Cy Twombly, “Leda and the Swan,” 1962, oil, graphite and wax crayon on canvas(© Cy Twombly Foundation / © The Museum of Modern Art, licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, New York)
Immortality is what makes a god a god. Launching a thunderbolt is an attention-getter, while the transformation of a human projection into an animal avatar can be disconcerting. Feeding a multitude with just five loaves and two measly fishes — now that’s impressive.
But immortality seals the deal. Globally, assorted gods have patrolled assorted underworlds for millennia, with death as their gloomy guard duty. But, with rare exception, gods themselves don’t die. That makes them different from you and me.
