Thanatos, in Greek mythology, is the personification of death—not violence or chaos, just the quiet inevitability of dying. He’s the twin brother of Hypnos (Sleep) and a son of Nyx (Night). Where Ares brings slaughter, Thanatos brings stillness.

It is also the root word for the strategy of “playing dead”. This can be a conscious choice, or it can be instinctively chosen. It’s called “thanatosis”. One of the more famous examples is the Virginia Opossum, who will play dead from several minutes to a few hours.

The list of animals that use thanatosis is not fully known. It is certainly in the thousands, from insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals.

Death is widely known, and even copied.