In some versions of Greek mythology, Ophion, also called Ophioneus ruled the world with Eurynome before the two of them were cast down by Cronus and Rhea.
Mythology
's Heptamychia is the first attested mention of Ophion. The story was apparently popular in Orphic poetry, of which only fragments survive. Apollonius of Rhodes in his Argonautica summarizes a song of Orpheus: Lycophron relates that Zeus' mother, Rhea, is skilled in wrestling, having cast the former queen Eurynome into Tartarus. Nonnus in his Dionysiaca has Hera say : Harmonia here is probably an error in the text for Eurynome. Ophion is mentioned again by Nonnus : We also have fragments of the writings of the early philosopher Pherecydes of Syros, who devised a myth or legend in which powers known as Zas and Chronos and Chthonie 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 on one side and Ophioneus and his children on the other in which an agreement is made that whoever pushes the other side into Ogenos will lose and the winner will hold heaven. Eusebius of Caesarea in his Praeparatio Evangelica cites Philo of Byblos as declaring that Pherecydes took Ophion and the Ophionidae from the Phoenicians.
Interpretations
, in his 1955 book The Greek Myths, imaginatively reconstructs a Pelasgian creation myth involving Ophion as a serpent created by a supreme goddess called Eurynome dancing on the waves. She is fertilized by the serpent and in the form of a dovelays an eggon the waters about which Ophion entwines until it hatches and the world issues forth. Then Ophion and Eurynome dwell on Mount Olympus until Ophion boasts that he made the world alone. Eurynome, as punishment, kicked out his teeth and banished him to the underworld. From Ophion's teeth sprang Pelasgus who taught man all the arts and crafts. This particular interpretation shares many similarities with some Gnostic traditions, with the Demiurge, often represented in the form of a serpent, claiming to have created the world alone despite the assistance of others - often Sophia, who is associated with doves through the Holy Spirit.
