The Underworld

This is the underworld where the rest of the dead would spend eternity, based upon their judgment. According to myth, there were three judges of the dead, Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus, who would sentence the soul upon arrival.

Punishments

Map 1 of the underworld

Hidden deep within the bowels of the earth and ruled by the god Hades and his wife Persephone, the Underworld was the kingdom of the dead in Greek mythology, the sunless place where the souls of those who died went after death.

Watered by the streams of five rivers (Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe).

The Underworld was divided into at least four regions:

1) Tartarus (reserved for the worst transgressors)

2) The Elysian Fields (where only the most excellent of men dwelled)

3) The Fields of Mourning (for those who were hurt by love) and

4) The Asphodel Meadows (for the souls of the majority of ordinary people).

Geography of the Underworld

Much of what we know about how the Ancient Greeks and Romans imagined the Underworld we know from Homer’s “Odyssey” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” However, even these two visions are somewhat conflicting, so, sometimes, we have to resort to assumptions to reconstruct the Greek Underworld in its entirety.

Entrances

According to Homer, the Underworld was located beyond the earth-encircling river of Ocean, at the far western end of the world. However, some other authors inform us that there were quite a few places within the known world one could use as portals to enter the kingdom of the dead:

• A cavern near the ancient town of Tenarus. Situated at the tip of the middle promontory of Peloponnese (known back then as Cape Tanaerum, and called Cape Matapan today), the cave exists to this very day; it was through this cave that Heracles dragged Cerberus out of Hades and Orpheus tried to bring Eurydice back to the world of the living.

• The bottomless Alcyonian Lake at Lerna. Guarded by the fearsome Hydra, the Alcyonian Lake was supposedly used by Dionysus to enter the Underworld and search for his mother Semele; some even say that Hades abducted Persephone in its very vicinity.

• The volcanic Lake Avernus. Located in southern Italy near the city of Naples, Avernus was sometimes used as a synonym for the Underworld in Roman times; it is through a cave found near this lake that Aeneas descends to the Underworld in Virgil’s “Aeneid.”

Rivers

By all accounts, the Underworld was a chill and shadowy place, watered by the streams of five infernal rivers:

• The Styx. Circling the Underworld seven times, Styx was the river of hatred and unbreakable oaths; the gods are often depicted as taking vows by its waters.

• The Acheron. The river of sorrow and pain, black and deep.

• The Cocytus. The river of lamentation and wailing.

• The Phlegethon. The river of fire, possibly leading to the depths of Tartarus.

• The Lethe. The river of oblivion and forgetfulness, out of which the dead souls are obliged to drink so that they can forget their earthly lives in preparation for a possible reincarnation.

Structure

Initially, it seems that the Ancient Greeks believed that all souls, regardless of how exemplary or dishonorable their earthly lives might have been, ended up in the same place after death. And for most of them, the Underworld couldn’t have been a particularly pleasant place: it was rather like living through the same dismal nightmare over and over again, battling for breath in a world inhabited by shadows, barren of hope, ill-lit and desolate. And this is how sometimes the Underworld is described by ancient authors: nothing more than a joyless realm where the dead were supposed to slowly fade into nothingness or, as we learn from Plato’s Myth of Er, prepare themselves for a reincarnation back to earth.

However, this all changed at some stage, and according to later writers, the Underworld was divided into at least four different regions:

• Tartarus. In “The Iliad” Zeus claims that Tartarus is “as far beneath Hades as heaven is above earth” and that it “is the deepest gulf beneath the earth, the gates whereof are of iron and the threshold of bronze.” Originally the dungeon of the rebels against the divine order (the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires during the reign of Cronus, and the Titans once Zeus came to power), Tartarus eventually ended up housing the worst of perpetrators, destined here to eternally endure punishments fitting their earthly crimes. Some of Tartarus’ most famous inhabitants were Sisyphus, Tantalus, Ixion, and Tityos.

• The Fields of Mourning. As we read in the “Aeneid,” the Fields of Mourning are reserved for the souls of those “whom ruthless love did waste away;” here, they “wander in paths unseen, or in the gloom of dark myrtle grove: not even in death have they forgot their griefs of long ago.” Curiously enough, almost all of the fields’ inhabitants mentioned by Virgil are women: Phaedra, Procris, Pasiphae, Evadne, Laodamia, and, of course, Dido.

