Research Paper On Thanatos

Thanatos the God of Non-Violent Death Thanatos has been made into the stereotypical figure of violent and painful death. In reality, Thanatos is the infamous God of non-violent death. “Thanatos was portrayed as a youngster with an inverted torch in one hand and a wreath or butterfly in the other” (Encyclopedia Mythica). “On a sculpted column in the Temple of Artemis at Ephese (4th century BCE) Thanatos is shown with two large wings and a sword attached to his girdle” (Encyclopedia Mythica). Since Thanatos is the personification of non-violent death, he worked most often with the god of sleep, who just so happened to be his godly twin brother Hypnos. “Violent death was the domain of Thanatos' blood-craving sisters, the Keres, spirits of slaughter and disease” (Greek God of Death). Here’s the family tree in all its
Thanatos and the body of Sarpedon, this is just one of them and the story goes like this. “On the orders of Zeus, Hypnos and Thanatos carried off the body of Sarpedon from the battlefield to the country of the Lycians”(Greek God of Death). “[Hera speaks to Zeus about the approaching death of his son Sarpedon:] ‘But after the soul and the years of his life have left him [Sarpedon], then send Thanatos (Death) to carry him away, and Hypnos (Sleep), who is painless, until they come with him to the countryside of broad Lykia (Lycia) where his brothers and countrymen shall give him due burial with tomb and gravestone”(Greek God of Death). “Then [Apollon] gave him [Sarpedon] into the charge of swift messengers to carry him, of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), who are twin brothers, and these two presently laid him down within the rich countryside of broad Lykia”(Greek God of Death). “But the highest god [Zeus], mighty with his thunderbolt, sent Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death) from snowy Olympos to the fearless fighter Sarpedon [to carry off his body for burial]”(Greek God of