Editing Nyx (section)

==== Derveni Theogony ====
In the [[Derveni Theogony]] (4th century BC), an Orphic poem known through the commentary on the work found in the [[Derveni papyrus]],<ref>Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 p. 1].</ref> Night appears to have been the first deity;<ref>Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 p. 37]; Bernabé 2018, p. 350; Brisson 1995, I pp. 399&ndash;400; cf. West, p. 86, who considers Phanes the first deity.</ref> according to Bernabé, she exists eternally before the creation of the cosmos, at a time when the universe sits in a state of "cold and passive darkness".<ref>Bernabé 2018, p. 350.</ref> In a surviving line from the poem, quoted in the Derveni papyrus, she is described as the mother of Uranus:<ref>Bernabé 2018, p. 350; Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 p. 70].</ref>
{{blockquote|Ouranos, son of Night, who was the first to become king<ref>Orphic fr. 10 I Bernabé (I p. 21) [= [[Derveni papyrus]], col. 14.6 (Kouremenos, Parássoglou, and Tsantsanoglou, pp. 133)]. The translation used here is that given by Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 p. 70].</ref>}}
It is unclear, however, whether or not there was a father, and, if there was, what his identity was: Bernabé argues that Night produces him without a partner (though this view has been criticised),<ref>Bernabé and Cristobal, p. 88 argue that the use of the matronymic ''Οὐρανὸς Εὐφρονίδης'' ("son of Night") in reference to Uranus precludes the existence of a father; Almqvist, p. 87, however, is sceptical of this.</ref> while other scholars have suggested that Aether may have been the father,<ref>Betegh, p. 336.</ref> or Phanes.<ref>Almqvist, p. 88.</ref> [[Gábor Betegh]] also adds Gaia as the offspring of Night in the poem, alongside Uranus.<ref>Betegh, p. 336.</ref>

In the poem, Night was called the "immortal nurse of the gods" (as quoted in the Derveni papyrus),<ref>Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 p. 82]; Orphic fr. 6 I Bernabé (I p. 16) [= [[Derveni papyrus]], col. 10.9&ndash;12 (Kouremenos, Parássoglou and Tsantsanoglou, pp. 80&ndash;1)].</ref> and in its narrative she nurtures and gives shelter to the young Zeus.<ref>Betegh, p. 207</ref> Later in the work, after Zeus overthrows his father Cronus and becomes king, he consults Night on how he can consolidate his rule.<ref>Meisner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA68 p. 68].</ref> She is described as she "who knows all the oracles", and delivers a prophecy to him from within her shrine (''adyton''); several reconstructed lines from the work describe this:
{{poem quote|And Zeus [... came to the cave, where]
Night sat, immortal nurse of the gods, knowing all oracles
... to prophesy from the innermost shrine.
She prophesied all that it was permitted him to achieve,
how he would hold the lovely seat in snowy Olympus.<ref>Bernabé 2007, pp. 104&ndash;5; Orphic fr. 6 Bernabé (I pp. 16&ndash;7).</ref>}}
After Zeus receives this prophecy from Night (and one from his father Cronus), he apparently swallows either the phallus of Uranus (or, as other have suggested, the body of Phanes).<ref>Meisner, pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 69], [https://books.google.com/books?id=wgJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA71 71]. Bernabé 2007, pp. 107&ndash;8 and Betegh, p. 121 see it as Uranus's phallus which Zeus swallows, while West, pp. 86&ndash;8 takes it to be the body of Phanes.</ref>

The role which Night plays in the Derveni Theogony has been compared to that which [[Gaia]] plays in Hesiod's ''Theogony''.<ref>Edmonds, pp. 228&ndash;9; Almqvist, p. 87; Betegh, p. 168; West, p. 87; Santamaría, p. 375.</ref> It has pointed out that both are described as the mother of Uranus, and occupy a similar position at the beginning of creation, with Gaia being the second being to exist in the ''Theogony''.<ref>Betegh, p. 168; Almqvist, p. 87. Gaia is described as coming into existence after only [[Chaos (mythology)|Chaos]], and produces Uranus without a father; see [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1:104-138 117], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1:104-138 126&ndash;7].</ref> In addition, following the creation of world, rather than becoming rulers themselves, both deities remain present and occasionally offer guidance and assistance to younger generations.<ref>Edmonds, p. 228&ndash;9.</ref> The prophecy which Night delivers to Zeus, which causes him to swallow Phanes, has been compared to the prophecy Gaia and Uranus report to Zeus in the ''Theogony'', which leads him to swallow his wife [[Metis (mythology)|Metis]].<ref>West, pp. 87&ndash;8; Betegh, p. 146. For the prophecy delivered by Gaia and Uranus, see [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1:886-900 886&ndash;900].</ref> In the ''Theogony'', Zeus is also given to Gaia after his birth, which has been connected to the role Night plays in nurturing the young Zeus in his infancy.<ref>Betegh, p. 146; see also Almqvist, p. 87. For Gaia being given the newborn Zeus, see [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.perseus-eng1:453-491 479].</ref>