• The Asphodel Meadows. We don’t know that much about the Asphodel Meadows – it could have been a realm of utter neutrality – but we do know that it is there that Odysseus meets the shade of Achilles in Homer’s “Odyssey.” “Grieve not at all that thou art dead, Achilles,” says Odysseus unto him, pointing out to the great hero that he is blessed to rule mightily among the dead of this region. “If I could choose,” replies Achilles memorably, “I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead.”

• The Elysian Fields. Strangely enough, other authors place Achilles in a wholly different realm of the Underworld called Elysium (or the Isles of the Blessed – if the two are one and the same), where only the most exceptional mortals were privileged with a life free of toils and pains. Ruled by either Rhadamanthus or Cronus (or both), Elysium was a land of eternal sunlight and rosy meadows, inhabited by the likes of Cadmus, Peleus, and Menelaus.

The Journey of a Soul After Death

I Hermes

Upon death, a soul was led by Hermes near the entrance of the Underworld, where a ferry awaited to carry it across either the Acheron or the Styx.

II Charon

This ferry was rowed by Charon, the infernal boatman tasked with taking the souls of the dead to the Underworld proper. Only those who could pay the fare with coins (obols) placed on their eyes or under their tongue when buried, were granted passage; the rest remained trapped between two worlds. (Aeneas was only able to enter the Underworld once his guide, the Cumaean Sybil showed Charon a golden bough, Aeneas’ gift for Persephone.)

III Cerberus

After the boat ride, the souls entered through the gates of the Underworld; the gates were guarded by the multiheaded dog Cerberus, who allowed everyone to enter, but none to leave.

IV The Judges

The souls then appeared before a panel of three judges, Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus, who passed sentence based on the mortals’ deeds during their previous life. Most souls seem to have ended up in the neutral zone, the Asphodel Meadows; for better or for worse, others were singled out for special treatment.

Sources

A whole book of the “Odyssey” – the 11th – is dedicated to Odysseus’ descent into the Underworld; analogously, Virgil devotes the 6th book of the “Aeneid” to Aeneas’ similar journey.

Map 2 of The Underworld

The Underworld, also known as Hades, was hidden deep in the earth and was the kingdom of the dead.

Hades was the location of the afterlife in Greek mythology. It is not to be confused with the god, Hades, its ruler.

Geographically, the Underworld was considered to have been surrounded by five rivers each occupied by a river god or goddess: the River Akheron (river of woe), the River Kokytos (river of lamentation), the River Pyriphlegethon (river of fire), the River Styx (river of unbreakable oath by which the gods took vows and hatred), and the River Lethe (river of forgetfulness). Past the rivers, a diamond gate, guarded by Cerberus, formed the entrance to the kingdom. Deep within the kingdom, lay Hades' vast palace, full with guests.

Upon death, a soul was led by Hermes near the entrance of the underworld, where the ferry awaited to carry it across the Acheron. There was a single ferry run by Charon, the boatman who took the souls across the river. Only those who could pay the fare with coins placed on their lips when buried, were granted passage; the rest were trapped between two worlds. After the boat ride, the souls entered through the gates;Cerberus allowed everyone to enter, but none to leave. The souls then appeared before a panel of three judges, Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus, who passed sentence based on their deeds during their previous life. The souls who were good went to the Elysian Fields, while the others were singled out for special treatment; Sisyphus and Tantalus are two examples of souls that were sentenced to be tormented for eternity.

Taenarum

Taenarum is the entrance to The Underworld, where the dead enter. Before the entrance to Hades live Grief and Anxiety, along with Diseases and Old Age. Also Fear, Hunger, Death, Agony, and Sleep, dwell in this place together with Guilty Joys. On an opposite threshold is War, the Erinyes, and Eris. Close to the doors, many other beasts dwell consisting of Centaurs, Gorgons, the Lernaean Hydra, the Chimera, the Harpies, and others. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be seen where False Dreams cling under every leaf.

