Primordial Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology

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href="../Phylos/Atlantes.html">Atlantis</a></li> <li><a href="../Phylos/Hyperborea.html">Hyperborea</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="../Galleries.html">GALLERY</a></li> <li><a href="../Library.html">TEXTS</a></li> </ul> </div>  </div>  </nav> <div id="header-ad"><div class="proper-ad-unit"> <div style="text-align: center; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:10px; height:250px;" id="proper-ad-theoi_leaderboard"> <script> propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('theoi_leaderboard'); }); </script> </div> </div></div> </header> <main class="col-md-8 col-xs-12" id="main"> <section id="directory" name="directory"><a href="../">Greek Mythology</a> >> <a href="greek-gods.html">Greek Gods</a> >> Primordial Gods</section> <h1>PRIMORDIAL GODS</h1>  <p>The primordial gods or "Protogenoi" of Greek mythology were the most basic components of the universe which emerged fully-formed at creation. They included Earth, Air, Sea, Sky, Fresh Water, Underworld, Darkness, Night, Light, Day, Procreation and Time.</p> <div class="row thumbnails-row"> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Ananke.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-anance.jpg" alt="Ananke Goddess of Necessity"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Ananke.html">ANANKE<br> NECESSITY</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Khronos.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-chronus.jpg" alt="Chronos God of Time"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Khronos.html">CHRONOS<br> TIME</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Eros.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-eros2.jpg" alt="Eros God of Procreation"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Eros.html">EROS<br> PROCREATION</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Gaia.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-gaea.jpg" alt="Gaea Goddess of the Earth"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Gaia.html">GAEA<br> EARTH</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Hemera.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-hemera.jpg" alt="Hemera Goddess of the Day"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Hemera.html">HEMERA<br> DAY</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Nyx.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-nyx.jpg" alt="Nyx Goddess of the Night"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Nyx.html">NYX<br> NIGHT</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Titan/TitanOkeanos.html"><img src="../image/greek-titans-oceanus.jpg" alt="Oceanus God of Fresh Water"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Titan/TitanOkeanos.html">OCEANUS<br> WATER</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Ourea.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-ourea.jpg" alt="Ourea Gods of the Mountains | This image is from a Greek relief depicting the mountain-god Helicon lifting his head above the mountain peaks"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Ourea.html">OUREA<br> MOUNTAINS</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Pontos.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-pontus.jpg" alt="Pontus God of the Sea"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Pontos.html">PONTUS<br> SEA</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Titan/TitanisTethys.html"><img src="../image/greek-titans-tethys.jpg" alt="Tethys Goddess of Nursing"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Titan/TitanisTethys.html">TETHYS<br> NURSING</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Thalassa.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-thalassa.jpg" alt="Thalassa Goddess of the Sea"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Thalassa.html">THALASSA<br> SEA</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-4"> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="../Protogenos/Ouranos.html"><img src="../image/greek-gods-uranus.jpg" alt="Uranus God of the Sky | Papyrus depiction of Uranus' Egyptian counterpart Nut"></a> <div class="caption"> <h3><a href="../Protogenos/Ouranos.html">URANUS<br> SKY</a></h3> </div> </div> </div> </div>   <hr> <h2>A COMPLETE LIST OF PRIMORDIAL GODS & GODDESSES (PROTOGENOI)</h2> <figure class="image-main image-main-325"><a href="../Protogenos/Gaia.html"><img src="../image/T1.7BGaia.jpg" class="img-responsive center-block" alt="Gaea the Earth"></a> <figcaption><a href="../Protogenos/Gaia.html">GAEA (EARTH)</a></figcaption> </figure> <p>The first born of the immortals, who formed the very fabric of the universe, were known in Greek mythology as the <em>Protogenoi</em> (<em>protos</em> meaning "first," and <em>genos</em> "born"). They were, for the most part, purely elemental beings - Uranus was the literal sky, Gaea the body of the earth, etc. A few of them were ocassionally described or portrayed in anthropomorphic form, however these forms were inevitably inseperable from their native element. For example Gaea or Thalassa might appear as a woman half risen from the earth or sea.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Aither.html">AETHER</a> (Aither) The Protogenos of the mists of light which fill the upper zones of air. His element lay beneath the arch of heaven's dome, but high above the airs of the mortal realm.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Ananke.html">ANANKE</a> The Protogeonos of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. She was the mate of Chronus (Time) and like him was an incorporeal, serpentine being who twisted circling around the whole of creation.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Khaos.html">CHAOS</a> (Khaos) The Protogenos of the lower air. She filled the gap between the bright mists of the heavenly aither and the floor of the earth. From Chaos were descended the other airs: Erebus (darkness), Nyx (night), Aether (light), Hemera (day); as well as the birds. Only late classical writers describe Khaos as a primeval mixture of the elements.