Somewhere, in the dark gloomy realm of the
underworld, there lived an ominous lesser
deity of death, who was second to only hades
himself.
The god and personification of peaceful death,
who, by merely touching a person, made them
die a painless death.
His name was Thanatos, known by the romans,
with the name, Letus, or Letum.
Born from the union of the night, nyx. and
the darkness erebus.
Thanatos was the twin brother of hypnos, the
god of slumber. and also the brother to the
keres (the spirits of violent death).
Geras (god of old age).
Nemesis (goddess of retribution).
Apate (the spirit of deception).
Oizys (goddess of Suffering).
Moros (the spirit of Doom).
momos, the spirit of blame.
and Charon (the ferryman that led the souls
to the Underworld).
Thanatos was the divine representation of
peaceful and painless death.
unlike his sisters, the keres. who represented
violent death.
He would often appear to the old, and the
willing.
granting them an eternal rest from the sufferings
of the world.
Just like his master hades.
Thanatos was unyielding, and indiscriminate.
He was often shown as having huge black wings.
dressed in long black clothes.
and wielding a sword, or a large sickle, and
sometimes, an inverted torch, which represents
an extinguished life.
He ensured that the spirit of a deceased mortal
was safely transported to the bank of the
Acheron river, and the Underworld.
Being a lesser known deity, There are very
few stories and myths about thanatos.
Ancient authors believed that thanatos and
hades were the same god, and there was no
difference between the two.
From the words of these authors.
Thanatos was Hades. and Hades was Thanatos.
