Geras - Senectus/Geras - Senectus

Geras 

Nella mitologia greca, Geras (in greco antico: Γῆρας, Gễras) era il dio della vecchiaia. Era considerata una virtù perché più gēras un uomo aveva, più kleos (fama) e arete (eccellenza e coraggio) era considerato avere.
Secondo Esiodo, Gēras era figlio di Nix. Igino aggiunge che suo padre era Erebo.
Era raffigurato come un piccolo vecchietto raggrinzito. L'opposto di Gēras era Ebe, la dea della giovinezza. Il suo equivalente romano era Senectus. La sua figura è conosciuta soprattutto grazie alle rappresentazioni sui vasi che lo mostrano con l'eroe Eracle; sfortunatamente, il mito che le ha rappresentate è andato completamente perso.

Senectus

Dio della vecchiaia

Geras, dettaglio di una pelike attica, ca. 480 a.C.-470 a.C., Louvre.

Geras Painter - Jastrow (2006)

Géras fils de Nyx, personnification de la vieillesse, détail d'un pélikè attique à figures rouges, v. 480–470 av. J.-C.

In Greek mythology, Geras /ˈdʒɪərəs/ (Ancient Greek: Γῆρας, translit. Gễras) was the god of old age. It was considered a virtue whereby the more gēras a man acquired, the more kleos (fame) and arete (excellence and courage) he was considered to have. According to Hesiod, Gēras was a son of Nyx. Hyginus adds that his father was Erebus. He was depicted as a tiny shriveled-up old man. Gēras's opposite was Hebe, the goddess of youth. His Roman equivalent was Senectus. He is known primarily from vase depictions that show him with the hero Heracles; the mythic story that inspired these depictions has been entirely lost.
Geras' name is the root of the word "geriatric."^{[citation needed]}

Heracles and Geras, son of Nyx and the personification of old age. Attic red-figure pelike, ca. 480–470 BC.

Geras Painter

 

 Geras god of old age, Athenian red-figure pelike C5th B.C., National Etruscan Museum

^{Heracles and Geras, Athenian red-figure pelike C5th B.C., National Etruscan Museum}

 ^{Roman copy (Hellenistic original 3rd or 2nd century BC). British Museum, London.}

 ^Senectus

 Senectus Dolori / The Four ages of man