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Khronos.html">CHRONOS</a> (Khronos) The Protogenos of time was the very first being to emerge at creation self-formed. He was a three-headed, incorporeal being with serpentine tail, who circled the whole of creation, entwined with his consort Ananke.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Erebos.html">EREBUS</a> (Erebos) The Protogenos of the mists of darkness. His dark element was sunk into the hollows of the earth, and encircled the dismal realm of the underworld.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Eros.html">EROS</a> The Protegonos of generation. He was known as Phanes or Protogonos, distinguishing him from the younger Eros, Aphrodite's son. He was one of the first beings to emerge at creation, and caused the universe to procreate.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Gaia.html">GAEA</a> (Gaia) The Protogenos of the earth. Mother Earth emerged at the beginning of creation to form the foundation of the universe. Gaea was one of the few Protogenoi to be depicted in anthropomorphic form, however even as such she was shown as a woman partially risen from the ground, inseperable from her native form.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Hemera.html">HEMERA</a> The Protogenos of the day, rose up from the ends of the earth to scatter the dark mists of night, spread across the heavens by her mother Nyx, and reveal to the earth below the bright shining blue of the Aether, her protogenic consort.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Hydros.html">HYDROS</a> The Protogenos of water. Together with the earth he formed the primeval Mud. Hydros was usually equated with the earth-encircling, fresh-water Titan Oceanus.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Nesoi.html">NESOI</a> The Protogenoi of the islands. Their rocky forms were broken from the earth by Poseidon and cast into the sea.</p> <figure class="image-main image-main-400"><a href="../Protogenos/Nyx.html"><img src="../image/N1.3Nyx_sm.jpg" class="img-responsive center-block" alt="Nyx"></a> <figcaption><a href="../Protogenos/Nyx.html">NYX (NIGHT)</a></figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Nyx.html">NYX</a> The Protogenos of night, Nyx drew the dark mists of her consort, Erebus, across the heavens at night, cloaking the bright light of the heavenly aether. Her anthropomorphic form was of a woman clothed in star-spangled mantle.</p> <p><a href="../Titan/TitanOkeanos.html">OCEANUS</a> (Okeanos) The Protogenos of the great earth-encircling, fresh-water river Oceanus. From his flow every river, spring and rain-bearing cloud was sprung. His anthropomorphic form was that of a horned man with the tail of a serpentine fish in place of legs.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Ourea.html">OUREA</a> The Protogenoi of the mountains. Their rocky forms were born of Gaea the Earth.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Phanes.html">PHANES</a> The Protogenos of generation, the creator-god. He was sprung from a silver egg, the seed of creation, at the beginning of time, and set the universe in order. Phanes was also named Eros or simply Protogonos (the First Born). According to some Zeus swallowed him whole o gain supremacy over the universe. </p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Phusis.html">PHUSIS</a> The Protogenos of nature. "Mother Nature" was one of the first beings to emerge at creation. She was related to both Gaea and Tethys.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Pontos.html">PONTUS</a> (Pontos) The Protogenos of the sea. He sprung from Gaea the Earth at the beginning of creation, when the elements of the universe were set in their proper order.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Tartaros.html">TARTARUS</a> (Tartaros) The Protogenos of the great stormy pit which lay beneath the roots of the earth. He was the anti-heaven: just as the dome of heaven arched high above the earth, Tartarus arched beneath her. The Titans were imprisoned in his depths.</p> <p><a href="../Titan/TitanisTethys.html">TETHYS</a> The Protogenos of the flow of fresh-water. She was an aspect of all-nourishing Mother Nature. From Tethys and her husband Oceanus the rivers, springs and clouds drew their waters.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Thalassa.html">THALASSA</a> The Protogenos of the sea or sea's surface. She was born of Aether (light) and Hemera (day). Mixing with the deep waters of Pontus (sea) Thalassa spawned the schools of fish.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Thesis.html">THESIS</a> The Protogenos of creation. She was similar to Tethys, Mother Nature's great nurse.</p> <p><a href="../Protogenos/Ouranos.html">URANUS</a> (Ouranos) The Protogenos of the solid dome of heaven, whose form stretched from one horizon to the other. He sprung forth from Gaea the Earth at the beginning of creation. Later his son Cronus, seized and castrated him, as he descended to consort with Mother Earth. </p> <hr> <h2>COSMOGONY OF HESIOD</h2> <p>"Declare to me from the beginning, you Mousai who dwell in the house of Olympos, and tell me which of them first came to be.<br> In truth at first Khaos (Air) came to be, but next wide-bosomed Gaia (Earth), the ever-sure foundation of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympos, 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 (Air) came forth Erebos (Darkness) and black Nyx (Night); but of Nyx (Night) were born Aither (Light) and Hemera (Day), whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebos. And Gaia (Earth) first bore starry Ouranos (Heaven), equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth long Ourea (Mountains), graceful haunts of the goddess Nymphai who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bore also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontos (Sea), without sweet union of love.