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The Latin word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, means "age," "forever," or "for eternity". It is derived from the koine Greek word αίών (aion), which at one point meant "age," "a period of existence" or "life". It has a similar meaning to the Sanskrit word kalpa.

In geology, the word eon quantitatively refers to a period of time of around 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) years. However, geologists refer to the period in which animals evolved into abundance as the Phanerozoic Eon, which has only lasted 545 million years, to the present day.

Greek root

Although a proposal was made in 1957 to define an aeon to be a unit of time equal to one billion years (1 Ga), the idea was not approved as a unit of scientific measure and is seldom used for a specific period of time. Its more common usage is for any long, indefinite, period of time. The origin is from the Greek root "aion" for "age" or "life force." A similar Latin word "aevum" for age is still present in words such as longevity and medieval. [1]

See eon.

In philosophy and mysticism

Occultists sometimes speak of a "magical Aeon" that may last for far less time, perhaps as little as 2,000 years. See Thelema.

Plato used the word aeon to denote the eternal world of ideas, which he conceived was "behind" the perceived world, as demonstrated in his famous allegory of the cave.

In Gnosticism

In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aion teleos (The Perfect Aeon), Bythos (Depth or profundity, Greek Βυθός), Proarkhe (Before the Beginning, Greek πρόαρχή), the Arkhe (The Beginning, Greek ή αρχή), are called aeons. This first being is also an æon and has an inner being within itself, known as Ennoea (Thought), Charis (Grace), or Sige (Greek Σιγη, Silence). The split perfect being conceives the second aeon, Caen (Power), within itself. Along with the male Caen comes the female æon Akhana (Truth, Love).

Aeons bear a number of similarities to Judaeo-Christian angels, including their roles as servants and emanations of God, and their existence as beings of light. In fact, certain Gnostic Angels, such as Armozel, also happen to be Aeons[2].

The aeons often came in male/female pairs called syzygies, and were frequently numerous (20-30). Two of the most commonly listed æons were Jesus and Sophia. The aeons constitute the pleroma, the "region of light." The lowest regions of the pleroma are closest to the darkness — that is, the physical world.

When an æon named Sophia emanates without her partner aeon, the result is the Demiurge, or half-creator (Occasionally referred to as Ialdaboth in Gnostic texts), a creature that should never have come into existence. This creature does not belong to the pleroma, and the One emanates two savior æons, Christ and the Holy Spirit, to save humanity from the Demiurge. Christ then took the form of the human Jesus, in order to be able to teach humanity how to achieve gnosis; that is, return to the pleroma.

The Gospel of Judas, recently found and then purchased/held by the National Geographic Society, and translated, also mentions the aeons and speaks of Jesus' teachings of them. The Lost Gospel - online feature from National Geographic, including Coptic text, English translation, and photos

Valentinus

According to Tertullian's Against the Valentinians (Latin: Adversus Valentinianos), chapter VII and VIII (and we only know the details of this system from its opponents), the Gnostic Valentinius had 30 different aeons that emanate each other in sequence. The first eight of these aeons (corresponding to generations one through four below) is referred to as the Ogdoad.

First generation:
- Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

Second generation:
- Caen (Power) and Akhana (Love)

Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
- Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth)

Fourth generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:
- Sermo (the Word) and Vita (the Life)

Fifth generation, emanated from Sermo and Vita:
- Anthropos (Homo, Humanity) and Ecclesia (Church)

Sixth generation:
- Emanated from Sermo and Vita:
  - Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)
  - Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union)
  - Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure)
  - Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)
  - Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)
- Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
  - Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith)
  - Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope)
  - Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love)
  - Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence)
  - Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness)
  - Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom)

Ptolemy and Colorbasus

According to St. Irenaeus Against heresies (Latin: Adversus Haereses) also known as The Detection and Overthrow of Falsely So-Called Gnosis book 1, chapter 12, the followers of the Gnostics Ptolemy and Colorbasus had aeons that differ from those of Valentinius. Logos is created when Anthropos learns to speak. The first four are called the Tetrad and the eight are called the Ogdoad.

