Erebos

Hesiod's poem Theogonia ("On the Origin of the Gods" or also "The Birth of the Gods") describes the origin of Erebus as follows: "In truth at first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundation of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebus ..."

First, then, was Chaos (the abyss, the unstructured abyss, the antithesis and precursor of the cosmos). Then was born the Earth (Gaia) and in it the Underworld Abyss (Tartarus), and then Love (Eros). Next, out of Chaos is born Darkness (Erebos) and Night (Nyx).

With the Dark Night, Nykta (Nyx) gave birth to Aithere (Light) and Hemera (Day). According to legend, Erebos and Nyx were not happy with their children. Therefore, Erebos went to the underworld and never came out again, because that was the only way he might never see his children again. According to another legend, he went to the underworld to support the Titans in their fight against the Olympian gods.

Erebos is the name given to the deepest and darkest part of the underworld, where Hades resides.