Geras, detail of an Attic red-figure pelike, ca. 480 BC–470 BC,
Louvre
In Greek mythology, Geras (Greek: Γῆρας, Gễras) was the god of old age.[1] It was considered a virtue whereby the more gēras a man acquired, the more kleos (fame) and arete (excellence and courage) he was considered to have. According to Hesiod, Gēras was a son of Nyx.[2] Hyginus adds that his father was Erebus.[3] He was depicted as a tiny shriveled-up old man. Gēras's opposite was Hebe, the goddess of youth. His Roman equivalent was Senectus. He is known primarily from vase depictions that show him with the hero Heracles; the mythic story that inspired these depictions has been entirely lost.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The distinct word Γέρας, Gĕras means plunder or prize.
- ^ Hesiod. Theogony, 225.
- ^ Hyginus, Preface.
