In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the personification of death. He was regarded as merciless and indiscriminate, hated by and hateful towards mortals and gods alike. According to Sigmund Freud, humans have a life instinct (which he named “Eros”) and a death drive (which is commonly called “Thanatos”). This postulated death drive allegedly compels humans to engage in risky and self-destructive acts that could lead to their own death. Behaviors such as thrill seeking and aggression are viewed as actions which stem from this Thanatos instinct. Thanatophobia is the fear of things associated with or reminiscent of death and mortality, such as corpses or graveyards. Thanatology is the academic and scientific study of death among human beings.