Oneiros facts for kids

In Greek mythology, dreams were sometimes seen as living beings! They were called Oneiros (which means "dream" in ancient Greek) or Oneiroi (for "dreams," plural). Imagine dreams having their own personalities!

In the famous story of the Iliad by Homer, the mighty god Zeus actually sent an Oneiros to appear to the hero Agamemnon in a dream. This shows how important dreams were thought to be. Also, in another ancient poem called Theogony by Hesiod, the Oneiroi are described as the sons of Nyx, who was the goddess of Night. They were also brothers of Hypnos, the god of Sleep.

Oneiros was also the name of one of the sons of the famous warrior Achilles and Deidamia of Scyros.

Dreams and Their Family

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that many things, like dreams, could be personified. This means they were given human-like qualities or even seen as gods or spirits.

The Children of Sleep

In Latin poetry, especially by a poet named Ovid, there were figures similar to the Oneiroi. These were called the Somnia, which means "Dreams." Ovid said there were a thousand of them, and they were the sons of Somnus, the Roman god of Sleep.

Ovid even gave names to three special sons of Somnus, each with a different job:

• Morpheus: He was the one who appeared in dreams as people. If you dreamed of a friend or family member, it might have been Morpheus at work!
• Phobetor (also called Icelos by the gods): This dream-spirit would appear as animals or beasts. Imagine dreaming of a lion or a bird – that could be Phobetor!
• Phantasos: He was responsible for dreams where inanimate objects appeared. So, if you dreamed of a house, a tree, or a rock, Phantasos might have been creating that image.

Oneiros, Son of a Hero

Besides being the spirit of dreams, "Oneiros" was also the name of a real person in some Greek myths. He was one of the sons of the great warrior Achilles and Princess Deidamia. His brother was Neoptolemus.

Sadly, Oneiros met a tragic end. He was killed by Orestes, another hero, who didn't recognize him. They were fighting over a place to set up their tents in an area called Phocis.

See also

In Spanish: Oniros para niños