if some of the people are immortal why are they dead today?

Question

greek mythology

Answer 1

Immortality, in Greek concept, was pretty metaphorical, but in a very very good way. Is like Homer said in Iliad and Odyssea: no one can truly live forever, we're all fated to die, but our actions are everlasting, and if you do something so good, so beautiful, so important for everyone you love and wished to protect in life, as your people for Achilles and Hector, or even for something you never knew, if you're smart like Odysseus, if you cheer friendship as the best thing happened in your life like Patrocleus, at the end you will cease to be, but you'll be remembered.

In a fashion, all those famous heroes never died, 'cause they remember them every time we read a book dealing with their adventures, or when we think at the marvelous things the myth says they could do.

Greek gave a lot of important to those type of immortality: they never believed really in Hell or Heaven, in the Odyssea they dismiss them as a limbo of eternal darkness and lose of self, but they badly wanted to be never forget. Is the same thing everyone of us can do, doing good deed everytime. We don't need to save a city, win battle against god or being smarter than everyone else. The most important things is being good, and loved, by our beloved ones, so a piece of us can always live in them, and when they'll remeber you, those little spark of us can pass on, forever tied to their souls.

Answer 2

Some believe that immortality is dependent on Fame; and whereas few wish annihilation for themselves, the rest hope that Fame will make them known by posterity when their life is over, reasoning that to be remembered is the same as to be immortal. Yet Fame, who according to tradition is shut out from Heaven, has never been reported to grant immortality to anyone.
If Fame granted immortality then it could be deduced that the more famous would be more immortal, which cannot be conceived without thinking that there are degrees of immortality just as there are degrees of Fame. But these would be degrees of mortality rather than degrees of immortality since they cannot be immortals-by-degrees who live in the absolute realm of Heaven where there are no such degrees.
The immortals live, theoretically, in another world whether remembered or not on earth. If being remembered is to live, then those who are remembered on earth but are not immortals will perish when forgotten.

Answer 3

Maybe they r hiding from the mortals.
I heard there's away to steal immortality

Answer 4

Their names are immortal, and I think that's enough to be considered an immortal already.

Answer 5

Because their spirit is handed down through the next generation then the next, etc.

Answer 6

silly question, if someone's immortal their still alive

Answer 7

maybe there hiding and if not guess they weren't really immortal

Answer 8

They resurface every now and then. I think Elvis was one of them.

Answer 9

They forgot to pay the bill.