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.

Erebus greek god statue