three Parcae (Fates) [Moirai], namely Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos; the Hesperides Aegle, Hesperie and Aerica." Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3. 17 (trans.

Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) : "[If Ouranos (Uranus) is a god then] the parents of Caelus [Ouranos], Aether (Upper Air) and Dies (Day) [Hemera], must be held to be gods, and their brothers and sisters, whom the ancient genealogists name Amor (Love) [Eros], Dolus (Guile) [Apate], Metus (Fear) [Phobos], Labor (Toil) [Ponos], Invidentia (Envy) [Nemesis], Fatum (Fate) [Moros], Senectus (Old Age) [Geras], Mors (Death) [Thanatos], Tenebrae (Darkness) [Keres], Miseria (Misery) [Oizys], Querella (Criticism) [Momos], Gratia (Friendship) [Philotes], Fraus (Fraud) [Apate], Pertinacia (Obstinacy), the Parcae (Fates) [the Moirai], the Hesperides, the Somnia (Dreams) [the Oneiroi] : all of these

 are fabled to be the children of Erebus (Darkness) and Nox (Night) [Nyx].

Either therefore you must accept these monstrosities or you must discard the first claimants also." [N.B. The Greek equivalents of the Roman names have been added to the following text in square brackets. Cicero's list mostly follows Hesiod's Theogony, albeit with Latin translations of the word-names]. EREBUS THE UNDERWORLD Hesiod, Theogony 514 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "Zeus struck him [the Titan Menoitios (Menoetius)] with a lurid thunderbolt and sent him down to Erebos (Erebus)." Hesiod, Theogony 669 ff : "[The Hekatonkheires (Hecatoncheires)] whom Zeus brought up to the light from Erebos (Erebus) beneath the earth." Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 408 (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) : "[Hermes came] bidding me [Persephone] come back from Erebos (Erebus)." Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 12. 417 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : "Rose Eos (the dawn), and thrust back kindly Nyx (Night) to Erebos (Erebus)." Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 403 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "She [the witch Kirke (Circe)] . . .

out of Erebos (Darkness) and Chaos (Gloomy Air) called Nox (Night) [Nyx] and the Gods of Night (Di Nocti) and poured a prayer with long-drawn wailing cries to Hecate." SOURCES Erebus *** Erebus and Tartarus In ancient Greek mythology and literature the name Erebus was also used to refer to a region of the Underworld where the dead had to pass immediately after dying, and is sometimes used interchangeably with the region more commonly known as Tartarus. The word Erebus is defined as a "place of darkness between Earth and Hades". Erebus, the dark god of Night and Shadows Who was Erebus? He was one of the primeval gods who was born out of Chaos, a casual deity who ruled over confusion in the void of emptiness. At the beginning of time there was only Chaos (Air), Nyx (Night) and Erebus (Darkness). Erebus took Nyx as his consort and became one of the first of the Immortals . Erebus was believed to have reigned in the mysterious, gloomy Underworld where no ray of sunshine, gleam of daylight or anything healthy lived.

He created the shadows that filled the deep hollows of the earth. According to ancient Greek mythology Erebus and Nyx inhabited a palace in the dark regions of the Underworld. He is represented in ancient Greek art in a form similar to that of the later god, Hades. The Children of Erebus The children of Erebus and Nyx were Aether and his sister Hemera who brought light and day. Their many offspring also included some of the dark gods and goddesses of the Underworld including Doom (Moros), Old Age (Geras), Divine Retribution (Nemesis), Death and Sleep (Thanatos and Hypnos), Strife (Eris), Charon , the Fates, the Keres and other personifications.

Erebus and the Dynasties of Greek Gods According to mythology, Erebus and the Ancient Greek gods and goddesses consisted of three major dynasties from different generations: The First generation of Ancient Greek Gods were the Primordial deities, to which Erebus belonged The Primordial, or Primeval, gods were those that existed at or from the beginning of time and resided within the region of the universe known as the Elemental Chaos The Second generation were the Titans The Third generation of were the famous Olympian gods Erebus Family Tree The god Erebus was worshipped as the great god of darkness and shadows and was the consort of Nyx. Erebus supplanted Chaos and to become the most powerful of the primordial gods. Erebus and Nyx created Aether and Hemera and many dark gods and goddesses of the Underworld. Aether and Hemera eventually supplanted Erebus and Nyx. Each dynasty of Greek Gods overthrew the previous generation. The following Ancient Gods Family Tree details and clarifies the relationship between Erebus and the first primordial generations of gods and goddesses.

The Children of Erebus - Family Tree and Genealogy Erebus, the dark god of darkness and shadows was the father of many of the Gods of death and darkness.

