Geras
Sign in to saveIn Greek mythology, Geras () is the god of old age. He was typically depicted as a tiny, shriveled old man. Gēras's opposite was Hebe, the goddess of youth. In Latin, he is referred to as Senectus. He is known primarily from vase depictions that show him with the hero Heracles; the mythic story that inspired these depictions has been lost. Otherwise, Geras has a very limited role in both religion and mythology.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Geras
- Deity.god_of
- Personification of Old age
- Deity.parents
- Nyx alone or Erebus and Nyx
- Deity.abode
- Erebus
- Deity.image
- Pelike Geras Louvre G234.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Geras, detail of an Attic red-figure pelike, c. 480–470 BC, Louvre
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Pelike Geras Louvre G234 n2.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Geras
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~4 min read
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Mythology
- Function
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
In Greek mythology, Geras () is the god of old age. He was typically depicted as a tiny, shriveled old man. Gēras's opposite was Hebe, the goddess of youth. In Latin, he is referred to as Senectus. He is known primarily from vase depictions that show him with the hero Heracles; the mythic story that inspired these depictions has been lost. Otherwise, Geras has a very limited role in both religion and mythology.
== Etymology == The Greek word γῆρας (gĕras) means "old age" or in some other literature "dead skin" or "slough of a snake"; this word is the root of English words such as "geriatric" and "progeria".