THEORY
GOD RE-ENVISIONED:
THANATOS
By Timothy Tian
T
his time around, we take one of the best early
Tartarus, an underworld prison. Being the sly king
game assassins in the game and imagine him
that he was, Sisyphus managed to cheat his way
into a different form, a mystical Mage. That assassin
out of death. He tricked Thanatos into showing him
is none other than Thanatos, the Hand of Death.
how the chains worked and in the end, Thanatos
Death. It is inevitable and that is fact, yet
ended up chained himself. Throughout this period,
most wish for its non-existence. It waits silently
no human or monster died due to his imprisonment
in the background of lives and when death makes
and for a few days, everyone evaded death.
its decision, it swoops down and gathers those
As the god of
death, Thanatos is
regarded as a being
of great power; able
to bring about the
end of a mortal, it
is no surprise that
many may have tried
to outwit him
fated to be chosen. In Greek mythology, death
makes its appearance in the form of Thanatos,
the daemon personification of death. It is said that
Thanatos originated as an aspect of Hermes, the
Greek counterpart of Mercury. He is mentioned as
merciless, showing resentment towards mortals
and exceptional hatred towards gods, beings
incapable of death. However, in the later periods
of time, Thanatos was seen more as a god of
non-violent death. During this time, he would be
associated with a gentle passing to the afterlife.
As the god of death, Thanatos is regarded as a
“
”
King Sisyphus’s story doesn’t end there. He
went on to push the boundaries of mortal men
being of great power; able to bring about the end of
when he managed to perform a feat no other man
a mortal, it is no surprise that many may have tried
may have achieved: he eluded death a second
to outwit him due to the sheer fear of death, of what
time. In the Underworld, Sisyphus convinced
lies ahead in the afterlife. Man fears the unknown
Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, to allow
and death may be the biggest question of all. What
him to return to his wife. He claimed that he was
would we be after life on Earth? Would there be
never given a proper funeral. After being released,
another life or would it just be the end of everything,
he was again dragged back down by Hermes and
life and memories, forever remaining in darkness?
was finally placed in Tartarus, the abyss used as a
In one of the Grecian myths, a mortal did overcome
dungeon of torment where he would be condemned
death and this particular mortal was known as
to roll a rock up a hill only to have it roll back
Sisyphus, the King of Corinth. After betraying Zeus,
onto him for eternity. Based on these myths, the
Thanatos was ordered by him to chain Sisyphus in
following lore-based Thanatos is constructed:
32 The SMITE Community Magazine Issue #11
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