Greek mythology has always provided us with extremely captivating tales, and this is particularly true when it comes to the realm of the afterlife and death! What is the role, symbols and significance of Thanatos in Greek and Roman culture? What links does he have with the other gods? 💀
Welcome to our online store! We’re passionate about subjects related to the afterlife and death. So it’s a no-brainer for us to explore the power of the god of death in this article. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do today!
Thanatos, in ancient Greek religion and mythology, embodies the personification of death. He is therefore the god of death. His most famous myth is that of Sisyphus. He is the son of Nyx and Erebus, and the twin brother of Hypnos (god of sleep).
In this article, we’ll look in detail at the stories in which Thanatos appears, his powers, his appearance, his role in mythology, and his relationships with other gods and demigods. After reading the following lines, you’ll know exactly how to describe the role of Death in the history of Greek mythology. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
The God of Death in Greek Mythology
Thanatos was the god or personified spirit (daimon) of non-violent death. His touch was gentle, similar to that of his twin brother, Hypnos (Sleep). Violent death was the domain of Thanatos’ sisters, the Kères, spirits of death and disease. ☠️
- Greek name: Θανατος
- Latin name: Mors
- Roman name: Mors, Letum
- Translation: Death (Thanatos)
- God of: Death
- Associated symbols: Butterfly, poppy, sword and inverted torch
- Weapons: Sword and scythe
- Child: None
- Parents: Nyx (mother) and Érèbe (father)
- Siblings: Hypnos (Twin brother), Moros, Eris and Moirae
Thanatos plays a major role in two stories from Greek mythology. On one occasion, when he was sent to fetch Alkestis (Alcestis) from the underworld, he was fended off by Heracles (Hercules) in battle. Another time, he was captured by the criminal Sisyphus, who trapped him in a sack to escape death.
Physical description of Thanatos
Thanatos is one of the oldest immortal gods, but he always maintains a perpetually youthful and timeless appearance, with an androgynous face. He’s slim but very athletic underneath his clothes, reflecting a strong body. He is relatively tall, standing at 1m80. He possesses massive wings which are usually concealed beneath a dark robe when he is in the Underworld.
He has the ability to modify or conceal his wings, which also change according to the role he plays when approaching a soul. His wings can look angelic and gentle when he takes on the role of a gentle and comforting death, or demonic and draconic when he embodies a cold and cruel death. 😈
Thanatos has a pale complexion that sometimes radiates a soft glow. He has dark hair that often looks darker because of his fair skin. His dark eyes give him a piercing gaze. Thanatos’ lips sometimes take on a blue tint, giving the impression that he’s wearing lipstick, but it’s actually the natural color of his lips that speaks to the coldness of death.
Attributes of Thanatos
Let’s find out what attributes the god of death has in Greek mythology. Despite his divinity, he has qualities and flaws. Let’s take a closer look.
✅ Qualities: courageous, noble, elegant, intelligent, altruistic, generally kind to those who show him kindness, respectful, neutral.
❌ Faults: anxious, cold, hard-working, willing to believe in the innate goodness of every being.
In mythology, he is described as loving life, cemeteries, people’s souls, singing, animals (especially butterflies, poppies and penguins), Halloween, leather and storms.
Here’s what he hates: wanton cruelty, stubbornness, cowardice, confusion, those who try to buy or bargain with him.
Representation of the Personification of Death
It’s worth noting that Thanatos was the Greek god of non-violent deaths, meaning he never sought to do harm. He always strove to “guide souls” rather than violently take them away, unlike his sisters. In some accounts, he is also seen as a personified spirit of death rather than a god. Thanatos’ touch was gentle, often compared to the touch of Hypnos, the god of sleep. 😴
When Thanatos was depicted on vases, he appeared as an old man bearded and winged. In rare cases, he was also depicted as a beardless young man. In the Iliad, there’s a recurring scene where he’s often accompanied by Hypnos to carry off Sarpedon’s body.
In Roman mythology, Thanatos was called Mors or Letum. Roman sculptures depict him as a young man holding an inverted torch in his hand and wearing a butterfly or crown symbolizing the soul of a deceased person. 🦋
Thanatos and Hypnos frequently appear together in classical Greek mythology and literature. Their role was to alleviate the pain and suffering of human beings through touch. Thanatos was not the same god as Hades, although Hades rules the underworld. Thanatos was the god charged with peacefully leading the departed to the realm of the dead.
In the Homeric poems, Thanatos is not presented as a separate deity, although he is described as the brother of the God of Sleep with whom he carries Sarpedon’s body from the battlefield to the land of the Lycians. In Euripides’ play Alcestis, he is portrayed as an austere priest of Hades, dressed in dark robes and holding a sacrificial sword with which he slices the souls of the dying to consecrate them to the underworld.
On the whole, poets describe Thanatos as a melancholy entity. However, the best Greek artists, anxious to preserve the image of mythology, avoided anything that might tarnish his depiction and portrayed him in a more pleasant light. Thus, Thanatos remains one of the most famous allegories of death of all time.
The Story of Thanatos
Thanatos is above all a creature of duty, an instrument of destiny. He neither judges nor discriminates against the souls he collects, but simply prepares to take them to the land of the dead. Thanatos possesses various weapons: an amulet necklace he wears around his neck, a sword, two daggers and a scythe. Although he doesn’t need them to gather souls, these weapons are useful for ceremonial purposes and when he has to fight or defend himself against those who attack him, or when souls escape him. 🗡️
The amulet necklace is a gift from his mother Nyx, given when he was still a child. The Darkness gave him his sword as an adult. The two daggers were given to him by Hades when the Olympian dynasty began and the inhabitants of the Underworld came under their rule. The scythe, meanwhile, generally remains unused by Thanatos, although it can be used as a key when certain doors are locked.
