Thanatos : God of Death in Mythology

Greek mythology always has some absolutely fascinating stories in store for us. And this is especially true when it comes to the afterlife and death! What is the role, symbols and significance of Thanatos in Greek and Roman culture? What is his relationship with the other gods? 💀

Welcome to Rebel Skull ! We are passionate about subjects revolving around the afterlife and death. And it is a matter of course for us to comment on the power of the god of death in an article. And that is what we are going to do today!

Thanatos, in ancient Greek religion and mythology is 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 notably the twin brother of Hypnos (god of sleep).

In this article, we will therefore look together in detail at the stories in which Thanatos appears. His powers, what he looks like, what is his role in mythology, as well as the links he has with other gods and demigods. After reading the following lines, you will be able to describe the role of Death in Greek mythology.

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 Keres, 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 Erebus (father)
• Siblings: Hypnos (twin brother), Moros, Eris and Moirae

Thanatos plays a prominent role in two myths of Greek mythology. Once, when he was sent to fetch Alkestis (Alcestis) from the underworld, he was driven away by Heracles (Hercules) in a fight. On another occasion, he was captured by the criminal Sisyphus, who trapped him in a bag to avoid death.

Physical Description of Thanatos

Thanatos is one of the oldest immortal gods, but he remains perpetually young and ageless in appearance with an androgynous face. He is slim but very toned under his clothes reflecting a strong body. He is relatively tall, standing at six feet tall. He has massive wings which are usually hidden under a dark robe when he is in the Underworld.

He has the ability to change or hide his wings. They also change according to the role he plays when he approaches a soul. The wings can look angelic and gentle when he takes the role of a gentle and comforting death or demonic and draconic when he takes the role of a cold and cruel death. 😈

Thanatos has a pale complexion that sometimes radiates a soft glow. He has dark hair that usually looks darker than it is because of his light complexion. He has dark eyes that give him a piercing look. Thanatos’ lips sometimes take on a blue tint that gives the impression that he is wearing lipstick, it is the actual colour of his lips that indicates how frigid death is.

Attributes of Thanatos

Let’s find out what the attributes of the god of death are in Greek mythology. Although he is a god, he has qualities and faults. Let’s take a closer look.

✅ Qualities: brave, noble, elegant, intelligent, altruistic, generally kind when people are kind to him, respectful, neutral.

❌ Faults: anxious, frigid, workaholic, wants to believe in the innate goodness of everyone.

He is described in Mythology as loving: life, graveyards, people’s souls, singing, animals (especially moths, butterflies and penguins), Halloween, leather and thunderstorms.

This is what he hates: cruelty for cruelty’s sake, stubbornness, cowards, confusion, those who try to buy him off or negotiate a deal with him.

Representation of the Personification of Death

It should be noted that Thanatos was the Greek god of non-violent death. That is, he never sought to do harm. He always made sure to “accompany the souls” rather than take them away in a violent manner as his sisters might do. In some myths, he is also seen as a personified death spirit rather than a god. Thanatos’ touch was gentle, often compared to the touch of Hypnos, who was the god of sleep. 😴

When Thanatos was depicted on vases, he appeared as an old, bearded, winged man. In a few rare cases, he was depicted as a beardless youth. In the Iliad, there is a scene where he often appears with Hypnos to carry away the body of Sarpedon.

In Roman mythology, Thanatos was called Mors or Letum. Roman sculptures depict Thanatos as a young man with an upturned torch in his hand and a butterfly or crown symbolising the soul of a dead person. 🦋

Thanatos and Hypnos often appear together in classical Greek mythology and literature. Their spirits were made to deliver humans from grief and pain through touch. Thanatos was not the same god as Hades, although Hades ruled the underworld, Thanatos was the god who brought peaceful deaths to the underworld.

In the Homeric poems, Thanatos does not appear as a separate deity, although he is described as the brother of the God of Sleep, with whom he carries the body of Sarpedon from the battlefield to the land of the Lycians. In Euripides’ Alcestis, he is illustrated as an austere priest of Hades in dark robes and with the sacrificial sword, with which he cuts the soul of a dying man, and consecrates him to the lower world.

On the whole, the poets describe Thanatos as a sad being. But the best Greek artists, avoiding anything that might harm the image of mythology, abandon the ideas suggested by the poets and depict Death in a more pleasant light. Thanatos therefore remains one of the most famous allegories of death of all time.

History of Thanatos

Thanatos is above all a creature of duty, a tool of destiny. He does not judge or discriminate against a soul he takes, but only prepares to take it to the land of the dead. Thanatos has a few different weapons at his disposal: an amulet that he wears around his neck, a sword, two daggers and a scythe. Although he does not need them to collect souls, the weapons are useful both for ceremonies and when he has to fight or defend himself against those who attack him or when souls escape him. 🗡

The amulet is a gift from his mother Nyx, she gave it to him when he was still a child. The Darkness gave him his sword when he became an adult. The two daggers were gifts from Hades when the Olympian dynasty began and the Stygians came under their rule. The scythe usually remains unused by Thanatos, although it sometimes serves as a key when a door is left closed.

