Thanatos is the god of death in mythology. Thanatos - the god of death in mythology What did the god Thanatos personify?

Thanatos is the god who personifies death in the mythology of ancient Greece. Most often he was depicted as a young man in a black cloak with wings behind his back, holding an extinguished torch in his hand, as a symbol of extinct life.

Thanatos in art

A huge part of the works of the masters of ancient Greece was dedicated to myths - these are sculptures, paintings, frescoes, and vessels. In modern culture we can also find works on the theme of myths. In addition, the image of death is very attractive for many artists.

In the image on the left - Eros and Thanatos, Life Instinct and Death Instinct, modern sculpture. On the right is Thanatos, a bas-relief on a marble column in the Temple of Artemis.

Every rich, self-respecting person was obliged to have painted vessels and vases in his home, on which various scenes from mythology and the life of the ancient Greeks were immortalized by craftsmen.

The vessel below depicts the twin brothers Hypnos (left) and Thanatos (right) carrying the warrior Sarpedon from the battlefield. This is exactly how the Greeks imagined Thanatos.

Thanatos in mythology

Thanatos is the son of Nykta (Nyukta, Nyx) and the god of darkness Erebus. Nyx is the goddess of the night, the mother of Thanatos and Ether (eternal light), Hemera (bright day) and Kera (annihilation), as well as Hypnos (sleep), Eris (discord), Apta (deception) and many others.

When the life span allotted to a person by the Moiras ended, Thanatos appeared to the person. This meant inevitable death. True, there are exceptions to every rule, but more on them later. According to legend, the god of death cut off a lock of hair from dying people with his sword to dedicate it to Hades, and then took the souls to the kingdom of the dead.

How Hercules defeated Death

The ancient Greeks believed that the death of a person depended only on Thanatos, that only he was free to decide whether to kill or leave alive. That is, he could very well give someone a second chance at life, or he could be persuaded to do so.

King Admet and his wife Alcesta (Alcestis) were the happiest, most loving and richest people in Thessaly. But then Admet suddenly and very seriously falls ill, cannot move his arms or legs, and falls into unconsciousness. Alceste can only pray to the gods that her beloved husband recovers. She prayed that the death god Thanatos would take his heavy hand away from her husband. It worked.

However, instead of Admet, someone else must go to the kingdom of the dead. And neither parents nor friends dared to accept death for the beautiful Admet. Alceste had to take the blow on herself, and she died.

Admet recovered, but could not find a place for himself, he was always sad and mourned for his wife. At this time, Hercules comes to visit him. At first, Admet pretends as if nothing happened, and then runs out of the hall in tears. Then Hercules learns the sad story of the king from his old servant and decides to save Alceste, challenging Thanatos to a duel. He defeated him without ever touching the body of the god of death, because there was an opinion that one touch to Thanatos takes life. And then he demanded the return of Alcestis. The God of Death had no choice but to agree, otherwise Hercules would have pierced his neck with his sword. Alcestis returned to her husband from the kingdom of the dead. Hercules defeated Death.

Below is a painting by Frederic Leighton on the theme of this myth, but in it Hercules still touches Thanatos.

How Sisyphus tricked Death

Sisyphus is the Corinthian king who cheated death twice. Once, Zeus sent Thanatos to Sisyphus, who was supposed to, as befits the god of death, take the life and soul of Sisyphus. But the cunning ruler of Corinth was not at a loss and deceived the god of death himself with chains - he only asked to explain how to use them.

And the angry Thanatos remained in captivity with Sisyphus for several years. This contributed to the fact that God was unable to fulfill his functions, and people simply became immortal. Even if a person was beheaded, he remained alive. The mortally wounded could not die. I wonder how the gods of Olympus could not have noticed this in a couple of years? Hades was the first to become furious when he finally realized that souls were not coming to his kingdom. And then the gods sent Ares to free poor Thanatos.

Sisyphus was immediately taken to the kingdom of the dead for such an act, but even here he was able to show off his cunning. Before his death, the king asked his wife not to perform funeral rites or make sacrifices. Sisyphus asked the god of death for a three-day reprieve to punish his wife for such an offense, but, as they already guessed, he did not return, and Hermes had to catch him.

And Sisyphus was severely punished by Hades for his actions. This is what the phraseology is about. His task is to roll a huge boulder to the top of the mountain, but every time almost at the very top the stone is torn off, and Sisyphus needs to start all over again. You shouldn't joke with death, right?

Thanatos in psychology

Many philosophers of different times puzzled over what drives human life. The famous psychologist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud also thought about this issue and decided to study it in more detail.

Freud began to consider the primary drives that drive life, concepts such as “life instinct” and “death instinct” - Eros and Thanatos. Freud writes that all human life is built on the basis of these two instincts.

