Historiae Romanorum

Chaos

Chaos, which translates to chasm or gaping void, was said by Hesiod to be the origin of the universe.  Later authors expand upon the idea of chaos.  According to Ovid, chaos was not nothingness as its name suggests, but instead a swirling mass, which lacked any order.  It is from this later concept of chaos that our modern word emerged.  From chaos, Erebus, Nyx, Eros, Tartarus and Gaia were born.  Chaos is one of the few entities/ideas which was not personified in Greek mythology.

Source(s):

1. Hesiod.  Theogeny.
2. Ovid.  Metamorphoses.

This page was last updated on July 21, 2004.