Bronze head of Hypnos (or its twin Thanatos) who stand for
Reversible Sleep and Eternal Sleep, c.325 BC - From Civitella
d'Arna, near Perugia - British Museum, London, Great Britain.
Personifications of Hypnos or Thanatos, the sons or nurslings
of Nix (Night) are relatively rare. This head is one of many
versions of the same original.
In Hellenistic poetry Eros is Associated with Hypnos (Sleep
follows Love).
Thanatos is merciful by being invisible, imperceptible and
by rendering the victim oblivious, some of which is also true
of sleep and love.
