The Story of Nyx
Nyx was the goddess of night, one of the first beings to emerge at the dawn of creation. Hesiod says she was born from Chaos, together with her brother Erebus, the darkness. She was a shadowy and powerful goddess, wrapped in a dark cloak and often shown with dark wings.
With Erebus, Nyx became the mother of Aether, the bright upper air, and Hemera, the day. It seemed fitting to the Greeks that night and darkness should give birth to light. On her own, Nyx brought forth a great many other children, forces that shape the lives of every mortal.
Among them were Hypnos, Sleep, and Thanatos, Death, as well as Moros, doom, and the Keres, spirits of violent death. She was also the mother of Nemesis, the goddess of retribution, Eris, the goddess of strife, and in Hesiod's account the Fates. Even the Hesperides, the nymphs of the golden apples, were called her daughters.
Hesiod describes the house of Nyx at the edge of the world, near the gates of Tartarus. Nyx and her daughter Hemera take turns crossing the sky, greeting each other at the great bronze threshold as one goes out and the other comes home. Nyx carries Sleep in her arms when she leaves, and the two goddesses are never in the house at the same time.
Even Zeus feared Nyx. In the Iliad, Hypnos tells how he once put Zeus to sleep so that Hera could stir up trouble for Heracles. When Zeus woke, he hunted Hypnos across the heavens in a rage, but Hypnos fled to his mother, and Zeus backed off rather than offend the goddess of night.
In Orphic tradition, Nyx held an even greater place. Some Orphic poems made her the ruler of the world after Phanes, and a wise oracle who gave advice to Zeus himself. She was said to speak her prophecies from a cave at the edge of the world.
Nyx had few temples, but she was honored in shrines and oracles, and a statue of her stood in the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The Greeks saw her as a deeply ancient and respected power, older than Zeus and beyond his control. The Romans called her Nox.
Famous Myths About Nyx
Even Zeus Feared Her
In the Iliad, Zeus once chased Hypnos across the heavens in a rage. Hypnos fled to his mother Nyx for protection, and Zeus backed off rather than offend the goddess of night.
The House of Night
Hesiod describes the house of Nyx at the edge of the world, where she and her daughter Hemera greet each other as they pass. Nyx carries Sleep in her arms when she goes out, and the two are never in the house at the same time.
Nyx's Family Tree
Parents of Nyx
Husband of Nyx
Children of Nyx
Frequently Asked Questions About Nyx
Who is Nyx in Greek mythology?
Nyx is the primordial goddess of the night, a powerful and mysterious figure respected even by the other gods.
Who are Nyx's parents?
Nyx was born from Chaos at the beginning of creation.
Who are Nyx's children?
Nyx was the mother of many powerful beings, including Aether and Hemera with Erebus, and on her own Hypnos, Thanatos, Nemesis, Eris and the Fates.
Was Zeus afraid of Nyx?
In the Iliad, Zeus is about to punish Hypnos but holds back because he does not want to anger Nyx, which shows how much even he respected her.
What is Nyx's Roman name?
The Romans called Nyx Nox.
