Athanasia
conceptAthanasia was the concept of deathlessness — the fundamental divide between gods (athanatoi, the deathless) and mortals (thnetoi, the dying), which defined Greek cosmology.
The Myth
The Greek gods were defined primarily by one quality: they could not die. Mortals were defined by one quality: they would die. This binary organised all of Greek thought. Heroes existed at the boundary — Heracles and Dionysus crossed from mortal to immortal. Achilles chose death over immortality. Odysseus refused Calypso's offer of athanasia. The desire for immortality (through kleos, children, or mystery initiation) drove most human action in Greek myth.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The name Athanasios/Athanasius means "immortal" — one of the oldest and most enduring Greek names, still common today.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Calypso
godA beautiful nymph who kept Odysseus on her island Ogygia for seven years, offering him immortality...
Dionysus
godGod of wine, ritual madness, and theatrical performance. Dionysus was the only Olympian born of a...
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...
Odysseus
heroThe cleverest of the Greek heroes, whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest...