Deimos and Phobos The Gods Of Fear

The god of fear has many faces. He can be the person who is afraid of the dark, the unknown and anything else that scares them.

Deimos, or Terror as he is also known, is a god who embodies this feeling. He is the god of fear, the one who instills paranoia in others and makes them think that someone is watching them all the time.

Much like how humans are scared of things they can’t understand, Deimos also fears nothing. In ancient Greek mythology, he was one of the Twin Gods born from their mother - Theia - and father - Ouranus.

The other twin was called Phobos or Panic. They were two halves of a whole, just like any person has a positive and negative side to them.

Their names literally mean ‘fear’ and ‘panic’ respectively too!

What’s the Story Behind Deimos and Phobos?

The story behind the birth of Deimos and Phobos goes something like this. You see, Ouranus, the father of the gods, had two children with the goddess

Theia. The first child was Phorcus and the second was Ouranos, the father of the gods. While Phorcus was a son who was born from the union of Ouranos and Theia, Deimos was the son of Ouranos and Theia who was born from the same union.

The only problem was that Deimos was born out of his mother’s genitals whereas Phorcus was born from his father’s. This led to a lot of rivalry between the two gods.

Deimos: Fearful God of Terror

Much like his brother, Deimos is also a god of terror. So, how does one end up as a god of fear?

The origin of this god is from the ancient Greek word ‘deimos’ which means ‘fear’. So, Deimos is a god of terror who embodies the feeling of fear. People who are scared of things they can’t understand are often referred to as ‘fearful’.

To make this clearer, we can also say that he is the god of paranoia. He is the one who instills paranoia in others and makes them think that someone is watching them all the time.

Now that we have a better idea about Deimos, it’s nearly time to find out what the ancient Greeks thought about this god.

Phobos: Panic God of Fear

Like his brother, Phobos is also a god of fear, but he is much more than that. He is a god of panic and as his name suggests, he is the god of fear due to panic, not from something supernatural.

When you think about it, the feeling of panic is a huge part of our lives. While you can be scared of things that are supernatural, you can also be scared of things that threaten your life, like a plane flying above you and a stranger who may give you a bad look.

From a human perspective, a panic attack can make people think that they are going insane when they are really just not understanding something as it happens.

Deimos’s role in Ancient Greek Mythology

Since Deimos is the god of fear, he is also the keeper of the keys to the Underworld. He is the god who will open the gates of the Underworld to let the souls pass on to the next world. Pretty scary, right?

In ancient Greek mythology, this was a very important role. The Greeks believed that if they did not worship Deimos, the gates of the Underworld would be shut forever and no one would be able to enter it. T

hey believed that if this happened, nothing would be alive in the world anymore.

Phobos’s Role in Greek Mythology

Since Deimos is the god of fear, his sister, Phobos, is the god of panic. Just like her brother, he is also the keeper of the keys to the Underworld.

People believed that if they did not worship Phobos, then they would be in a constant state of panic as they would not be able to understand what is happening to them.

The only difference between Deimos and Phobos was that while Deimos opened the gates of the Underworld and let the souls pass through, his sister Phobos kept the gates closed.

These were the main roles of the twin gods of fear - Deimos and Phobos. They were the gods of the underworld, guardians of the keys to the Underworld, and the gods of fear.

Appearance and Characteristics of Phobos and Deimos

Now that we have known more about the gods of fear, it’s time to find out how they look like and what are the characteristics of these gods. We can say that even though they are twins, but they share very little similarities between them.

One of the main differences between Deimos and Phobos is their appearance. While Deimos is one of the most beautiful gods in the Greek mythology, Phobos is the most dangerous of all gods.

As we have seen, he is the god of fear who instills paranoia in others and makes them think that someone is watching them all the time. In order to make him look like a scary god, he is often depicted with a scythe in his hand.

Deimos has a beautiful bow and arrow unlike Phobos who is depicted with a scythe. People also believe that while they are very beautiful and powerful in their own ways, their skin is pale and transparent.

The Best Part About Deimos and Phobos?

Now that we have talked about the similarities and differences between these two gods, it’s time to find out how these two gods are the best.

We can say that the best part about Deimos and Phobos is that they are the only two gods in the Greek mythology who are born from their mother and father.

Unlike other gods who are born from the union of different gods, Deimos and Phobos are the only two children born from the union of their parents, Ouranos and Theia. If you ask anyone in the world, they will tell you that they are the most beautiful and powerful gods in the Greek mythology.

Conclusion

When it comes to the gods, the Greeks have always been the masters. Deimos and Phobos are some of the most terrifying and beautiful gods in the Greek mythology.

They are the only twins in the Greek mythology who are born from their mother and father, Ouranos and Theia. Apart from their frightening nature, they are also very beautiful.

From their appearance, they are the only two gods who are born from their parents and are very powerful. These are the best things about these gods.