The souls that enter the Underworld carry a coin under their tongue to pay Charon to take them across the river. Charon may make exceptions or allowances for those visitors carrying a certain Golden Bough. Otherwise, this Charon is appallingly filthy with eyes like jets of fire, a bush of unkempt beard upon his chin, and a dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. Although Charon embarks now one group now another, some souls he keeps at distance. These are the unburied where they can't be taken across from bank to bank if he had not received burial.

Across the river guarding the gates of the Underworld is Cerberus. There is also an area where the Judges of the Underworld decide where to send the souls of the person where each one is sent to either Elysium, the Fields of Asphodel, or the Fields of Punishment.

Tartarus

Tartarus is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Well-known residents of Tartarus included is Tantalus, Sisyphus, Ixion, the Danaides, and Tityus. It is not considered to be directly a part of the underworld, it is described as being as far beneath the underworld as the earth is beneath the sky. It is so dark that the "night is poured around it in three rows like a collar round the neck, while above it grow the roots of the earth and of the unharvested sea." Tartarus is the place that Zeus cast the Titans along with his father Cronus after defeating them. Homer wrote that Cronus then became the king of Tartarus. While Odysseus does not see them himself, he mentions some of the people within the underworld who are experiencing punishment for their sins.

The Fields of Asphodel

The Asphodel Meadows was a place for ordinary or indifferent souls who did not commit any significant crimes, but who also did not achieve any greatness or recognition that would warrant them being admitted to the Elysian Fields. It was where mortals who did not belong anywhere else in the Underworld were sent.

The Fields of Punishment

The Fields of Punishment was a place for those who had created havoc on the world and committed crimes specifically against the gods. Hades himself would make the individual's punishment of eternal suffering based on their specific crime.

Elysium

Elysium was a place for the especially distinguished. It was ruled over by Rhadamanthus, and the souls that dwell there had an easy afterlife and had no labors. Usually, those who had proximity to the gods were granted admission, rather than those who were especially righteous or had ethical merit. Most accepted to Elysium were demigods or heroes. Heroes such as Cadmus, Peleus, and Achilles also were transported here after their deaths. Normal people who lived righteous and virtuous lives could also gain entrance such as Socrates who proved his worth sufficiently through philosophy.

Hades's Castle

Hades and Persephone live here. Some of his servants may live here.

The Isles of the Blessed

The Isles of the Blessed were islands in the realm of Elysium. When a soul achieved Elysium, they had a choice to either stay in Elysium or to be reborn. If a soul was reborn three times and achieved Elysium all three times, then they were sent to the Isles of the Blessed to be sentenced to eternal paradise.

Rivers

River Akheron

This river flows from Earth into Hades. This is the entrance to Hades, and Charon rides from here to the River Styx. If you were to bathe in this river, you would be cleansed from the sins you have committed on Earth.

River Kokytos

Those who drink from this river have eternal sorrow. It borders Tartarus. Those who are put into Tartarus and the River Phlegethon are to drink from this river.

River Lethe

Those who touch the waters of this River are said to experience complete forgetfulness and amnesia. It flows around the cave which Hypnos lives in. Many souls are required to drink from this River, except for those in Elysium. If one is to be reincarnated, they must drink from it before doing so. It borders Elysium.

River Pyriphlegethon

This river is opposite of the River Styx, and also borders and flows into Tartarus. It is made of flames and blood, despite being a river. This is where all of the wicked souls go after death, who aren't so evil they go to Tartarus.

River Styx

The River Styx is one of five infernal rivers in Hades. It is the River of Hatred. If one were to bath in it, they would be invincible except in any spot that wa not immersed in the river ( Achilles and the Achilles tendon). The gods swear on it when making promises. Kharon escorts dead souls to Hades and assigns them to the area they are to live in for eternity from here.

Others

The river Eridanos was named several times in Greek mythology. The writer Virgil considered it one of the rivers of Hades, but is not often considered among other writers.

The pool of Mnemosyne was sometimes listed as a body of water in Hades. Named after the titaness of memory, it restored all the knowledge forgotten in the Lethe, and in some versions gave its drinker omniscience.