In Greek mythology, Geras was the god of old age. It was considered a virtue whereby the more geras a man acquired, the more kleos (fame) and arete (excellence and courage) he was considered to have. According to Hesiod, Geras was a son of Nyx. Hyginus adds that his father was Erebus. He was depicted as a tiny shriveled-up old man. Geras'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.