First generation:
- Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

Second generation (conceived by the One):
- Caen (Power) and Akhana (Love)

Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
- Ennoae (Thought) and Thelesis (Will)

Fourth generation, emanated from Ennoae and Thelesis:
- Nous (or Monogenes) and Aletheia

Fifth generation, emanated from Nouse and Aletheia:
- Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

Sixth generation, emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
- Logos and Zoe

Seventh generation:
- Emanated from Logos and Zoe:
  - Bythius and Mixis
  - Ageratos and Henosis
  - Autophyes and Hedone
  - Acinetos and Syncrasis
  - Monogenes and Macaria
- Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
  - Paracletus and Pistis
  - Patricos and Elpis
  - Metricos and Agape
  - Ainos and Synesis
  - Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes
  - Theletos and Sophia

The order of Anthropos and Ecclesia versus Logos and Zoe are somewhat debated; different sources give different accounts. Logos and Zoe are unique to this system as compared to the previous and may be an evolved version of the first, totalling 34 æons, but it is not clear if the first two were actually regarded æons.

In popular culture

In the episode "Future's End" of the television series Star Trek: Voyager, a Federation Timeship from the 29th century name U.S.S Aeon is sent back in time to prevent Voyager from being involved in a massive temporal explosion in the 29th century that destroys much of the solar system.

Eon, a novel by Greg Bear, depicts a connection between 21st Century Earth and a far future civilisation.

The Sword of Aeons is the most powerful weapon is the computer role-playing game Fable.

A Magic:The Gathering sorcery is called Walk the Aeons.

The PlayStation 2 video game Final Fantasy X featured magical creatures called aeons, which the player could summon in battle using the character Yuna.

The Aeon are one of the three unique races featured in the real-time strategy game Supreme Commander.

Italian Metal band Lacuna Coil has a song entitled "Aeon".

British post-punk band Killing Joke has a song entitled "Aeon".

Norwegian death metal band Zyklon (band) have an album titled "Aeon", in which there is a song called "Psyklon Aeon".

Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir have a song titled "The Promised Future Aeons."

Swedish blackened death metal band Dissection (band) has a song called "Starless Aeon".

Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth has a song called Before the Æons Came in their album Demigod. The lyrics of the songs in it have high Thelemic influences.

A song from Norwegian metal band Sirenia (band) is entitled "Manic Aeon".

Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus (band) uses the word twice in the lyrics of their album La Masquerade Infernale, first in the song "The Chaos Path" ("Ah, this wraith I am! / So many aeons ago since / I suffer eternally..."), and again in "Of Nails And Sinners" ("For aeons I descended down till I saw the dreaful truth / Of which man wouldn't know...").

Æon Flux is the name of a popular science fiction character, created by Peter Chung.

In Titan Quest, Aeon is the name of a legendary necklace.

Aeon (band) is a brutal-death metal band.

Altered Aeon is a thrash/death metal band.

Aeon Noctis is a black metal band.

Nokia has a mobile phone prototype called the Aeon.

Italian/German melodic black metal band Graveworm have a song called "Aeons of Desolation".

They Might Be Giants song Particle Man describes Universe Man who has "a watch with a minute hand, a millennium hand, and an eon hand"

Team Aeon is the name of a famous DotA and CS team based in MBSSKL. Currently their roster consists of Magez, B3n, Xaviuz, Motokasaki, and Takero. Xaviuz is also a respected WC3 melee player. Motokasaki and Magez are CS players with near-immaculate records. B3n is a sponsored FIFA player while Takero is a NFS speed demon.

Aeon Spoke is a progressive rock band.

External links

Tertullian's account against the Valentinians is the source text for much of what we know about the Æons.
Corresponding text in original Latin
Irenaeus: Against heresies
Math Words - an alphebetical index

@@ Line 116: / Line 116: @@
 *Italian Metal band [[Lacuna Coil]] has a song entitled "Aeon".
+*British [[post-punk]] band [[Killing Joke]] has a song entitled "Aeon".
 *Norwegian [[death metal]] band [[Zyklon (band)]] have an album titled "Aeon", in which there is a song called "Psyklon Aeon".