The Powers of the God Thanatos
There was a time when Thanatos was young and served only Fate. Then came a time when other gods desired more power over what was created and already existed. This led to battles and wars.
After all these wars, a new empire was formed, and Thanatos had to serve it. Since this was Fate’s will, he didn’t challenge it. Since then, he has collected the condemned souls on Earth and led them to the banks of the Styx, where they begin their journey to the afterlife after being judged.
Thanatos and Sarpedon
On Zeus’ orders, Hypnos and Thanatos took Sarpedon’s body from the battlefield to the land of the Lycians. This is the most famous story in Greek mythology associating Thanatos and Sarpedon. 👇
The goddess Hera exchanged words with Zeus about the imminent death of her son Sarpedon: “But once his soul and his years of life have left him, send Thanatos to take him away with Hypnos (the God of sleep). Let them accompany him to the countryside of greater Lycia, where his brothers and compatriots will give him a dignified burial, complete with tomb and funerary stele.” ⚰️
During the Trojan War, Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death), as twin brothers, deposited Hera’s son in the rich Lycian countryside. In accordance with Zeus’ orders, they transported him to give him a burial.
Thanatos and Sisyphus
Let’s now discover the links between Thanatos and Sisyphus in Greco-Roman history.
According to the fabulous story, Sisyphus had the habit of often killing travelers, thus violating certain laws established by the gods. He also had children with his niece, stole the throne from his own brothers and betrayed Zeus… ⚡️ Because of all these transgressions, Zeus ordered Thanatos to deal with his case. However, Sisyphus managed to trick Thanatos into showing him how the chains worked. Thanatos obeyed, and Sisyphus locked him up with the same chains. Days went by, and not a single human died in Thanatos’ absence. Ares soon discovered the problem and came to free the god of death.
Thanatos and Alcestis
Alcestis and Admetus are married. On the evening of the wedding, Admetus, drunk, forgot to make the sacrifice to Artemis. In anger, Artemis filled Admetus’ bed with snakes, killing him. However, Apollo, who was to serve Admetus for a year, intoxicated the Moires and saved him. But now someone had to take his place…
Being a loyal and loving woman, Alceste volunteered and sacrificed herself. A few days later, Heracles attended her funeral and decided to intervene. Unhappy with the situation, he descended to the Underworld and fought Thanatos. He won the fight and took Alceste with him. Thanatos was upset, but felt that Heracles had won fairly and so let him live.
Thanatos and the other Greek gods
Most of the inhabitants of the underworld are closely related to Thanatos, with a few exceptions. Let’s take a closer look:
- Nyx and Erebus are Thanatos’ parents.
- Hypnos is one of Thanatos’ closest brothers and his twin. According to mythology, they shared a cave for a time. Hypnos is the god of sleep.
- Styx is one of Thanatos’ sisters.
- Morpheus is Thanatos’ nephew and the leader of the Dreams. Thanatos loves his nephew.
- Moros: the Fate of Darkness. Moros is Thanatos’ brother and they get along relatively well.
- Ares, the god of war, freed the god of death when the latter was captured by Sisyphus.
- When Hermes was young, he was Thanatos’ apprentice and later his lover. Thanatos is very fond of Hermes.
- Zélos, son of Styx and nephew of Thanatos.
- As for Apollo and Hercules: Thanatos is angry with the mortals Alcestis and Admetus when Apollo kills them. Hercules’ strength subdues Thanatos and prevents him from taking Alcestis when Apollo intervenes to save Admetus from death and Alcestis is promised in his place.
Hypnos and Thanatos
Sleep and death, half-brothers. Thanatos had the role of psychopomp in Greek mythology, collecting the spirit of the deceased with his sisters when the Moires had decided that the individual’s life was over. Thanatos would then ensure that the spirit of the deceased mortal was transported safely to the underworld and the shores of Acheron.
Hypnos and Hercules
King Admetus had once been a gracious host to Apollo and Heracles on different occasions. Apollo had convinced the gods that Admetus could escape death if someone volunteered to die in his place.
When Thanatos came for Admetus in due course, the king expected one of his elderly relatives to volunteer, but none did. Instead, Admetus’ wife Alcestis volunteered. Admète immediately regretted his agreement with Apollo, as he didn’t want to live without his wife. Fortunately, Heracles was there to help him. 👊
Heracles (Hercules) entered Alcestis’ mausoleum and met Thanatos. The demigod fought against the god and eventually defeated him, forcing death to free Alceste. Thus, Admetus and Alcestis were able to live together for many more years.
The underworld
Death and the beyond were important themes in Greek mythology, so it’s no surprise that a powerful god, Hades, was charged with ruling over the underworld and the afterlife itself. Many other Greek gods and goddesses were associated with the afterlife, as was Thanatos. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
In the underworld, Sisyphus was at his best and convinced Persephone to allow him to return to the surface of the world to reprimand his wife for not burying him properly. Persephone agreed. Once back on the surface, Sisyphus obviously had no intention of returning, and a god was sent once again to retrieve him. But this time, instead of Thanatos, Hermes was given the mission, and Sisyphus soon began his eternal punishment…
