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Phanes: Greek Primordial Deity

Phanes was a primordial deity introduced in Greek mythology by the Orphic tradition. He was considered the first-born deity of procreation and generation, emerging from a cosmic egg entwined with a serpent. Phanes was believed to have been hatched from the World-Egg of Chronos and Ananke, and created daytime while his wife Nyx created nighttime. He established the method of creation through mingling and passed authority to other gods before it went to Zeus.

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430 views2 pages

Phanes: Greek Primordial Deity

Phanes was a primordial deity introduced in Greek mythology by the Orphic tradition. He was considered the first-born deity of procreation and generation, emerging from a cosmic egg entwined with a serpent. Phanes was believed to have been hatched from the World-Egg of Chronos and Ananke, and created daytime while his wife Nyx created nighttime. He established the method of creation through mingling and passed authority to other gods before it went to Zeus.

Uploaded by

Mathieu RB
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Phanes (mythology)

Phanes (mythology)
Greek deities series
Titans and Olympians Aquatic deities Chthonic deities Personified concepts Other deities Primordial deities

Aether Chaos Erebus Eros Gaia

Hemera Nyx Phanes Pontus Tartarus Thalassa Uranus

Ananke Chronos

Phanes (Ancient Greek: , from , phain, "I bring to light"), or Protogonos (Greek: , "First-born"), was the mystic primeval deity of procreation and the generation of new life, who was introduced into Greek mythology by the Orphic tradition; other names for this Classical Greek Orphic concept included Ericapaeus ( or "power") and Metis ("thought"). In these myths Phanes is often equated with Eros and Mithras and has been depicted as a deity emerging from a cosmic egg, entwined with a serpent. He had a helmet and had broad, golden wings. Many threads of earlier myths are apparent in the new tradition. Phanes was believed to have been hatched from the World-Egg of Chronos (Time) and Ananke (Necessity). His older wife Nyx (Night) called him Protogenus. As she created nighttime, he created daytime. He also created the method of creation by mingling. He was made the ruler of the deities and passed the sceptre to Nyx. This new Orphic tradition states that Nyx later gave the sceptre to her son Uranos before it passed to Cronus and then to Zeus, who retained it. It is also believed that by his centuries-old battle with Chaos, the creation of birds took place as the result. The "Protogonos Theogony" is known through the commentary in the Derveni papyrus and references in Empedocles and Pindar.

External links
Protogonus (Phanes) [1] Theoi Project: Phanes [2] Suda entry [3] Phanes coins [4]

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] http:/ / timelessmyths. com/ classical/ primeval. html#Protogonus http:/ / theoi. com/ Protogenos/ Phanes. html http:/ / www. stoa. org/ sol-entries/ phi/ 72 http:/ / www. coinlink. com/ News/ ancients/ first-money-in-human-history-worth-200000-euros/

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors


Phanes (mythology) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=497739514 Contributors: 83d40m, Atlantas, Brothas, Calabraxthis, Captain panda, Catalographer, Chelone, Chronicler, Cloak3000, Cynwolfe, Davidiad, Deucalionite, Eequor, FinnWiki, Goldenrowley, ICE77, Imagine1989, JJ23SB, Languagehat, Lord Metatron, Lowellian, Magioladitis, Metodicar, Moofus, Nev1, NicM, Omnipaedista, Paul August, Paxsimius, Peterdx, Piano non troppo, Protomoney, Sevenstones, The Anome, Veledan, Waacstats, Xjk, 23 anonymous edits

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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