They constantly interact with each other. Thanks to Eros, culture develops, because the instinct of life and love helps people interact with each other and unite into a family, people, and state. The troubles, devastation and horror that the First World War brought testified to human tendencies towards cruelty, aggression and self-destruction, which prompted Freud to think about the “death instinct”.

“The goal of all life is death,” Freud said, Eros and Thanatos are constantly fighting with each other. Whether you agree with this or not is up to you.

A few words about mythology

Greek mythology, like any other, carries a lot of information about the people; some lessons are hidden among the beautiful fairy tales (remember the story of Sisyphus, who played with death?). Myths are easy to remember, because they contain a huge number of simple and understandable images.

Mythology served as an impetus for the development of art; this topic was very popular among creators of different times and peoples. So read, study, watch and think.

THANATOS

THANATOS, Fanatos, Tanat, Fan (Greek Thanatos - death) - 1) the god of death in ancient mythology. According to the widespread ancient Greek mythological version, the god of death T. was the son of Nyukta (Night) and the twin brother of the god of sleep Hypnos. He was usually depicted as a winged youth, with an extinguished torch in his hand (sometimes with wings and a striking sword). For a long time, the cult of T. existed in Sparta. 2) personification of death. 3) personified designation of the death instinct, the death drive, the instinct and drive of aggression and destruction. As a general emblematic designation of death, T. has received various reflections in mythology, art and psychology (mainly in psychoanalysis). In psychology of the 20th century. the formation of ideas about the existence of the forces of death was carried out under the influence of relevant philosophical (Schopenhauer and others) and biological (A. Weissman and others) ideas. The most systematic ideas about the existence of the death instinct and the death drive, the instinct and drive of destruction and aggression were developed by a group of prominent psychoanalysts (E. Weiss, M. Klein, P. Federn, Freud, Spielrein, W. Stekel, A. Sterke and many others .). The idea of ​​T. and the concept itself were introduced into psychoanalysis by the Austrian psychoanalyst W. Stekel. The consolidation and dissemination of the concept of T. and giving it categorical status was largely associated with the work of the Austrian psychoanalyst II. Fe-derna. In Freud's writings, the concept of T. was not used, although, according to E. Jones, Freud repeatedly used it orally to designate the death instinct he postulated (the death drive, destruction and aggression), which is opposed by Eros (the instinct of sexuality, life and self-preservation). In psychoanalysis, the struggle between Eros and T. is interpreted as an active, fundamental and determining basis for human life and mental activity. According to Freud, the death instinct functions on the basis of libido energy. Its outward focus (on people and various objects) appears in the form of aggression or destructive actions (for example, sadism, vandalism, etc.), and its inward focus (on the individual who is its carrier) appears in the forms of masochism and other perversions, self-destruction and suicide. The concept of T. is now actively and very often used not only in psychoanalysis and psychology, but also beyond them. Although the problem of the existence of the instinct (drive) of death (towards death) and the complex of issues associated with it is the subject of scientific debate.

The latest philosophical dictionary. - Minsk: Book House. A. A. Gritsanov. 1999.

Synonyms:

See what "THANATOS" is in other dictionaries:

thanatos- (Fanatos, Tanat, Fan; from the Greek thanatos death) 1) god of death; 2) personification of death; 3) personified designation of the death instinct, the death drive, the instinct and drive for aggression and destruction. As a general symbolic designation... ... Great psychological encyclopedia

Fan (Θάνατος), in Greek mythology the personification of death (Hes. Theog. 211 seq.; Not. P. XIV 231 seq.). Euripides’ tragedy “Alcestis” sets out the myth of how Hercules fought off T. Alcestis. The cunning Sisyphus managed to chain T. and hold him in... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

God of Death Dictionary of Russian synonyms. thanatos noun, number of synonyms: 2 god (375) death (69) ... Synonym dictionary

Thanatos- Thanatos, thanatology (gr. thanatos – olim, Thanatos – olim kudayy) – olim turals ilim. Psychoanalysis kaybir okilderin kozkarasy boyynsha kanagatka (omirge) andausyz umtylumen qatar olimge sanasyz umtyludy (unconscious craving), adam zhuris –… … Philosophy terminerdin sozdigi

- (Tanat Fanat), in Greek mythology, the god is the personification of death, the son of Nikta the Night and the twin brother of the god of sleep Hypnos... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Tanat, Fanat), in Greek mythology, the god is the personification of death, the son of Nikta (see NIKTA) of Night and the twin brother of the god of sleep Hypnos (see HYPNOS) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The mythological personification of death among the ancient Greeks, the god of death, son of the night, brother of sleep. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Thanatos- – 1. Greek God of death; 2. in psychoanalysis – the instinct of death, destruction. It manifests itself as a tendency to suicide, self-harm, refusal of pleasure, etc. The theory of the death instinct has remained virtually undeveloped in psychoanalysis, although it is... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