The children and genealogy of Erebus and Nyx are detailed in the following family tree: Erebus and Nyx Family Tree and Genealogy The Children of Erebus, the god of darkness and shadows Short descriptions of the children of Erebus and his consort Nyx are detailed below, for comprehensive information about these deities refer to the Greek Gods section: Nemesis was the goddess of revenge awarding to each individual the fate which his actions deserve Charon the Ferryman was the grim old boatman who ferried souls across the River Styx to the Underworld Hecate was the goddess of witchcraft, spectres and was called the the ï¿½Queen of Ghostsï¿½ Hypnos was the God of sleep who brought nightmares Eris was the goddess of quarrels, feuds and disagreements Oizys personified distress, worry and anxiety Momus, the twin of Oizys and the evil-spirited god of blame and unfair criticism Geras personified loathsome old age Lyssa was the goddess of mad rage and frenzy Epiphron was the god of caution and frugality Morpheus was a a winged daemon, the god of dreams and father of the Oneiroi, the gods of dreams Moros was

 the god of impending doom Thanatos was a god of Death who was hated as the enemy of mankind, whose hard heart knew no pity The Family of Erebus - Greek Gods Family Tree and Genealogy The family members and genealogy of this primordial god can be established via the Greek gods family tree, providing an overview of the relationships between Erebus and the principle Greek gods and goddesses.

The Greek Gods Family Tree Erebus Interesting information and Facts about the Greek god Erebus, the Greek god of darkness and shadows Stories and Legends in Greek Mythology associated with the ancient Greek god Erebus Facts and information about the Gods and Deities of the Ancient World for schools and kids Greek god of darkness & shadows Erebus Erebus See More Erebus Pictures > Erebus was one of the primordial deities in Greek mythology, born out of the primeval void, Chaos . It was the personification of the deep darkness and shadows. Erebus was the brother of Gaea (earth), Tartarus (underworld), Eros (love), and Nyx (night). From the union of Erebus and Nyx , various children were produced, including Aether , Hemera (day), Hypnos (sleep), the Moirai (the Fates), Geras (old age) and Thanatos (death). The word Erebus was also used to indicate a region of the Underworld where the dead would go immediately after dying. Erebus Is also called Erebus, Erebos.

EREBUS - the Greek God of Darkness (Greek mythology) EREBUS Also known as EREBOS God of Primordial Darkness He is the dark brooding son of CHAOS . Even with the lights turned out, he managed to father CHARON , THANATOS , HYPNOS , EROS and the FATES . His consort appears to be NYX , the Goddess of Night. Although it’s hard to see what they get up to in the dark, we understand that EREBUS spreads his gloomy mists to obscure AETHER ’s shining daylight... and HEMERA wafts him away again each morning. EREBUS FACTS AND FIGURES Celebration or Feast Day : Unknown at present Good/Evil Rating : NEUTRAL, may not care Popularity index : 42740 Cite this Link to this page HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the text below into your blog, web page or email.

<a href="">Godchecker entry on EREBUS, the Greek God of Darkness</a> BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the text below: [url= entry on EREBUS, the Greek God of Darkness[/url] Cite this article Here's the info you need to cite this page. Just copy the text in the box below. Saunders, Chas, and Peter J. Allen, eds. "EREBUS - the Greek God of Darkness (Greek mythology)." <em>Godchecker</em>. Godchecker.com / CID, 23 Aug. 2015. Web. 18 January 2017. . 23 August 2015 by Peter J Allen. Editors: Peter J Allen, Chas Saunders References: Coming soon. CHAOS (Khaos) - Greek Primordial Goddess of the Chasm of Air Translation Gap, Chasm (khaos) KHAOS (Chaos) was the first of the primordial gods (protogenoi) to emerge at the dawn of creation.

She was followed in quick succession by Gaia (Gaea, Earth), Tartaros (the Pit Below) and Eros (Procreation). Khaos was the lower atmosphere which surrounds the earth--both the invisible air and the gloom of fog and mist. The word khaos means "gap" or "chasm" being the space between heaven and earth. Khaos was the mother and grandmother of the other misty essences--Erebos (the mists of netherworld darkness), Aither (the ethereal mists of heaven), Nyx (the night) and Hemera (the day), as well as the numerous emotion-driving Daimones (Spirits) which haunted it. She was also a goddess of fate like her daughter Nyx and grand-daughters the Moirai (Moirae). As the goddess of the air Khaos was also the mother of birds, just as Gaia (the Earth) was the mother of land animals, and Thalassa (the Sea) was the mother of fish.

Late classical authors redefined Khaos as the chaotic mix of elements which existed in the primordial universe, conflating it with the primal "Mud" of the Orphic cosmogony. The modern English word "chaos" derives from this. FAMILY OF CHAOS [1.1] NONE (the first being to emerge at creation) (Hesiod Theogony 116) [2.1] KHRONOS & ANANKE (Orphic Argonautica 12, Orphic Fragment 54) [2.2] KHRONOS (Orphic Rhapsodies 66) OFFSPRING [2.1] THE MOIRAI (Quintus Smyrnaeus 3.755) [3.1] EROS (Oppian Halieutica 4.10) [4.1] THE BIRDS (by Eros ) (Aristophanes Birds 685) N.B. According to Hesiod's Theogony Gaia, Tartaros and Eros came into being after Khaos. This passage is sometimes misread, making them her offspring.

