Hemera

Hemera is the personification of day in Greek mythology. The name derives from the Ancient Greek word hēméra, meaning day or daytime.

Her parentage appears differently across ancient sources. In many accounts, Hemera is described as the daughter (or related offspring) of Nyx (Night) and Erebus (Darkness); other traditions treat her as a primordial deity or as a daughter of Night alone. This variation reflects the fluid catalog of personifications in Greek myth rather than a single established lineage.

Hemera’s primary role is to bring daylight and oversee the daylight portion of the 24-hour cycle. With her arrival, darkness recedes and the world becomes visible, enabling daily activity and the passage of time. In some depictions, she moves across the sky in a chariot or by other personified means, emphasizing the orderly progression from night to day. She is often presented in relation to Nyx, forming the cosmic pair that stands for day and night within the broader Greek worldview.

In literature, Hemera is a relatively minor figure, invoked mainly as a symbol of day rather than the subject of elaborate myths. She appears in early Greek poetry and later theological or cosmological discussions that describe the structure of the world. Her influence is primarily as a manifestation of the day rather than as a narrative character.