Hypnos and Thanatos carry Sarpedon away, Hermes watches Thanatos ... Wikipedia

In Greek mythology, the personification of death, the son of Night and brother of Sleep. When Thanatos took Alceste, Hercules forced her back and returned her to her husband Admetus... Collier's Encyclopedia

Death Thanat (Thanatos), son of the goddess of the night Nyukty, lives next to his brother - the god of sleep Hypnos. But Sleep is a friend of mortals, he walks peacefully among them on earth, but the god of Death knows no mercy, he has a cruel, icy heart. He never releases the unfortunate, once captured by him, he is hated even by the immortal gods (Hesiod).

Covered in black robes, he moves among the people, cutting off a lock of hair from the dying and sacrificing it to the god of the kingdom of the dead, Hades; he drinks the blood of sacrifices offered in memory of the dead (Euripides). However, despite the terrible descriptions of the poets, Tanat does not appear in ancient art in such a terrible form as it was given later, in the Middle Ages. He is mostly depicted as a sleeping youth with an overturned torch - this is how he is represented on many sarcophagi. On Greek monuments of art it is often very difficult to distinguish Thanatus from Hypnos, and they are often depicted together. The beautiful statue in the Louvre, known as the Genius of Eternal Rest, may represent one or the other of the brothers.

Sleep and his brother - Death. Depiction of the gods Hypnos and Thanat in a painting by the artist J. W. Waterhouse, 1874

Despite his power, Tanat was defeated, for example, by the robber Sisyphus. Zeus, wanting to punish this wicked man for all his atrocities, sent the god of death to him, but Sisis managed to put Tanat in chains, so that they stopped dying on earth. The gods could not tolerate such a violation of the already established order for long and sent Ares to earth, who defeated Sisyphus and plunged him into hell.

The myth of Admetus and Alcestis indicates that the Greeks believed in the possibility of giving one's life to the god of death in exchange for the life of a loved one.

As soon as someone died in an ancient Greek house, screams and sobs were immediately heard there, and everyone present, raising their hands in the air, struck one another. In Euripides' tragedy Alcestis, the choir sings: “Does anyone inside hear the groans and sobs? Are there blows of hands that must mean it's all over? And then the chorus adds: “I do not see a vessel with cleansing water, which should, according to custom, stand at the door where death reigns; no cut off hair is visible as a sign of mourning and no noise is heard from the blows of hands.” The vessel in question here, usually clay, painted, had to be filled with water, certainly taken from another house: it served to wash the hands of visitors, and this seemed to cleanse everyone who touched the corpse.

Frescoes found in tombs and on tombs depict funeral processions and ceremonies, which necessarily included hired mourners or flute players. The same frescoes depict various vessels and household utensils that are given to the deceased by friends; feasts in honor of the dead were also reproduced. Often, public games were even established in memory of the dead - for example, Nemean games in honor of Archemorus. A vase has survived that depicts these games and the deceased Archemorus.

Ancient peoples did not consider the appearance of tombs and funerary monuments repulsive; on the contrary, they were placed in prominent places, and they served as decoration for cities. In Greece and Italy, ruins of these graves and monuments are found on the most traveled roads. The sculptures or paintings that adorned these monuments mostly depicted the ideas that the people had about another life; the Bacchic masks often found on them were supposed to remind that all human life is a role that everyone must fulfill during their earthly existence. The tragic mask, placed next to the comic one, indicated that a person’s whole life is a mixture of grief and joy. The depiction of battles spoke of the struggle that the deceased had to endure, fighting against good and evil, and good and evil spirits took part in it.

Sometimes the cause of death was depicted with hints - for example, Apollo and Artemis striking children with arrows Niobe, were supposed to represent sudden death; the abduction of Persephone meant that the young girl had become a victim of death too early, and the abduction Ganymede explained the young man's early death.

Many inscriptions on the tombs have been preserved; one of them reads as follows: “The ashes of the lovely Tinos rest in this grave. Cruel parks cut the threads of her life before God Hymen lit his torch for her. All her friends bravely cut off their beautiful hair as a sign of sadness.” Sometimes the tombstone inscription is like advice for the living: “Stranger, Syracusan Orton advises you not to let the winter night take you drunk on the road: this was the cause of my death, and that is why I, instead of resting in my native land, am buried here in foreign country."

The humorous inscription sometimes contains regret that the deceased lived at all: “My name is Dionysius of Tarsus, and I rest here, having lived sixty years. I have never been married and would be grateful to the gods if my father had done the same.”

Thanatos (Tanat, Fan), Greek, Lat. Morta or Morse- the god of death and death itself, the son of the goddess of the night Nikta and the god of eternal darkness Tartarus.

