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{{Short description|Ancient Greek concept}}
{{About||the geologic time|Geologic time scale|the Japanese multinational retail holding company|Aeon (company)|other uses}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2009}}
The word '''aeon''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|ɒ|n}}, also spelled '''eon''' (in [[American English|American]] and [[Australian English]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=aeon |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/features/word/search/aeon/ |access-date=2022-01-28 |website=Macquarie Dictionary}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=eon |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/features/word/search/eon/ |access-date=2022-01-28 |website=Macquarie Dictionary}}</ref>), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of  "ages", "forever", "timeless" or "for [[eternity]]". It is a [[Latin]] transliteration from the [[ancient Greek]] word {{lang|grc|ὁ αἰών}} (''{{Lang|grc-latn|ho aion}}''), from the archaic {{lang|grc|αἰϝών}} (''{{Lang|grc-latn|aiwon}}'') meaning "century". In Greek, it literally refers to the timespan of one hundred years. A [[cognate]] Latin word ''{{lang|la|aevum}}'' or ''{{lang|la|aeuum}}'' (cf. {{lang|grc|αἰϝών}}) for "age" is present in words such as ''longevity'' and ''mediaeval''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Math words page 16 |url=http://www.pballew.net/arithm16.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618055137/http://pballew.net/arithm16.html |archive-date=2010-06-18 |access-date=2006-09-15 |website=pballew.net}}</ref>

Although the term aeon may be used in reference to a period of a billion years (especially in [[geology]], [[cosmology]] and [[astronomy]]), its more common usage is for any long, indefinite period.  Aeon can also refer to the four aeons on the [[geologic time scale]] that make up the Earth's history, the [[Hadean]], [[Archean]], [[Proterozoic]], and the current aeon, [[Phanerozoic]].

==Astronomy and cosmology==
In [[astronomy]], an aeon is defined as a billion years (10<sup>9</sup> years, abbreviated AE).<ref name=Keel>{{cite book |title=Astrophysical Concepts |edition=2nd |author=Martin Harweit |isbn=3-540-96683-8 |year=1991 |publisher=Springer-Verlag}} p. 4.</ref>
 
[[Roger Penrose]] uses the word ''aeon'' to describe the period between successive and cyclic [[Big Bang]]s within the context of [[conformal cyclic cosmology]].<ref>{{cite arXiv |eprint=1011.3706 |author1=Gurzadyan VG |author2=Penrose R |title=Concentric circles in WMAP data may provide evidence of violent pre-Big-Bang activity |date=2010-11-16|class=astro-ph.CO }}</ref>

==Philosophy and mysticism==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2021}}
In [[Buddhism]], an "[[Kalpa (aeon)|aeon]]" or ''{{Lang|sa-latn|mahakalpa}}'' (Sanskrit: {{Lang|sa-deva|महाकल्प|italic=no}}) is often said to be 1,334,240,000 years, the life cycle of the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mahakalpa |url=https://glorian.org/learn/glossary/m/mahakalpa |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=Glorian |language=en-gb}}</ref>

[[Christianity]]'s idea of "[[Eternal life (Christianity)|eternal life]]" comes from the word for life, ''{{Lang|grc-latn|zōḗ}}'' ({{Lang|grc|ζωή|italic=no}}), and a form of ''{{Lang|grc-latn|aión}}'' ({{Lang|grc|αἰών|italic=no}}){{cn|date=June 2022}}, which could mean life in the next aeon, the [[Kingdom of God]], or [[Heaven]], just as much as immortality, as in {{bibleref2|John|3:16}}.{{lopsided|date=June 2022}}

According to Christian [[universal reconciliation|universalism]], the [[Novum Testamentum Graece|Greek New Testament]] scriptures use the word ''{{Lang|grc-latn|aión}}'' ({{Lang|grc|αἰών|italic=no}}) to mean a long period and the word ''{{lang|grc-Latn|aiṓnion}}'' ({{lang|grc|αἰώνιον}}) to mean "during a long period";<ref>{{Cite web |last=1stCor15 |date=2021-07-22 |title=The Constructions of Aión: Koine Greek and Christian Universalism |url=https://www.christianuniversalism.org/post/the-constructions-of-aión-koine-greek-and-christian-universalism |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=Christian Universalism |language=en}}</ref> thus, there was a time before the aeons, and the aeonian period is finite. After each person's mortal life ends, they are judged worthy of aeonian life or aeonian punishment. That is, after the period of the aeons, all punishment will cease and death is overcome and then God becomes the all in each one ({{bibleref2|1Cor|15:28|NKJV}}). This contrasts with the conventional Christian belief in eternal life and eternal punishment.

[[Occult]]ists of the [[Thelema]] and [[Ordo Templi Orientis]] (English: "Order of the Temple of the East") traditions sometimes speak of a "[[Aeon (Thelema)|magical Aeon]]" that may last for perhaps as little as 2,000 years.<ref>{{Cite book |last=DuQuette |first=Lon Milo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-07yFC31j6wC&pg=PA15 |title=The magick of Aleister Crowley : a handbook of the rituals of Thelema |date=2003 |publisher=Weiser Books |isbn=1-57863-299-4 |location=Boston, MA |pages=15 |oclc=52621460}}</ref>

===Gnosticism===
{{Main|Aeon (Gnosticism)}}

In many [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] systems, the various [[emanationism|emanations]] of [[God]], who is also known by such names as the ''One'', the [[Monad (Gnosticism)|''Monad'']], ''Aion teleos'' ("The Broadest Aeon", Greek: {{lang|grc|αἰών τέλεος}}), ''Bythos'' ("depth or profundity", Greek: {{lang|grc|βυθός}}), ''Proarkhe'' ("before the beginning", Greek: {{lang|grc|προαρχή}}), ''{{lang|grc-Latn|Arkhe}}'' ("the beginning", Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀρχή}}), ''{{lang|grc-Latn|Sophia}}'' ("wisdom"), and ''{{lang|grc-Latn|Christos}}'' ("the Anointed One"), are called ''Aeons''. In the different systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism.

In the [[Basilidian]] Gnosis they are called sonships ({{lang|grc|υἱότητες}} ''{{lang|grc-Latn|huiotetes}}''; singular: {{lang|grc|υἱότης}} ''{{lang|grc-Latn|huiotes}}''); according to [[Marcosians|Marcus]], they are numbers and sounds; in [[Valentinianism]] they form male/female pairs called "{{lang|grc-Latn|syzygies}}" (Greek {{lang|grc|συζυγίαι}}, from {{lang|grc|σύζυγοι}} ''{{lang|grc-Latn|syzygoi}}'').

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|eon}}
* [[Aion (deity)]]
* {{anl|Century}}
* [[Kalpa (aeon)]]
* {{anl|Millennium}}
* [[Saeculum]] – comparable Latin concept
* {{slink|Young's Literal Translation#Eternity or age}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:New Testament Greek words and phrases]]
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Units of time]]
[[Category:Gnosticism]]