| “ | Then Nyx, somehow all by herself, had a daughter named Hemera, who was Day. Those two never got along because they were as different as . . . well, you know. | ” |
–Percy Jackson about Hemera's birth, in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods. | ||
Hemera is the Greek primordial goddess of the day. She is the female counterpart of her brother and consort Aither. Her Roman aspect is Dies.
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods[]
Nyx, her mother.
Hemera (Day) was born from Nyx (Night) through parthenogenesis (by herself). In the evening, her mother drew a veil of darkness between the shining atmosphere of her brother Aither and the lower air of earth (Chaos) bringing night to man. With each morning Hemera dispersed night's mists, bathing the earth again in the shining light of heaven (Aither).
In ancient times, Hemera, her mother (whom she usually fights with), Aither, and the stars were the constant company of Ouranos in the sky. Hemera eventually marries Aither, whom she has a daughter, Thalassa, a primordial goddess of the sea.
Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes[]
Hemera was briefly seen by Phaethon when the latter visits the palace of his father Helios, the Titan of the Sun.
The Heroes of Olympus[]
The House of Hades[]
When confronting Nyx, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase pretended to be tourists, unimpressed by the Primordial of Night. But they added that Hemera might be more interesting. Offended, Nyx snapped that Hemera (Day) was her daughter, so Night was much more impressive than Day.
Appearance[]
In Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, Hemera is described as a beautiful woman in shimmering blue-and-gold robes.
Abilities[]
As she is a daughter of Nyx and one of the Protogenoi, Hemera is extremely powerful.
- Photokinesis: As the Protogenos of day, Hemera has divine authority and absolute control over light and brightness.
- Day Empowerment: Hemera becomes stronger during day or in really bright places.
- Light Generation: She can shoot solid bolts of luminosity, surround enemies in pitch-white clouds of white space, and solidify light into virtually impenetrable shields.
- Light Travel: Hemera is able to travel anywhere she desired at incredible speeds through sunlight.
- Night Vision: Hemera is able to see clearly in even total darkness. However, even she cannot see in the absolute darkness created by the combined might of dozens of other gods.
- Vitakinesis: Hemera is able to heal minor injuries sustained by herself and others using luminosity.
- Luminosity Camouflage: Hemera can use light to become invisible.
- Pyrokinesis: As the Primordial Goddess of Day, Hemera has divine authority and control over fire.
- Circadian Manipulation: Hemera is capable of controlling the movement and rotation of planets, which enables her to change the flow of night and day.
- Control of Diurnal Animals: Hemera is able to control small diurnal animals.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Curiously, Hemera and Aither are the only children of Nyx who are Protogenoi, with the others being feelings or phenomenons, like Thanatos (the Death), Hypnos (the Sleep), etc.
- Hemera was closely identified with Hera, the Queen of Olympus, and Eos, goddess of the dawn.
- Hemera was largely irrelevant in mythology, with her role being wholly subsumed by Eos.
- Pausanias seems to confuse her with Eos when saying that she carried Cephalus away. He makes this identification with Eos upon looking at the tiling of the royal portico in Athens, where the myth of Eos and Kephalos is illustrated.
- Pausanias makes this identification again at Amyklai and at Olympia, upon looking at statues and illustrations where Eos (Hemera) is present.
- Hemera was largely irrelevant in mythology, with her role being wholly subsumed by Eos.
- Hesiod appears to regard Hemera as more of a divine substance rather than anthropomorphic goddess.
- In the ancient cosmogonies, night and day were substances distinct and quite independent from the sun.
- In different myths, Hemera is a daughter of Nyx and Chronos (Time). She is also the mother of Ouranos and Gaea.
- Some myths say that Aither and Hemera are the parents of the Nephelae and other wind nymphs and aereal creatures, like birds etc.
- Her Norse equivalent is Dagr.