Thanatos

The Deathly Enforcer of Hades

### Titles

God of Peaceful Death, Lieutenant of Hades, Reaper of Souls, Son of Nyx and Erebos, Protogenos of Death

## Profile

### Race

Second Generation Primordial Deity, Reaper (Archreaper)

### Personify

Death, Mortality , Afterlife, Peaceful Demise

### Occupation

Right-Hand Enforcer of Hades, Original Ruler of Hades

### Affiliations

Hades (Master), Tartarus, Hades, Children of Nyx, Doors of Death

## Relationships

### Siblings

Apate, Aether, Hemera, Hypnos, the Keres, Moros, the Moirai, Dolos, Nemesis, Oizys, Momus, Philotes, Eris, Geras, Other Siblings

### Other Relationships

Hades (Master), Persephone (Mistress), Zagreus (Friend), Ares (Friend), Death (Mentor), Reapers (Fellow Workers)

## Other

### Status

Alive

**Thanatos** is the Second Generation Primordial God and Personification of Death and Mortality in Greek mythology.

## Overview

He is the daemonic god of death in Ancient Greek mythology; daemonic here is used with its classical meaning, which refers to benevolent or benign nature spirits. He is commonly known as a harbinger of peaceful death, bringing the eternal sleep of death to the world while more violent gods were responsible for harsher death. He did not play a major part in Greek mythology and rarely appeared in any stories, as he was mostly displaced by Hades, the god of the Underworld.

Thanatos (Greek: θάνατος, Death) was the son of the primordials Nyx (the Night) and Erebus (the Darkness) and is elder twin brother of Hypnos (God of Sleep). His other siblings Moros (God of Doom), Eris (Goddess of Discord), Charon (the Ferryman of Souls), Hemera (Goddess of Day), Oizys (Goddess of Misery) and the Moirai. Thanatos' nephew is the Lord of Dreams Morpheus, son of Hypnos, and it is said that Thanatos once offered Morpheus his daemonic wings. He is a harbinger of suffering and grief, and his coming was marked by pain.

Later during the Roman Era, he was treated with far more respect as many realized that death is necessary in the human world.

## Appearance

Thanatos is perceived as a fearsome, sword-wielding, shaggy bearded specter and fierce of countenance.

In another appearance, Thanatos is lean and muscular, with a regal face, honey gold eyes, and black hair flowing down his shoulders. His skin is the color of teakwood, and his dark wings glimmer in shades of blue, black, and purple.

## Personality

Characterized as indiscriminate and merciless, Thanatos is detested and feared by most gods and humans so he hates many of them in return, all too happy to bring mortals to their fated end. However, he may seem to resent his job, prompting others to ask if he even wanted to be free. However, he could occasionally be outwitted, a feat that the sly King Sisyphus of Corinth twice accomplished.

Thanatos explains to them that death isn't fair, but it is his duty to stop souls from returning. Like Hades, he has a dark sense of humor as once he is free and doesn't seem to care about returning favors. However, he could occasionally be outwitted.

Thanatos is fiercely loyal to his master Hades and has a good relationship with Ares, since the god of war doesn't enjoy bloodshed without death. He is in love with Macaria, the daughter of Hades and Persephone, but he cannot be with her because of his work.

## Powers and Abilities

As as a Second Generation Primordial deity, Thanatos is a powerful and important god, as he is able to keep track of all souls in the Greek underworld. This way he keeps the balance between the living and the dead, and stops the world from falling into chaos. He is far more powerful than all Olympians (Excluding the elder six) and Titans (Excluding Cronus and Rhea) combined.

## History

Thanatos was born to the primordial gods Nyx and Erebus. His twin is Hypnos, god of sleep. After Hades took control of the Underworld, Thanatos became his lieutenant.

### Tricked by Sisyphus

When it came time for King Sisyphus of Korinth to die, Zeus ordered Thanatos to chain Sisyphus up in Tartarus. Sisyphus cheated death by tricking Thanatos into his own shackles, thereby preventing the demise of any mortal while Thanatos was so enchained.