ENCYCLOPEDIA CHAOS (Chaos), the vacant and infinite space which existed according to the ancient cosmogonies previous to the creation of the world (Hes. Theog. 116), and out of which the gods, men, and all things arose. A different definition of Chaos is given by Ovid (Met. i. 1, &c.), who describes it as the confused mass containing the elements of all things that were formed out of it. According to Hesiod, Chaos was the mother of Erebos and Nyx. Some of the later poets use the word Chaos in the general sense of the airy realms, of darkness, or the lower world. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. ALTERNATE NAMES CHAOS & THE BIRTH OF THE COSMOS Hesiod, Theogony 116 ff (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "Verily at the first Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [Air] came to be, but next wide-bosomed Gaia (Gaea, Earth), the ever-sure foundations of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympos . . . From Khaos (Chaos) came forth Erebos (Darkness) and black Nyx (Night)." Alcman, Fragment 1 (from Scholiast on Aristophanes the Birds 14) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric II) (C7th B.C.) : "He [Alcman] has identified Poros (the Contriver) with the god called Khaos (Chaos) by Hesiod." Alcman, Fragment 1 : "Aisa (Aesa, Fate) and Poros (the Contriver) [Poros is Khaos (Chaos), see quote above], those ancient ones, conquered them all [i.e. they were killed in battle]." Callimachus, Aetia Fragment 2 (trans.

Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : "When the bevy of Mousai (Muses) met the shepherd Hesiod . . . they told him of the birth of Khaos (Chaos)." Aristophanes, Birds 685 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) : "At the beginning there was only Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [Air], Nyx (Night), dark Erebos (Darkness), and deep Tartaros (the Pit). Ge (Gaea, Earth), Aer (Air) [Aither] and Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) had no existence. Firstly, black-winged Nyx (Night) laid a germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deeps of Erebos (Darkness), and from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Eros (Desire) with his glittering golden wings, swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest.

He mated [or fertilised] in deep Tartaros (the Pit) with dark Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [Air], winged like himself, and thus hatched forth our race [the birds], which was the first to see the light." Orphic Rhapsodies 66 (fragments) (trans. West) (Greek hymns C3rd - C2nd B.C.) : "This Khronos (Chronos, Unaging Time), of immortal resource, begot Aither (Aether, Light) [upper air] and great Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [lower air], vast this way and that, no limit below it, no base, no place to settle. Then great Khronos fashioned from (or in) divine Aither (Aether) a bright white egg [from which Phanes was born]." Orphic Fragment 54 (from Damascius) : "United with it [Khronos (Chronos), Time] was Ananke (Inevitability), being of the same nature, or Adrastea, incorporeal . . .

this is the great Khronos (Unaging Time) that we found in it [the Rhapsodies], the father of Aither (Aether) [upper air] and Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [lower air]. Indeed, in this theology too [the Hieronyman Rhapsodies], this Khronos (Time), the serpent has offspring, three in number : moist Aither (Light)--I quote--, unbounded Khaos (Chaos) [Air], and as a third, misty Erebos (Darkness) . . . Among these, he says, Khronos (Time) generated an egg [containing the mix of solid matter--earth, sea and sky]." Orphica, Epicuras Fragment (from Epiphanius) : "And he [Epicurus] says that the world began in the likeness of an egg, and the Wind [the entwined forms of Khronos (Chronos, Time) and Ananke (Inevitability)] encircling the egg serpent-fashion like a wreath or a belt then began to constrict nature.

As it tried to squeeze all the matter with greater force, it divided the world into the two hemispheres, and after that the atoms sorted themselves out, the lighter and finer ones in the universe floating above and becoming the Bright Air [Aither (Aether)] and the most rarefied Wind [probably Khaos (Chaos, Air)], while the heaviest and dirtiest have veered down, become the Earth (Ge) [Gaia], both the dry land and the fluid waters [Pontos the Sea]." Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 3. 755 (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : "The Moirai (Moirae, Fates), daughters of holy Khaeos (Chaos)." Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "From Caligine (Mist) [was born] Chaos; from Chaos [was born]: Nox (Night) [Nyx], Dies (Day) [Hemera], Erebus, Aether." Virgil, Georgics 4. 345 ff (trans.

