In some versions ofGreek mythology,Ophion (/oʊˈfaɪən/;Ancient Greek:Ὀφίων "serpent";gen.: Ὀφίωνος), also calledOphioneus (Ὀφιονεύς) ruled the world with Eurynome before the two of them were cast down byCronus andRhea.
Pherecydes of Syros'sHeptamychia is the first attested mention of Ophion. In it, at the time of creation, the primordial figureZas ("Life") does battle with Ophion and defeats him, casting him down intoOceanus, theprimordial sea. This parallels theChaoskampf motif found in other mythical traditions, such as the battle betweenMarduk andTiamat in theEnūma Eliš, or betweenBaal andYam/Lotan in theBaal Cycle.
The story was apparently popular inOrphic poetry, of which only fragments survive.
Apollonius of Rhodes in hisArgonautica (1.495f) summarizes a song ofOrpheus:
Lycophron (1191) relates that Zeus' mother, Rhea, is skilled inwrestling, having cast the former queen Eurynome intoTartarus. Ascholium on Lycophron describes Ophion as aTitan.[1]
Nonnus in hisDionysiaca has Hera say (8.158f):
Harmonia here is probably an error in the text forEurynome. Ophion is mentioned again by Nonnus (12.43):
We also have fragments of the writings of the early philosopherPherecydes of Syros (6th centuryB.C.E.), who devised a myth or legend in which powers known as Zas andChronos ("Time") and Chthonie ("Of the Earth") existed from the beginning and in which Chronos creates the universe. Some fragments of this work mention a birth of Ophioneus and a battle of the gods between Cronus (not Chronos) on one side and Ophioneus and his children on the other in which an agreement is made that whoever pushes the other side intoOgenos will lose, and the winner will hold heaven.
Eusebius of Caesarea in hisPraeparatio Evangelica (1.10) citesPhilo of Byblos as declaring that Pherecydes took Ophion and the Ophionidae from the Phoenicians.