Theta Was the Mark of a Death Sentence
Theta is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet. It once carried a grim meaning on Athenian voting tablets.
Theta is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, written ฮ and ฮธ. It carried a dark association in the ancient world: *theta* was the first letter of *thanatos*, death, and jurors are said to have marked it beside the names of those condemned. Roman writers called it the *theta nigrum*, the black theta, an unlucky sign. In modern use theta marks an angle in geometry and trigonometry, and *theta waves* are a slow brainwave frequency associated with drowsiness.
- A Greek letter. *Theta, ฮธ.*
- An angle symbol. *Angle theta.*
- Theta waves โ a brain rhythm. *Theta waves.*
- Thanatos โ death. *Thanatos.*
- Eighth letter. *Of the Greek alphabet.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | theta | Theta. |
| Capital | ฮ | Theta. |
| Lower case | ฮธ | Angle ฮธ. |
| Greek | thanatos | Death. |
| Position | eighth | Eighth letter. |
- Let theta be the angle.Mathematics.
- Theta waves precede sleep.Neuroscience.
- It stood for thanatos, death.History.
Brainwave frequencies
- Delta โ slowest, deep sleep
- Theta โ drowsiness and light sleep
- Alpha โ relaxed wakefulness with eyes closed
- Beta โ alert, active thinking
- Gamma โ fastest, associated with concentrated attention
Greek *theta*, the eighth letter, from a Phoenician letter name.
Why was theta associated with death?
It is the first letter of thanatos, death, and was reportedly used to mark condemned names on Athenian voting tablets.
What are theta waves?
A slow brainwave frequency of about 4 to 8 hertz, associated with drowsiness, light sleep and some meditative states.