Fairclough) (Roman bucolic C1st B.C.) : "Among these [the nymphs] Clymene . . . from Chaos on was rehearsing the countless loves of the gods." Oppian, Halieutica 4. 10 (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd A.D.) : "Thou [primordial Eros] art the eldest-born among the blessed gods and from unsmiling Khaeos (Chaos) didst arise with fierce and flaming torch and didst first establish the ordinances of wedded love and order the rites of the marriage-bed." CHAOS THE LOWER AIR Khaos (Chaos) was the earth-bound lower air. Its heavenly counterpart was the shining aither, and beneath and around the edges of earth lay the dark mists of erebos. Hesiod, Theogony 699 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "[The War of the Titanes (Titans) :] [Zeus] came forthwith, hurling his lightning . . .

flame unspeakable rose to the bright upper air: the flashing glare of the thunder--stone and lightning blinded their eyes for all that there were strong. Astounding heat seized Khaos (the Chasm) [the Air] : and to see with eyes and to hear the sound with ears it seemed even as if Gaia (Gaea, Earth) and wide Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) above came together." Hesiod, Theogony 813 : "And beyond, away from all the gods, live the Titanes (Titans), beyond gloomy Khaos (Chaos) [Air]." Ibycus, Fragment S223B (from Scholast on Aristophanes, Birds) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric III) (Greek lyric C6th B.C.) : "He uses khaos (void) instead of aeros (air) here, as does Ibykos (Ibycus) : ‘he flies in the alien void (khaos).’" Bacchylides, Fragment 5 (trans. Campbell, Vol.

Greek Lyric IV) (C5th B.C.) : "In the limitless void (khaos) he [the eagle] plies his fine-feathered plumage before the blasts of the west wind." Aristophanes, Clouds 264 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) : "[Comedy-Play :] Sokrates (Socrates) : Give heed to the prayers. (In an hierophantic tone) Oh! most mighty king, the boundless Aer (Air) [Aristophanes names air both Aer and Khaos], that keepest the earth suspended in space, thou bright Aither (Aether, Upper Air) and ye venerable goddesses, the Nephelai (Nephelae, Clouds)." Aristophanes, Clouds 627 : "[Comedy-play :] By Anapnoe (Respiration), by Khaos (Chaos, Void), by Aer (Air) [i.e. three names for the same entity]." Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 2. 549 ff (trans.

Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) : "[Eos the Dawn grieving her son Memnon declares that she will no longer rise :] ‘I will to blind night leave earth, sky, and sea, till Khaeos (Chaos) and formless darkness brood o'er all.’" Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. 1 : "Then rose from Okeanos (Oceanus) Eos (the Dawn) the golden-throned up to the heavens; Nyx (the Night) into Khaos (Chaos) sank." Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4. 104 (trans. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : "Orion fell by the cruel virgin's [Artemis'] shaft and now fills Chaos [i.e. the air, Orion is a constellation]." Statius, Thebaid 3. 483 ff (trans.

Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : "Mysterious is the cause, yet of old has this honour [of prophetic omen] been paid to the birds, whether the Founder of the heavenly bode thus ordained, when he wrought the vast expanse of Chaos into the fresh seeds of things." Nonnus, Dionysiaca 41. 82 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : "Before all Khthon (Chthon, Earth) [Gaia], milling out from Helios (the Sun) the shine of his newmade brightness upon her all-mothering breast . . . Beroe first shook away the cone of darkling mist, and threw off the gloomy veil of Khaos (Chaos) [Air]." Suidas s.v. Khaos (trans.

Suda On Line) (Byzantine Greek lexicon C10th A.D.) : "Khaos (Chaos, Space) : Also the air (aer), according to Aristophanes in the Birds : ‘You shall not grant passage to the smell of the (burning sacificial) thighs through your foreign city and the space (khaos).’ Also ‘even Zeus is older than Khaos,’ in the very ancient writers. And Ibykos (Ibycus) (writes): ‘he flies about in someone else's space (khaos).' And again: 'He fools around and spouts nonsense at us in vain, that even Zeus lived earlier than khaos.’" CHAOS THE GLOOM OF THE NETHERWORLD Khaos (Chaos) was sometimes equated with Erebos, the darkness of the underworld. Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 30 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C.

to C1st A.D.) : "[Orpheus peititions the gods of the underworld to return his Eurydike (Eurydice) :] By these regions [the Underworld] filled with fear, by this huge Chaos, these vast silent realms, reweave, I implore, the fate unwound too fast of my Eurydice." Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 403 ff : "She [the witch Kirke (Circe)] . . . out of Erebos (Darkness) and Chaos (Gloomy Air) called Nox (Night) [Nyx] and the Gods of Night (Di Nocti) and poured a prayer with long-drawn wailing cries to Hecate." Seneca, Hercules Furens 1100 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) : "Let the heavens hear his mighty groans, let the queen of the dark world [Persephone] hear . . . let Chaos re-echo the outcries of his grief." Seneca, Medea 9 : "Thou chaos of endless night [i.e.

the underworld], ye realms remote from heaven, ye unhallowed ghosts, thou lord [Haides] of the realm of gloom." Seneca, Medea 740 : "Funereal gods, murky Chaos and shadowy Dis' [Haides'] dark dwelling-place, the abysses of dismal Mors (Death) [Thanatos], girt by the banks of Tartarus." Seneca, Oedipus 570 ff : "[The seer Teiresias (Tiresias) performs necromancy :] The whole place was shaken and the ground was stricken from below . . . blind Chaos is burst open, and for the tribes of Dis [Haides] a way is given to the upper world." Seneca, Phaedra 1238 : "Yawn, earth; take me, dire Chaos, take me; this way to the shades is more fitting for me--my son I follow." CHAOS THE PRIMORDIAL MIX OF ELEMENTS Khaos (Chaos) was later identified with the primordial mix of elements--earth, water, fire and earth--described in the Orphic Theogonies as the primal "Mud".

