First there was Chaos in Hesiod’s system, then Gaea and Eros (Earth and Desire). Both concepts occur in the Theogony of Hesiod. Chaos, (Greek: Abyss) in early Greek cosmology, either the primeval emptiness of the universe before things came into being or the abyss of Tartarus, the underworld. Charon’s parents were one of the first beings in existence, born out of Chaos to start the world anew. From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology. His father, Erebus, was the representation of darkness. It is the southernmost historically active volcano. Nyx was a shadowy figure who acted as the goddess of the night. Mount Erebus is the name of a volcano on Ross Island, Antarctica. Charon ferried the souls of the dead across the river Acheron, upon which they entered the land of the dead. It was where the dead had to pass immediately after dying. As a mythological place Įrebus was later depicted as a material region, the lower half of Hades, the underworld. Some accounts attest that Erebus is the father of the Moirai with Nyx as well. He was also the father of Geras (god of old age) according to Hyginus (circa 1 CE). Eventually Nyx and Erebus courted and gave birth to Hemera (goddess of day), Aether (god of sky), Cer (goddess of death), Oneiroi (god of dreams), as well as Hypnos (god of sleep), Thanatos (god of death), Momus (god of criticism), Nemesis (goddess of revenge), the Hesperides (guardians of the golden apples), and Charon, the ferryman. Contents hide A Few of the Most Important Weapons Used in Greek Mythology.

Additionally, Hesoid describes Erebus in his Theogony, and it is referenced in the works of Pindar, Sophocles, and Euripides. In Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, Erebus is seen as the dark Underworld of Hades ruled by the god of death. Chaos' other children were Eros, Tartarus, and Gaia. These weapons have played such a role in Greek myths that their heroes, gods, or enemies are rarely seen or spoken of without them. Erebus has appeared throughout Greek mythology since the dawn of time. Hebrew עֶרֶב ( ˤerev) 'sunset, evening' is sometimes cited as a source, or alternatively it is attributed to a Proto-Indo-European root *h₁regʷ- 'to be dark', however note also related Greek ἐρεμνός ( eremnós) 'darkness' with -m-.Īccording to Hesiod's Theogony, Erebus was born the son of Chaos and darkness itself, without intercourse, and brother to Nyx.

The perceived meaning of Erebus is 'darkness' the first recorded instance of it was 'place of darkness between earth and Hades'.

Greek god erebus