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Thanatos
The Greek personification of death who dwells in the lower world. In the Iliad
he appears as the twin brother of Hypnos ("sleep"). Both brothers had little to
no meaning in the cults. Hesiod makes these two spirits the sons of Nyx, but
mentions no father.
Thanatos was portrayed as a youngster with a inversed torch in one hand and
a wreath or butterfly in the other. He appears, with Hypnos, several times on
Attican funerary vases, so-called lekythen. 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.
Thanatos is also
linked to Artemis as her executioner. Though there
are some who say this Thanatos is different from
the Greek god. It is believed that her executioner
is a former Daimon, but no one other than Artemis
knows for sure.
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