- This article is about the primeval Greek god of time. For the leader of the Titans and father of Zeus, see Cronus.
Chronus (Ancient Greek: Χρονος (Khronos), Latin: Chronos) was the Primordial god of time according to Orphism, which was an ancient belief system that existed in the ancient Greek and the broader Hellenic world.[1] Orphism was a mystery religion which had exclusive membership and who's beliefs often differed from the state-sanctioned Hellenic religion.[2] As such, it appears that Chronus as a distinct god may have been unique to Orphic religion, while in most other cases he was identical to the titan Cronus.[1]
According to the Orphic mysteries, Chronus, as time itself, was typically thought of as bodiless, though he was also thought of as a three headed serpent, with one head being that of a human, one being that of a bull, and the third that of a lion.[1] His consort was Anance (Necessity or Inevitability), who was also often thought of as a primordial serpent.[3]
As being identified with Cronus, Chronus was depicted as "Father Time," a bearded humanoid figure often shown holding the scythe used to castrate Uranus.[1] Being seen as identical with Cronus in popular Greek religion, Chronus was also equated with the Roman god Saturn.[1]
According to the Alcman, the Spartan poet from the 7th century BCE,[4] in his cosmogony (which differs from the cosmogony of Hesiod), Chronus is synonymous with Porus, the daemon of expedience and contrivance.[5]
Additionally, Chronus was often referred to as "Aeon," meaning an "age," as in a long period of time, or "eternity."[1][6]
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| Protogenoi | |
|---|---|
| Hesiodic Theogony | Kháos • Gaîa • Tártaros • Eros • Nyx • Erebus • Ouranós • Ourea • Póntos • Aether • Hemera |
| Orphic Theogony | Hydros • Thesis • Physis • Phanes • Ananke • Chronos |
| Miscellaneous Accounts | Thalassa • Oceanus • Tethys • Thetis • Achlys • Caligo |