Thanatos

Also known as: Death · Family: Underworld · Role: personified death · First appears: Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 1

Life events

• Alcestis begins dying after offering herself as Admetus’s substitute.(Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 1)
  • With: Alcestis Admetus
  • “who now within the house is borne in their hands, breathing her last; for on this day is it destined for her to die, and to depart from life”
• Heracles makes Death retreat and covers Alcestis after taking her from the tomb.(Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 1)
  • With: Heracles Alcestis
  • “went to her tomb, and having made Death retire, covers the lady with a robe”
• Heracles resolves to seize Thanatos and restore Alcestis to Admetus.(Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 5)
  • With: Heracles Alcestis Admetus
  • “For I must rescue the woman lately dead, Alcestis, and place her again in this house, and perform this service for Admetus.”

Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 1

• enemies with Apollo “Nevertheless, thou wilt stop, though thou art over-fierce, such a man will come to the house of Pheres, whom Eurystheus hath sent after the chariot and its horses, to bring them from the wintry regions of Thrace, who in sooth, being welcomed in the mansions of Admetus, shall take away by force this woman from thee; and there will be no obligation to thee at my hands, but still thou wilt do this, and wilt be hated by me.”
• enemies with Alcestis “This woman then shall descend to the house of Pluto; and I am advancing upon her, that I may begin the rites on her with my sword”
• enemies with Heracles “having made Death retire, covers the lady with a robe”
• enemies with Admetus “Did it not suffice thee to stay the death of Admetus, when thou didst delude the Fates by fraudful artifice?”

Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 5

• with Heracles (Heracles plans to ambush and capture Thanatos so that he releases Alcestis.) “And if having taken him by lying in wait, rushing from my ambush, I shall seize hold of him, and make a circle around him with mine arms, there is not who shall take him away panting as to his sides, until he release me the woman.”
• with Alcestis (Thanatos is holding Alcestis in death.) “And if having taken him by lying in wait, rushing from my ambush, I shall seize hold of him, and make a circle around him with mine arms, there is not who shall take him away panting as to his sides, until he release me the woman.”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.