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Chronos, a MythSource painting
Greek

Chronos

Unaging One · Everlasting One · Father of All

01Identity

Chronos in Greek tradition

Chronos fashioned a silver egg in the cosmic realm of Aither, and Phanes emerged from it as the androgynous first-born bearing the seeds of life. Phanes set the universe in motion, created Nyx and later passed authority to Ouranos. Chronos is a Greek deity of cosmic time, eternity, creation and the generation of the gods, also known as Khronos, Chronus and Ageras.

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Chronos?

    Chronos is a Greek deity associated with cosmic time; eternity and duration; cosmic creation; and the generation of the gods.
    Source

    Source

    • Greek Myths & Tales
    • Hesiod's Theogony
    • Light and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and Religion
    • Greek religion
    • Dictionary of northern mythology

  • What is Chronos the god of?

    Chronos is associated with cosmic time; eternity and duration; cosmic creation; and the generation of the gods.
    Source

    Source

    • Greek Myths & Tales
    • Hesiod's Theogony
    • Light and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and Religion

  • What family links are recorded for Chronos?

    Father: Hydros, 4 children.
02Family

Chronos’s family, at a glance

Hydros
Chronos
AetherAnankeChaosErebos
03The names

The names Chronos answers to

Khronos

The Greek form of the name for personified time

SourceGreek religion

Chronus

The Latinized spelling of Khronos

SourceGreek Myths & Tales

Ageras

The unaging or ageless one

SourceDictionary of northern mythology

04The myths

The myths of Chronos

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Chronos and the Cosmic Egg

Chronos brought forth Aither, Chaos, and Erebos at the beginning of the Orphic creation. In Aither, the bright divine air, he made a silver cosmic egg. This egg was fashioned, rather than born, and held both matter and form. It contained the means of a new creation.

The egg opened, and Phanes emerged as the first-born god, also called Protogonos. He was androgynous and contained the seeds of all life. Another account calls him Eros, and gives him golden wings and four heads. These heads could roar as a bull or lion, hiss as a serpent, or bleat as a ram. Phanes then set the universe in motion.

Phanes created Nyx, Night, as his daughter. He then brought forth the familiar gods, including Gaia and Ouranos. Another account says that he created the earth, sky, sun, and moon. Nyx was also said to live with Phanes in a cave, where she appeared as Night, Order, and Justice. Rhea sat before the cave and beat a brazen drum, directing human attention towards the goddess's oracles. Phanes ruled before the power passed to Ouranos. In a further Orphic account, Zeus later swallowed Phanes, containing the source of being within himself and making the world new.

Chronos and the Cosmic Egg, a MythSource painting of the scene

3 sources· checked 2026-08-18

  1. 1The Greek MythsT1
  2. 2Hesiod, TheogonyT1

    Quote

    “Hesiod’s Theogony begins with Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros, and does not include the Orphic account of Chronos, the cosmic egg or Phanes.”

    Hesiod, Theogony

  3. 3Light and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and ReligionT1

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Chronos, each on that figure’s page.