Thanatos had a heart of iron, black wings of ice and a merciless grip: those who fell into his hands could not even dream of mercy or reprieve. Thanatos inspired horror not only in people, but also in the immortal gods. Meanwhile, Thanatos had only executive power, and the day of death was determined by fate (see "Moiras", "Parks"). At a strictly designated time (the registration of planned deaths was always excellent for Thanatos), the god of death tore the soul out of a person, took it to the afterlife and handed it over to the gloomy Hades.

Only twice did Thanatos blunder when dealing with mortals (see the articles “Admetus” and “Sisifus”).

Picture: Frederic Leighton “Hypnos and Thanatos” (Hercules fights Death to save Alcestis).

Ancient artists depicted Thanatos as a young man with black wings and with an extinguished or dying torch; Most often we see him in the company of his brother, the god of sleep Hypnos, for example in a common vase painting plot: “Thanatos and Hypnos carry the body of Sarpedon to Lycia.”

Thanatos, Fan (Q a n a t o z) - the god personification of death, the son of the goddess Nyx (Night), brother of Hypnos (Sleep), the goddesses of fate Moira, Nemesis.

Thanatos has a home in Tartarus (at the end of the world), but usually he is located at the throne of Hades; there is also a version according to which he constantly flies from one dying person’s bed to another, while cutting off a strand of hair from the dying person’s head with a sword and taking his soul.
The god of sleep Hypnos always accompanies Thanatos: very often you can see their images on antique vases, in sculptures and in paintings.

Thanatos was most often depicted as a winged youth with an extinguished torch in his hand (the torch is often turned down, which also indicates the absence of fire, the spark of life. For example, on some provincial coins of Rome minted in Greek cities, it is placed in exactly this composition).

Often depicted as a black or darker boy, a youth next to the white boy Hypnos.

Thanatos has a heart of iron and is hated by many gods. He is the only god who does not like gifts. The cult of Thanatos was significantly represented in Sparta.

Interesting stories point to the struggle of people and supermen with this incarnation of death and those who defeated or deceived him.

One of these stories is described by Euripides in the tragedy "Alcestis", which tells how Hercules fought off Alcestis from Thanatos.

"Hercules fights Death to save Alcestis" Frederic Leighton

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Another story is connected with the Corinthian king Sisyphus. Once he dared to deceive Zeus himself. The angry ruler of Olympus sent Thanatos to Sisyphus so that he would immediately send the blasphemer to the kingdom of Hades. But the cunning Sisyphus managed to deceive even death. He gave Thanatos an honorable meeting. He invited him to a luxurious table, and when the demon of death got pretty drunk, Sisyphus tied him tightly and locked him in the banquet hall. After this, people stopped dying on earth; the sick and mortally wounded suffered in vain. They asked Thanatos to end their suffering. But death did not come to them. (here are the first echoes of the problem of euthanasia) Hades himself wondered why new shadows of the dead had not appeared in his kingdom for so long. He sent to find out where Thanatos had gone. Ares found the demon of death, freed him and immediately gave him Sisyphus.

But this time too, Sisyphus’s cunning and resourcefulness prevailed. He ordered his Pleiad wife Merope not to bury his body either in the ground or in the fire of a funeral pyre, and not to perform any funeral rites. As soon as Sisyphus found himself in the kingdom of Hades, he immediately began to complain about Merope and ask permission to return to earth to punish his wife for negligence. Through flattery, Sisyphus finally persuaded Hades to allow him to return home for three days. But the cunning Corinthian king liked to live under the blue sky, under the warm rays of the sun, much more than to stay in the shadow of the domain of Hades. Hermes himself had to come for Sisyphus and forcibly deliver him to the underworld. Sisyphean labor - the punishment for disobedience to death continues to this day, he drags his ever-rolling stone up an immeasurably high mountain.

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But the greatest pain that was caused by Thanatos was experienced by Apollo, having lost his own son. His name was Asclepius. When he was born, Apollo took him to the mountainous Thessaly and gave him to be raised by the wise centaur Chiron. Chiron knew a lot. He knew the secrets of the movement of stars, and the hidden powers of medicinal herbs, he knew everything about the events of long-past times, and what was hidden behind the veil of the future.

When the time came to choose a subject of study, Asclepius gave preference to the art of healing. Very soon the student surpassed his teacher. There was no disease that Asclepius could not cure. The divine healer refused to help anyone, neither poor nor rich, neither old nor young.

The art of Asclepius was so great that people on earth stopped dying. Then the death demon Thanatos complained to Zeus that Asclepius was disturbing the world order. “If people become immortal,” thought Zeus, “who then will distinguish people from gods?” The lightning of the great king of Olympus flashed with a bright flash and struck Asclepius.