Immortality is the condition of not being subject to death. The ancient pagan view of the gods as “immortal” was one way (along with their invisibility) of distinguishing them from humans; in other respects (such as their moral behaviour), they seemed similar. Humans were mortal, visible, and they died; gods were immortal, invisible, and didn’t.
There were wrinkles in this theory. Homer describes a shadowy underworld in which ex-humans had some kind of existence, but it was neither embodied nor happy. Such beings were like faded old photographs of their former selves.
Read Full Article »