Ovid, Metamorphoses 1. 1 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "Ere land and sea and the all-covering sky were made, in the whole world the countenance of nature was the same, all one, well named Chaos, a raw and undivided mass, naught but a lifeless bulk, with warring seeds of ill-joined elements compressed together. No Titan [Helios the Sun] as yet poured light upon the world, no waxing Phoebe [Selene the Moon] her crescent filled anew, nor in the ambient air yet hung the earth, self-balanced, equipoised, nor Amphitrite's [the Sea's] arms embraced the long far margin of the land. Though there were land and sea and air, the land no foot could tread, no creature swim the sea, the air was lightless; nothing kept its form, all objects were at odds, since in one mass cold essence fought with hot, and moist with dry, and hard with soft and light with things of weight.

This strife a God (Deus) [perhaps Khronos (Chronos) or the primordial Eros], with nature's blessing, solved; who severed land from sky and sea from land, and from the denser vapours set apart the ethereal sky; and, each from the blind heap resolved and freed, he fastened in its place appropriate in peace and harmony. The fiery weightless force of heaven's vault flashed up and claimed the topmost citadel; next came the air in lightness and in place; the thicker earth with grosser elements sank burdened by its weight; lowest and last the girdling waters pent the solid globe. So into shape whatever god it was reduced the primal matter and prescribed its several parts. Then first, to make the earth even on every side, he rounded it into a mighty disc, then bade the sea extend and rise under the rushing winds, and gird the shores of the encircled earth." SOURCES Mythology - Ancient Greek Gods and Myths. Mythology Principal Gods click for main characteristics Mythical Characters Zeus Homer the name traditionally assigned to the reputed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the two major epics of Greek antiquity.

Nothing is known about Homer as an individual. In fact, the question of whether a single person can be said to be responsible for the creation of the two epics is still controversial. However, linguistic and historical evidence allows the assumption that the poems were composed in the Greek settlements on the west coast of Asia Minor sometime in the 9th century BC. Electra was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, the king and queen of Mycenae. When Electra's father returned from the Trojan war, her mother, Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus killed him. They also killed Cassandra, a concubine of Agamemnon from the Trojan war... more » Antigone In ancient Greece, Antigone is mostly related to the myth that was told by the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, although there is reference to a different Antigone in the ancient Greek World. Antigone was the daughter of King Oedipus of Thebes and Jocasta. The story says, Oedipus, the son of Laius and Jocasta killed his father Laius and became the king of Thebes.

Oedipus unknowingly married his own mother Jocasta and had children by her. Thus, Antigone was the daughter and the sister of Oedipus... more » JASON's story is an ancient Greek myth, folk tale that is passed from generations to generations. About a hero who traveled on a voyage in search of the Golden Fleece, so that he could help his father get his kingdom back from King Pelias. Jason's father was Aeson, the King of Lolcus and mother Alcimede. Aeson stepbrother Pelias was eager for the throne of Lolcus, so in a battle, he removed Aeson from power and made himself the King. Aeson and Pelias shared a common mother, Tyro. She was the daughter of Salmoneus and sea god Poseidon. Pelias, to make sure that no one from Aeson's family could challenge him, killed his family. But Alcimede saved their baby, Jason. To save him Alcimede gave away her baby son to Chiron, who became his guardian. But Pelias was obsessed with his throne and he consulted an oracle that told him that a man wearing one sandal would be the reason for his end...

more » Chaos - in one ancient Greek myth of creation, the dark, silent abyss from which all things came into existence. According to the Theogony of Hesiod, Chaos generated the solid mass of Earth, from which arose the starry, cloud-filled Heaven. Mother Earth and Father Heaven, personified respectively as Gaea and her offspring Uranus, were the parents of the Titans. In a later theory, Chaos is the formless matter from which the cosmos, or harmonious order, was created. Gaea - She was the mother and wife of Father Heaven, Uranus. They were the parents of the first creatures, the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Giants - the Hecatoncheires (Hundred - Headed Ones). Uranus hated the monsters, and, even though they were his children, locked them in a secret place in the earth. Gaea was enraged at this favoritism and persuaded their son Cronos to overthrow his father. He emasculated Uranus, and from his blood Gaea brought forth the Giants, and the three avenging goddesses the Erinyes.

