AETHER AND HEMERA IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Greek gods and goddess were normally connected with some element of the cosmos, with the deities being used as an explanation for how things worked; and so earth’s water were derived from Oceanus, and the winds came from the Anemoi.
In a similar way, early Greek mythology saw light coming from a god named Aether, and the day was personified in the form of the goddess Hemera.
In a similar way, early Greek mythology saw light coming from a god named Aether, and the day was personified in the form of the goddess Hemera.
Hesiod and the Family Line of Aether and Hemera
Aether and Hemera are what are known as Protogenoi, the first born gods of the Greek pantheon, a time long before the most famous period of the Olympian gods including Zeus.
According to Hesiod, in the Theogony, Aether and Hemera were the son and daughter of Nyx and Erebus, the primordial gods of Night and Darkness. This of course means Aether and Hemera were almost the exact opposite of their parents. |
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Aether and Hemera
Aether was thought of as the early god of light as he was believed to be the god of the blue, upper air that surrounded the planet, the air found just below the dome of the sky god Ouranos. At the time, the Ancient Greeks did not necessarily connect the concept of light with the sun.
Aether, as the upper air, was the air breathed by the gods; below him was the air breathed by man, an air that was connected with the goddess Chaos. There was also a third air, the dark air found underground and the darkest recesses of the earth, and this was Erebus. Hemera was of course the sister of Aether, and was considered to be the first Greek goddess of the Day. Again, there was a separation of roles between light and day. In later Greek mythology, Hemera all but disappears, with her role being taken up by Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn. Parents and children would work closely together, for each evening Nyx and Erebus would depart each evening from Tartarus, and would bring forth the misty darkness of night to the world. Then the next morning, Hemara herself would emerge from Tartarus to clear away the dark mist allowing the light of Aether to envelop the earth once again. |
Aether and Hemera as Parents
Ancient sources tend not to think of Aether and Hemera being parents to any other deities; and certainly Hesiod, in the Theogony, doesn’t ascribe any offspring to the pair. Hyginus though, in the Fabulae does name Aether and Hemera as parents of a primordial sea deity, Thalassa, a Greek goddess of the sea.
Some traditions also have Aether being father to the Nephelae, rain cloud nymphs, but these nymphs are generally considered to be Oceanids, and therefore daughters of Oceanus. |
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Like wise, Aether and Hemera are also occasionally named as parents to Ouranos, but in the Hesiod genealogy of the gods, Ouranos is the son of Gaia.
The Importance of Aether and Hemera Fades
Ultimately, Aether and Hemera played virtually no role in the surviving stories of Greek mythology, and only occasionally was Aether even mentioned. The roles of both primordial deities were replaced by subsequent generations of Greek gods and goddesses.
Firstly, Aether was replaced Theia, the titan goddess of the blue sky and shining light, and then the sun would play a more prominent role, with Hyperion, Helios and Apollo, all being linked with the celestial body.
The role of Hemera was also taken up by a Titan, this time a second generation Titan in the form of Eos, the Greek goddess of the Dawn.
Aether’s name has lived on to a certain degree, being a name once used for the presumed fifth element, as well as being used occasionally to refer to the air and space.
Firstly, Aether was replaced Theia, the titan goddess of the blue sky and shining light, and then the sun would play a more prominent role, with Hyperion, Helios and Apollo, all being linked with the celestial body.
The role of Hemera was also taken up by a Titan, this time a second generation Titan in the form of Eos, the Greek goddess of the Dawn.
Aether’s name has lived on to a certain degree, being a name once used for the presumed fifth element, as well as being used occasionally to refer to the air and space.
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