Eventually Ares, the bloodthirsty god of war, grew frustrated with the battles he incited, since neither side could suffer any casualties. He released Thanatos and handed his captor over to the god. Sisyphus would evade Death a second time by convincing Persephone to allow him to return to his wife stating that she never gave him a proper funeral. This time, Sisyphus was forcefully dragged back to the Underworld by Hermes, where he was sentenced to an eternity of frustration in Tartarus, rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down when he got close to the top.

After being freed, Thanatos decided to turn invisible when he recollected souls and the mortal king was condemned to the Fields of Punishment.

### Denial by Heracles

The sole time he was successfully prevented from claiming a mortal life was by the intervention of the hero Heracles, a son of Zeus. Thanatos had come to take the soul of Alkestis, who had offered her life in exchange for the continued life of her husband, King Admetos of Pherai. Heracles was an honored guest in the House of Admetos at the time, and offered to repay the king's hospitality by contending with Death itself for Alkestis' life.

When Thanatos ascended from Hades to claim Alkestis, Heracles sprung upon the god and overpowered him, winning the right to have Alkestis remain, while Thanatos fled, cheated of his quarry.

## Myths and Legends

In later eras, Thanatos is portrayed again as an angel of death, associated more with a gentle passing than a woeful demise, guiding mortals after their death. Many Roman sarcophagi depict him as a winged boy, very much akin to Eros. His Roman counterpart is Mors, who was known through his later gentler depiction.

His depiction as carrying a scythe is similar to many folklores' description of the Grim Reaper; a hooded skeleton who carries a scythe to 'mow down' the dead. This implies Thanatos may have inspired these legends. Some also compared him to the Angel of Death due to his big black wings.

## Quotes

* *"There is no fairness in Death. If you free me, I will do my duty."* - Thanatos.

* *"The god of death in Greek mythology, also known as the Grim Reaper. He is the son of the night goddess Nyx, and the twin brother of the sleep god Hypnos. When it's somebody's time to die, Thanatos first dedicates their life to Hades, king of the Underworld, by cutting their hair with his blade. When he is finished, he takes them.
He is said to walk amongst men, clothed in a black robe and carrying a blade."*

* *"And there the children of dark Night have their dwellings, Sleep and Death, awful gods. The glowing Sun never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he goes up into heaven, nor as he comes down from heaven. And the former of them roams peacefully over the earth and the sea's broad back and is kindly to men; but the other has a heart of iron, and his spirit within him is pitiless as bronze: whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast: and he is hateful even to the deathless gods."* - Hesiod, Theogony.

## Gallery

*Thanatos waiting for another**Thanatos' human form**Thanatos' alternate human form**Thanatos' daemon form**Thanatos disguised as Eros*
## Trivia

* The name Thanatos means 'Death' in Ancient Greek, just as Mors means 'Death' in Latin. The word thanatos is a term for the killing instinct.
* Even if he is described to be the God of Peaceful Death, Thanatos is actually the God of Death itself, as when he is stuck, people stop dying, even if said people die in a violent way.
* As it is thought that gods are capable of dividing his essence to being in different places at same time, Thanatos is very skilled at this as he is described to be the one who goes to reap the souls and acts where and when you "kill" someone.
	+ However, it is possible too that he only is capable of sending his power to wherever he wants.
* Thanatophobia, the fear of death, is named after him.
	+ Thanatology, the scientific study of death, is also named after him. This is the science that human Howard Claymore studies.
* He and his twin brother are referenced in song in the classic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath." The line references sleep and death as brothers.

## Image Sources

* (Thanatos by irenhorrors dc9pwq0-fullview.jpg) Thanatos by IrenHorrors
* (Thanatos kamiyamark.jpg) Thanatos by kamiyamark
* (Thanatos by rami fon verg dcsiwlx-fullview.jpg) Thanatos by Rami-fon-Verg
* (Death Thanatos.jpg) Death by Aegils
* (Thanatos Shirotsuki.png) .Thanatos. by shirotsuki
* (Stay outta my way.jpg) Stay outta my way by Red-Priest-Usada
* (Bonds of Death-2013.jpg) Bonds of Death-2013 by Red-Priest-Usada
* (Riordan Thanatos.png) Thanatos from The Heroes of Olympus
* (Thanatos Devil Summoner Art.png) Thanatos from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
* (Fujina-amami-fujina-t1a.jpg) Temptation of Tanatos by Fujina