Her last and most terrifying offspring was Typhon, a 100-headed monster, who, although conquered by the god Zeus, was believed to spew forth the molten lava flows of Mount Etna. Tartarus - The lowest region of the underworld. Hesiod claimed that a brazen anvil would take none days and nights to fall from heaven to earth, and nine days and nights to fall from earth to Tartarus. Tartarus rose out of Chaos and was the destination of wicked souls. Uranus banished his children the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires to Tartarus, as Zeus also did to the Titans. Other famous inhabitants of Tartarus include Sisyphus, Ixion, Tantalus, Salmoneus, Tityus, Ophion, and the daughters of Danaus. Eros - The god of love. He was thought of as a handsome and intense young man, attended by Pothos ("longing") or Himeros ("desire"). Later mythology made him the constant attendant of his mother, Aphrodite, goddess of love. Erebus - Personification of the darkness of the Underworld and the offspring of Chaos. .

In later myth, Erebus was the dark region beneath the earth through which the shades must pass to the realm of Hades below. He is often used metaphorically for Hades itself. Uranus - Gaea - The personification of the sky; the god of the heavens and husband of Gaea, the goddess of the earth. . Their children are the Hecatonchires, the Cyclopes and the Titans. Pontus - The sea god. Cyclopes - Three sons: Arges, Brontes, and Steropes of Uranus and Gaea. The Cyclops were giant beings with a single, round eye in the middle of their foreheads.They helped Zeus defeat their brother, Cronus, by forging lightning bolts. They also made Poseidon's trident and Hades invisibility cap. Hecatonchires - Three sons of Uranus and Gaia. There were three of them: Briareus also called Aegaeon, Cottus, and Gyges also called Gyes. They were gigantic and had fifty heads and one hundred arms each of great strength. They had 100 hands and helped Zeus in his war against the Titans.

Cronus - Rhea - Cronus was a ruler of the universe during the Golden Age. He was one of the 12 Titans and the youngest son of Uranus and Gaea, Cronus and his sister-queen, Rhea, became the parents of 6 of the 12 gods and goddesses known as the Olympians. Cronus had been warned that he would be overthrown by one of his own children. To prevent this, he swallowed his first five children as soon as they were born. Rhea did not like this. She substituted a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes for their sixth child, Zeus. He was hidden in Crete, and when he was older, he returned and forced Cronos to disgorge all the other children, who had grown inside of him. Zeus and his siblings fought a war against Cronos and the Titans. Zeus won, and the Titans were confined in Tartarus, a cave in the deepest part of the underworld. Coeus - Phoebe - Coeus was a titan of Intelligence, the father of Leto, husband of Phoebe. Oceanus - Tethys - The personification of the vast ocean.

Together with his wife Tethys, they produced the rivers and six thousand offsprings called the Oceanids. He ruled over Ocean, a great river encircling the earth, which was believed to be a flat circle. The nymphs of this great river, the Oceanids, were their daughters, and the gods of all the streams on earth were their sons. Hestia - Virgin goddess of the hearth. She was the symbol of the house, around which a new born child was carried before it was received into the family. Although she appears in very few myths, most cities had a common hearth where her sacred fire burned. I Hades - He was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead were seen favorably by him. He was also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. His wife was Persephone whom Hades abducted. The underworld itself was often called Hades. It was divided into two regions: Erebus, where the dead pass as soon as they die, and Tartarus, the deeper region, where the Titans had been imprisoned.

It was a dim and unhappy place, inhabited by vague forms and shadows and guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog. Sinister rivers separated the underworld from the world above, and the aged boatman Charon ferried the souls of the dead across these waters. Poseidon - God of the sea. His weapon was a trident, which could shake the earth, and shatter any object. He was second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. Under the ocean, he had a marvelous golden palace. Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, by whom he had a son, Triton. Poseidon had numerous other love affairs. At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. To impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsucessful and created a varity of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled. Zeus - Hera - The god of the sky and ruler of the gods of Mount Olympus. He displaced his father and assumed the leadership of the gods of Olympus.

Zeus was considered the father of the gods and of mortals. He did not create either gods or mortals; he was their father in the sense of being the protector and ruler both of the Olympian family and of the human race. His weapon was a thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. He was married to Hera but, is famous for his many affairs, which resulted in many known children and probably many more that were not known to be his. Athena was his favorite child. He bore her alone from his head. One of the greatest feasts for Zeus was the Olympic games. They were taking place every four years in Olympia. Even if there was a war between the city-states of Greece they were stopping the war to take part on that games. Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Writers represented Hera as constantly being jealous of Zeus's various amorous affairs. She punished her rivals and their children, among both goddesses and mortals, with implacable fury.

