nix she is a deity in Greek mythology known as the personification of night. She was represented as a young woman, dressed in black clothes and having wings. She had a chariot of war and was known to be a powerful goddess. She was feared even by Zeus, who didn't have the heart to challenge her.
She was of little importance within Greek myths and had a secondary role in Greek religiosity. There were no temples in honor of her, although in some Greek temples statues of this goddess were found, and small rituals were performed to her. One of the sources that mention this goddess is Hesiod.
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Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary about Nix
- 2 - Who is Nix in Greek mythology?
- 3 - How was Nyx represented by the Greeks?
- 4 - Who were the sons of Nix?
- 5 - How did Nix come about?
- 6 - Why is it said that Zeus was afraid of Nyx?
- 7 - How was Nix worshiped?
Summary about Nix
Nix was the Greek goddess known as the personification of the night.
She was represented as a young woman, dressed in black and with wings.
She was a feared goddess, and not even Zeus himself had the courage to challenge her.
She was mentioned by Hesiod, but is also found in Orphic myths.
It had a secondary role in Greek religiosity.
The Romans knew her as Nox.
Who is Nix in Greek Mythology?
nix é a goddess who was part of the pantheon present in the religiosity and mythology of the Greeks in antiquity. They considered that this goddess was the personification of the night.According to Greek religiosity, Nix did part of the group of the called primordial gods. These gods were the first to emerge, and their origin is directly related to the creation of the Universe.
The Greeks referred to these gods specifically as protogenes. It was believed that these primordial gods originated the others, being the representatives of the forces of the Universe. Although mentions of Nix suggest that she was a powerful and feared goddess, at the same timewas unimportant, both in mythology and religiosity of the Greeks in antiquity.
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How was Nyx represented by the Greeks?
Nix's depiction demonstrates her as a goddess young, beautiful and wearing black clothes. There are mentions that she would have wings and drive a chariot, that is, a chariot of war. nix resided in Tartarus, the deepest region that existed in the underworld.
Who were the sons of Nix?
In Greek mythology, she was mentioned as the mother of several children, with many of these children being generated with Erebus, god of darkness and darkness. Among the sons of Nyx are:
do you want, known as a spirit of death;
Thanatos, the personification of death;
Hemera, the personification of the day;
Hypnos, the personification of sleep.
Greek myths say that one of her daughters, Hemera, also lived in the underworld. The two, however, were never in Tartarus at the same time, because when Nix, personification of night, arrived, Hemera, personification of day, left Tartarus and vice versa.
See too: Who was the queen of the Greek gods?
How did Nix come about?
Greek myths differ about the possible origin of this goddess. The more traditional version is the in Hesiod, one of the greatest sources of knowledge we have about Greek myths. In his book called theogony, Hesiod mentions that Nyx was the daughter of Chaos, the void that existed before the Universe was created.
Another proposal, in turn, presents a different origin for Nix. According tothe orphic myths, arising through the reports of a Thracian prophet named Orpheus, Nyx was the daughter of Phanes, god responsible for the creation of all things. The cult of Nix is believed to have been relevant when Orphism emerged in Greece.
Why is it said that Zeus was afraid of Nyx?
As mentioned, Nyx was not a popular goddess among the Greeks, so appearances of her are few. One myth well knownO involves Hypnos, Zeus and Nyx. Hypnos, son of Nix, would have done a favor for Hera, wife of Zeus, by making her husband fall into a deep sleep. Hera's request to Hypnos was not well received by Zeus, who was furious with Hypnos.
Zeus then proceeded to pursue Hypnos, seeking to punish him for his action. Hypnos, meanwhile, ran to be protected by his mother. Zeus, realizing what was happening, chose not to continue his pursuit. This myth is understood asa demonstration of Zeus's fear of Nyx.
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How was Nix worshipped?
There were no temples dedicated to Nix, although the Greeks still performed small ritual cults to her. There were statues dedicated to this goddess that were inside religious temples, such as the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.
There was also an oracle that was dedicated to Nyx in Megara, and the Greeks used to performsmall sacrifices in honor of this goddess. Nyx was also present in the religiosity of the ancient Romans, being known by these people as Nox.
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
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