In ancient Egyptian mythology, Apophis is the serpent deity that opposes the sun god Ra each night.
Apophis, also called Apep, is a gigantic serpent representing chaos, darkness, and the forces opposed to maat, the Egyptian principle of cosmic order. Each night, Ra’s solar barque travels through the underworld before the sun rises again. Apophis tries to stop or swallow the boat and prevent the renewal of daylight.
Egyptian religious texts describe gods and protective beings defending Ra during this journey. In some accounts, the cat goddess Bastet or the god Set helps repel the serpent. Ritual texts also contain spells intended to weaken, bind, or destroy Apophis symbolically.
Apophis is not usually treated as a creator deity or a ruler of the underworld. He is a recurring cosmic enemy whose defeat must be renewed every night. The spelling Apep comes from the Egyptian name, while Apophis is the Greek form used widely in modern scholarship. This makes him a mythic serpent-dragon of chaos rather than a benevolent Egyptian water deity.