The peacock (the symbol of pride; her wagon was pulled by peacocks) and the cow (she was also known as Bopis, meaning "cow-eyed", which was later translated as "with big eyes") were her sacred animals. Her favorite city was Argos. Demeter - Zeus - Goddess of corn and the harvest. She taught mankind the art of sowing and ploughing so they could end their nomadic existence. She was of a severe, a beauty scarcely relieved by her hair. which was as fair as ripened grain. Poseidon coveted her, but Demeter refused herself to him. To escape him she fled to Arkadia where, assuming the shape of a mare, she mingled with the herds of King Oncus. Poseidon, however, succeeded in finding her, changed himself into a stallion and made her the mother of the horse Arion. When her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld, Demeter's grief was so great that she neglected the land; no plants grew, and famine devastated the earth. Dismayed at this situation, Zeus, demanded that his brother Hades return Persephone to her mother.

Hades agreed, but before he released the girl, he made her eat some pomegranate seeds that would force her to return to him for four months each year. In her joy at being reunited with her daughter, Demeter caused the earth to bring forth bright spring flowers and abundant fruit and grain for the harvest. However, her sorrow returned each autumn when Persephone had to return to the underworld. The desolation of the winter season and the death of vegetation were regarded as the yearly manifestation of Demeter's grief when her daughter was taken from her. Demeter and Persephone were worshipped in the rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Persephone - Persephone was the Queen of the Underworld and the daughter of Demeter. Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful girl that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. Although Zeus gave his consent, Demeter was unwilling. Hades, therefore, seized the maiden as she was gathering flowers and carried her off to his realm. Persephone was a personification of the revival of nature in spring.

Her attributes in iconography can include a torch, a crown, a sceptre, and stalks of grain. Leto - Zeus - The mother of Artemis, goddess of the bow and of hunting. She was loved by the god Zeus, who, fearing the jealousy of his wife, Hera, banished Leto when she was about to bear his child. All countries and islands were also afraid of Hera's wrath and refused the desperate Leto a home where her child could be born. Finally, in her wanderings, she set foot on a small island floating in the Aegean Sea, which was called Delos. Iapetus - The son Uranus and Gaea. Iapetus' wife was Clymene. Athena - or Pallas-Athene, is one of the most important goddesses in Greek mythology. Goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. Athena sprang full-grown and armoured from the forehead of the god Zeus and was his favourite child. She was fierce and brave in battle but, only fights to protect the state and home from outside enemies. She was the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.

She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. Her attributes in iconography include the aegis (a fringed cloak, sometimes decorated with a Gorgon's head), the helmet, and the spear. Ares - God of war. He was very aggressive. He was unpopular with both gods and humans. Ares was not invincible, even against mortals. He personified the brutal nature of war. He was immortal but whenever he would get hurt he would run back to his father, Zeus and was healed. Ares was mainly worshipped in Thracia. Hebe - The goddess of youth. She, along with Ganymede were the cupbearers to the gods, serving them their nectar and ambrosia. She also prepared Ares' bath, and helped Hera to her chariot. Hebe was Hercules' wife. Hephaestus - God of fire and metalwork. He was born lame and weak, and shortly after his birth, he was cast out of Olympus.

In most legends, however, he was soon honoured again on Olympus and was married to Aphrodite, goddess of love, or to Aglaia, one of the three Graces. His workshop was believed to lie under Mount Etna, a volcano in Sicily. He made many wonderful artifacts for the gods, including the twelve golden thrones of the Olympians, their weapons and treasures. Apollo - Apollo was primarily a god of prophecy. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved, such as the Trojan princess Cassandra. As a prophet and magician, he is the patron of medicine and healing. He was a gifted musician, who delighted the gods with his performance on the lyre. He was also a master archer and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victor in the Olympic games. His twin sister was Artemis. He was famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future. He was also the god of agriculture and cattle, and of light and truth. Artemis - Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and animals, as well as of childbirth. Her twin brother was Apollo.

As the moon goddess, she was sometimes identified with the goddesses Selene and Hecate.Her attributes are the bow and arrow, while dogs, deer and goose are her sacred animals. Her most elaborate temple was in Ephesis. Atlas - Son of the Titan Iapetus and the nymph Clymene, and brother of Prometheus. Atlas fought with the Titans in the war against the deities of Mount Olympus. Atlas stormed the heavens and Zeus punished him for this deed by condemning him to forever bear the earth and the heavens upon his shoulders. He was the father of the Hesperides, the nymphs who guarded the tree of golden apples, and Heracles (Hercules). Prometheus - Prometheus was the wisest Titan, known as the friend and benefactor of humanity.He stole the sacred fire from Zeus and the gods. He also tricked the gods so that they should get the worst parts of any animal sacrificed to them, and human beings the best. Zeus commanded that Prometheus be chained for eternity in the Caucasus. There, an eagle would eat at his liver and each day, the liver would be renewed. So the punishment was endless, until Heracles finally killed the bird.

