Erebus god of darkness biography

Personification of darkness in Greek mythology

For other uses, see Erebus (disambiguation).

In Greek mythology, Erebus (;^[1]Ancient Greek: Ἔρεβος, romanized: Érebos, lit. 'darkness, gloom'),^[2] or Erebos, is the personification of darkness.

In Hesiod's Theogony, he is the offspring of Chaos, and the father of Aether and Hemera (Day) by Nyx (Night); in other Greek cosmogonies, he is the father of Aether, Eros, and Metis, or the first ruler of the gods.

Erebus god of darkness biography

In genealogies given by Roman authors, he begets a large progeny of personifications upon Nox (the Roman equivalent of Nyx), while in an Orphic theogony, he is the offspring of Chronos (Time).

The name "Erebus" is also used to refer either to the darkness of the Underworld, the Underworld itself, or the region through which souls pass to reach Hades, and can sometimes be used as a synonym for Tartarus or Hades.

Etymology

The meaning of the word Érebos (Ἔρεβος) is "