<br> But afterwards he [Gaia, Earth] lay with Ouranos (Heaven) and bare deep-swirling Okeanos, Koios and Krios and Hyperion and Iapetos, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoibe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Kronos the wily." <em>- Hesiod, Theogony 115</em></p> <hr> <h2>COSMOGONY OF ARISTOPHANES</h2> <p>"At the beginning there was only Khaos (Air), Nyx (Night), dark Erebos (Darkness), and deep Tartaros (Hell's Pit). Ge (Earth), Aer (Air) and Ouranos (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 (Love) with his glittering golden wings, swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest. He mated in deep Tartaros (Hell-Pit) with dark Khaos (Air), winged like himself, and thus hatched forth our race [the birds], which was the first to see the light. That of the Immortals did not exist until Eros had brought together all the ingredients of the world, and from their marriage Ouranos (Heaven), Okeanos (Ocean), Ge (Earth) and the imperishable race of blessed gods (Theoi) sprang into being." <em>- Aristophanes, Birds 685</em></p> <hr>  <div class="ad-banner"> </div> </main> <aside class="col-md-4 col-xs-12" id="sidebar"> <div id="sidebar-top-dynamic"><div class="proper-ad-unit" style="height:600px;"> <div id="proper-ad-theoi_side_1"> <script> propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('theoi_side_1'); }); </script> </div> </div></div> <div style="margin: 10px 0; text-align: center;"></div> <div id="index"> <h2>SEARCH THEOI</h2> <div class="search-box"> <form action="https://www.google.com" id="cse-search-box"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-4620319056007131:6471644432" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="30" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search Theoi.com" /> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&lang=en"></script> </div> <h2>GREEK MYTHOLOGY</h2> <p><a href="encyclopedia-a.html">Gods, Spirits & Monsters A - Z</a></p> <p><a href="greek-gods.html">Gods & Goddesses</a></p> <p><a href="olympian-gods.html">Olympian Gods</a></p> <p><a href="titans.html">Titans & Titanesses</a></p> <p><a href="personifications.html">Daemones (Spirits)</a></p> <p><a href="nymphs.html">Nymphs</a></p> <p><a href="heroes.html">Heroes & Heroines</a></p> <p><a href="bestiary.html">Bestiary</a></p> <p><a href="giants.html">Giants</a></p> <p><a href="fantastic-creatures.html">Legendary Creatures</a></p> <p><a href="fabulous-tribes.html">Legendary Tribes</a></p> <p><a href="../Tree.html">Family Tree of the Gods</a></p> <p><a href="greek-gods-cult.html">Cult of the Gods</a></p> <p><a href="star-myths.html">Star Myths</a></p> <p><a href="../Flora1.html">Plant & Flower Myths</a></p> <p><a href="kingdoms.html">Kingdoms of Myth</a></p> <h2>GALLERIES</h2> <p><a href="../Galleries.html">Gallery Overview</a></p> <p><a href="../gallery-vase-paintings-1.html">Greek Vase Paintings</a></p> <p><a href="../gallery-mosaics-1.html">Greco-Roman Mosaics</a></p> <p><a href="../gallery-frescoes-1.html">Greco-Roman Frescoes</a></p> <p><a href="../gallery-statues-1.html">Greco-Roman Statues</a></p> <h2>LIBRARY</h2> <p><a href="../Library.html">Classical Texts</a></p> <h2>FAQ</h2> <p><a href="../Bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></p> </div> <div id="summary"> <h2>ENCYCLOPEDIA</h2> <p class="a-z"><a href="encyclopedia-a.html">A</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-c.html">B</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-c.html#C">C</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-d.html">D</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-d.html#E">E</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-d.html#F">F</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-d.html#G">G</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-h.html">H</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-h.html#I">I</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-h.html#J">J</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-h.html#K">K</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-l.html">L</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-l.html#M">M</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-l.html#N">N</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-l.html#O">O</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-p.html">P</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html">R</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html#S">S</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html#T">T</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html#U">U</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html#X">X</a> | <a href="encyclopedia-r.html#Z">Z</a></p> <hr>  <table border="1" summary="Primordial Gods & Goddesses" class="summary-table"> <caption> PRIMORDIAL GODS </caption> <tbody> <tr> <th scope="col">GREEK</th> <th scope="col">ROMAN</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Aether</td> <td>Ether</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Ananke</td> <td>Necessitas</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Chaos</td> <td>Chaos</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Chronos</td> <td>Saturn</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Erebus</td> <td>Erebus</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Eros</td> <td>Amor</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Gaea</td> <td>Tellus</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Hemera</td> <td>Dies</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Nyx</td> <td>Nox</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oceanus</td> <td>Oceanus</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Phanes</td> <td>Phanes</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Phusis</td> <td>Natura</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pontus</td> <td>Pontus</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tartarus</td> <td>Tartarus</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tethys</td> <td>Tethys</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Thalassa</td> <td>Mare</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Uranus</td> <td>Caelus *</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>* The Romans preferred the Greek name Uranus over the Latin Caelus for this god.</p>  </div> <div style="margin: 10px 0; 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