Epimetheus - Epimetheus was a Titan, whose name meant "afterthought". In some accounts, he was delegated, along with his brother Prometheus by Zeus to create mankind. He foolishly ignored his brother Prometheus' warnings to beware of any gifts from Zeus. He accepted Pandora as his wife, thereby bringing ills and sorrows to the world. Maia - Zeus - Maia was a daughter of Atlas. She was one of Zeus' lovers. She, along with Zeus was the mother of Hermes. Dione - Zeus - The goddess or Titaness Dione became by Zeus the mother of Aphrodite. Hermes - Hermes' main role was as a messenger. As the special servant and courier of Zeus, Hermes had winged sandals and a winged hat and bore a golden caduceus, or magic wand, entwined with snakes and surmounted by wings. He conducted the souls of the dead to the underworld and was believed to possess magical powers over sleep and dreams. Five minutes after he was born, he stole a herd of cows from Apollo. He invented the lyre from a cow's internal fibers. After Apollo learned what happened, he knew that his half-brother should he one of the pantheon.

Hermes was the patron of trickster and thieves because of his actions early in life. His attributes in iconography include the kerykeion (messenger's staff), winged boots, and petassos (cap). Aphrodite - The goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and mortals. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some of her sons are Eros, Anteros, Hymenaios and Aeneas (with her Trojan lover Anchises). Perhaps the most famous legend about Aphrodite concerns the cause of the Trojan War. She was the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle was her tree. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow were her birds. Zeus - Before the pantheon of Greek gods we are familiar with ruled atop Olympus, an earlier generation of deities, known as Titans, held power. The ruler of these divine beings was Cronus, son of Gaia (Mother Earth). Cronus' mother had informed him that he would be usurped by one of his offspring who would be tremendously powerful.

Therefore, whenever Cronus' wife Rhea bore a child he would swallow the newborn god to prevent them from overturning his power... more » Greek Gods - Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses CONTACT Greek Gods and Goddesses The Greek Gods and Goddesses of the ancient times were also known as the twelve gods of Olympus and the religion based on their worship was called Dodekatheon. The Greek religion wanted the principal gods of the Greek pantheon residing on top of Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter and Hestia are the 12 Olympians. Heracles, Hebe, Helios, Hades, Dionysus, and Persephone are some other important gods, goddesses, and in Heracles' case, heroes. Persephone used to live in the underworld for three months of the year (causing the barren landscape of winter) and was allowed to return to Mount Olympus for the other nine months in order to be with her mother, Demeter. During this time she would be in woe and not with the other Olympian Gods.

Hades was one of the principal Greek gods but his home was in the underworld of the dead and that made his connection to the Olympians more tenuous. The Twelve Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia and Hades were siblings while all the other gods of the Dodekatheon are usually considered the children of Zeus by various mothers, except for Athena, who in some versions of the myth was born of Zeus alone and Aphrodite who was formed from the castrated phallus of the primordial Sky which Cronos threw into the sea when he freed the Titans. Additionally, some versions of the myth state that Hephaestus was born of Hera alone as Hera's revenge for Zeus' solo birth of Athena. Dionysus God of wine and merrymaking As the ancient Greek poet Isiodos is narrating the beginning of everything was Chaos from which came the Earth, the Night and Erebus, the deep darkness which characterizes the depth of the Earth and the Oceans.

The Earth gave birth to the Sky because she didn't want to be left alone so he stood above her. The Earth was the woman and the Sky was the man and from this couple many children were born. Pontos and the Ocean were the first having been born and while the ancient Greeks thought of the ocean as a big river circling the earth, Pontos symbolized the sea. Other children of the Earth and Sky were the Sun, Iapetos, Rea, Themis, Mnimosini and the Cyclopes. The first Cyclops was named Vronti, thunder, and the others were Steropis and Argis. They were both huge with only one eye on the forehead, fierce in appearance and very powerful. Three monsters were also born from Earth and Sky, the Ekatocheires, meaning creatures who had a hundred arms each and fifty heads. They were very powerful and gigantic and their names were Kottos, Vriareos and Giis. The last son of the earth was Kronos.

The Sky named his children Titans and he was a cruel and heartless father and since he was afraid that one of his sons would take his place he imprisoned one by one in a place called Tartara, meaning inside the depths of the earth where there was only darkness. When he finished with the imprisonment of every child he was rest assured that no one would take his place. He didn't pay attention to the Earth who was suffering for the fate of her children caused by their father and had started hating the Sky at the same time that she decided to revenge in order to free her children. Then, she gave birth to a grey metal which was unknown at the time and with that she created a huge reaping hook and informed her children that if they wanted to be free they should hit their father with this weapon. The only one who wasn't afraid to do it was Kronos, the smallest child. When the night covered the Earth and the Sky came down to hug her Kronos hit him hard. A part of his father's body was cut and from then on he never tried to come down to earth again and Kronos became the ruler.

The cut part of Sky's body fell in the sea near the island of Kithira, the blood became white sea froth and covered it and then the waves led it far away near Cyprus. From the sea froth covering the part of the Sky the most beautiful woman of all made her appearance, the goddess named Aphrodite.

Question: In Greek myth who is the god of darkness?
Answer: Erebus