Thanatos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thanatos
Roman equivalent	Mors

Thanatos is the god of death in Greek mythology. He is often seen as the spirit or personification of death itself. Thanatos is the son of Nyx, the goddess of night, and Erebus, the god of darkness. He is also the twin brother of Hypnos, the god of sleep.

Thanatos usually represents a peaceful death. He is not the god of violent or painful death. Those roles belonged to his sisters, the Keres.

Who is Thanatos?

Thanatos is a less common figure in Greek myths. He does not appear in many stories. Unlike some other gods, he was not often worshipped. People saw him as a necessary part of life.

Family of Thanatos

Thanatos has a large and interesting family. His mother, Nyx, gave birth to many powerful beings. These include:

• Hypnos (Sleep), his twin brother
• Nemesis (Revenge)
• Eris (Discord)
• The Keres (Spirits of violent death)
• The Oneiroi (Dreams)

His father, Erebus, represents the deep darkness of the underworld.

What Thanatos Looks Like

Thanatos is often shown as a young man. He has large, strong wings. Sometimes, he carries a sword or a torch that is held upside down. The inverted torch symbolizes a life that has gone out.

His symbols also include the poppy flower. Poppies are known for their sleep-inducing qualities. The butterfly is another symbol. It represents the soul leaving the body.

Stories About Thanatos

Thanatos does not have many myths where he is the main character. He usually appears briefly. He is there to take someone's life when their time comes.

Thanatos and Sisyphus

One famous story involves Sisyphus. Sisyphus was a clever but tricky king. He managed to trick Thanatos. When Zeus sent Thanatos to take Sisyphus to the Underworld, Sisyphus tricked Thanatos into putting on his own chains.

With Thanatos chained, no one could die. People suffered greatly. Even wars could not end, as soldiers could not die. Eventually, the god Ares freed Thanatos. Thanatos then took Sisyphus to the Underworld.

Thanatos and Heracles

Another story features the hero Heracles. Heracles had to rescue Alcestis, the wife of King Admetus. Alcestis had offered to die in place of her husband. Thanatos came to take her soul.

Heracles fought Thanatos. He wrestled with the god of death and won. Heracles forced Thanatos to release Alcestis. This allowed her to return to the living world. This shows that even Thanatos could be defeated, at least for a short time.

Thanatos in Roman Mythology

In Roman mythology, Thanatos is known as Mors. Mors is also the personification of death. Like Thanatos, Mors is often shown as a winged figure. He carries an inverted torch or a scythe.

Images for kids

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  Depiction of Thanatos by Mexican artist Mauricio García Vega

See also

In Spanish: Tánatos para niños