Dies
Personification of day
Hemera/Dies (1881) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Personal information
ParentsChaos and Caligo
SiblingsNox, Erebus, and Aether
ConsortAether, Caelus
ChildrenTerra, Caelus, Mare
Equivalents
Greek equivalentHemera

In Roman mythology, Dies /ˈd.z/[1] (Latin diēs "day") was the personification of day. She was the daughter of Chaos and Caligo (Mist), and the counterpart of the Greek goddess Hemera.

Family

According to the Roman mythographer Hyginus, Chaos and Caligo were the parents of Nox (Night), Dies, Erebus (Darkness), and Aether.[2] Cicero says that Aether and Dies were the parents of Caelus (Sky).[3] While, Hyginus says that, in addition to Caelus, Aether and Dies were also the parents of Terra (Earth), and Mare (Sea).[4] Cicero also says that Dies and Caelus were the parents of Mercury, the Roman counterpart of Hermes.[5]

Name

The Latin noun diēs is based on the Proto-Italic accusative singular *dijēm, itself stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *dyeu-, denoting the "diurnal sky" or the "brightness of the day" (in contrast to the darkness of the night).[6][7] The corresponding Proto-Indo-European day god is *Dyeus.

See also

Notes

  1. "dies". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. Hyginus, Fabulae Theogony 1 (Smith and Trzaskoma, p. 95).
  3. Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3.44.
  4. Hyginus, Fabulae Theogony 12 (Smith and Trzaskoma, p. 95).
  5. Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3.56.
  6. de Vaan 2008, p. 170.
  7. West 2007, p. 167.

References

  • The dictionary definition of Dies at Wiktionary
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