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 and had power over what was created and what already existed. This led to battles and wars.

After all these wars, a new empire was formed that Thanatos had to serve. Since this was the will of Fate, he did not challenge it. Since then, he has claimed those who were condemned, collected their souls on Earth and delivered them to the banks of the Styx where they make their journeys to the afterlife after being judged.

Thanatos and Sarpedon

At the behest of Zeus, Hypnos and Thanatos took the body of Sarpedon from the battlefield to the land of the Lycians. This is the most famous story in Greek mythology linking Thanatos and Sarpedon. 👇

The goddess Hera converses with Zeus about the impending death of her son Sarpedon: ‘But after the soul and years of his life have left him, send Thanatos to carry him away with Hypnos (God of sleep). Until they come with him to the countryside of great Lycia, where his brothers and countrymen shall give him a worthy burial with tomb and headstone.” ⚰️

During the Trojan War, Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death), being twin brothers, deposited him in the rich countryside of Lycia. Under the orders of Zeus, they took the son of Hera to bury him.

Thanatos and Sisyphus

Let us now see what the links are between Thanatos and Sisyphus in Greek and Roman history.

According to the fabulous story, Sisyphus often killed travellers, which violated certain laws that the gods had put in place. He also had children with his niece, robbed his own brothers of the right to the throne and betrayed Zeus… ⚡️ Because of all this, Zeus ordered Thanatos to take up his case. He was deceived by Sisyphus, however, when the latter asked him to show him how the chains worked. Thanatos showed him, and Sisyphus locked him up using the same chains. Days passed, and no human died because of Thanatos’ absence. Ares soon discovered the problem before coming to free the god of death.

Thanatos and Alcestis

Alcestis and Admetus get married. On the night of the wedding, Admetus was drunk and forgot to give his sacrifice to Artemis. She was angry and filled his bed with snakes, killing him. However, Apollo, who was to serve him for a year, intoxicated the Fates and saved him. However, someone now had to take his place…

Because no one else stepped forward, Alcestis, being a loyal and loving woman, stepped forward and sacrificed herself. A few days later, Heracles attended her funeral, and found himself enjoying it. Somewhat angry, he went down to Hades and fought Thanatos. He won, and took Alcestis with him. Thanatos was angered by this, but felt that Heracles had won fairly and so let him live.

Thanatos and other Greek gods

Most of those who live in the underworld have close blood ties to Thanatos, with a few exceptions. Let’s look at this in detail:

• Nyx and Erebus are the parents of Thanatos.
• Hypnos is one of Thanatos’ closest brothers and his twin. In mythology, they are said to have shared a cave for a time. He is the god of sleep.
• Styx is one of Thanatos’ sisters.
• Morpheus is the nephew of Thanatos and leader of the Dreams. Thanatos loves his nephew.
• Moros: The Fate of Darkness. Moros is Thanatos’ brother and they get along relatively well.
• Ares, God of War, freed the god of death when he was captured by Sisyphus.
• When Hermes was young, he was Thanatos’ apprentice and later his lover. Thanatos is very fond of Hermes.
• Zelos, son of Styx and nephew of Thanatos.
• About Apollo and Hercules: Thanatos is angry with the mortals Alcestis and Admetos when Apollo kills them. Hercules’ strength subdued Thanatos and prevented him from taking Alcestis when Apollo intervened to save Admetos from his death and Alcestis was promised to Admetos’ place.

Hypnos and Thanatos

The sleep and death of his half-brother. 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 shore of the Acheron.

Hypnos and Hercules

King Admetus had once been a gracious host to Apollo and Heracles on separate occasions. Apollo had thus convinced the gods that Admetus could avoid death if someone volunteered to die in his place.
When Thanatos came for Admetus on time, the king expected one of his elderly relatives to volunteer, but neither of them did. Admetus’ wife Alcestis volunteered instead. Admetus immediately regretted the arrangement made by Apollo, for he did not want to live without his wife. But Heracles was there to help him. 👊

Heracles (Hercules) entered the mausoleum of Alcestis, and there met Thanatos. This Demigod fought against god, and finally Heracles defeated Thanatos, forcing death to free Alcestis. Thus, Admetus and Alcestis were able to live together for many more years.

The Underworld

Death and the afterlife were important themes in Greek mythology, so it is not surprising that a powerful god, Hades, was given dominion over the underworld and the afterlife itself. Many other Greek gods and goddesses were associated with the afterlife, and this is of course the case with Thanatos.

In the underworld, Sisyphus was at his best and managed to convince Persephone that he had to return to the surface of the world so that he could scold his wife for not burying him properly. And Persephone agreed to this request. Back on the surface, Sisyphus of course had no intention of returning, and a god had to be sent again to retrieve him. But this time, instead of Thanatos, it was Hermes who had this mission, and soon Sisyphus began his eternal punishment…

Go from a Greek god to a Hindu god by discovering the incredible story of Mara. Did you like this article on the gods of death ? Then don’t hesitate to go to another category that only talks about these exceptional beings !