The Underworld Hades is the lord of the

The Underworld

Hades is the lord of the Underworld. His Roman names are Pluto, or Dis. He carries with him the bident, a two-pronged spear. With him here is pictured Cerberus, the three-headed dog who keeps the living out of the Underworld.

The queen of the Underworld is Persephone. Her Roman name is Proserpina. She holds in her hand a pomegranate.

Hades abducted Persephone and taken her to the Underworld to be his queen. Having eaten seeds of a pomegranate, she is required to stay in the Underworld for half the year, during which time her mother, Demeter, goddess of the harvest, because of grief stops making crops grow. This is reason for Fall and Winter. Here is a famous statue by Bernini depicting the abduction of Persephone. Notice Cerberus in the lower right of the group.

Hermes also has a role in the Underworld. He guides souls of the dead to Hades. In this role he is called Psychopompus.

The Rivers of the Underworld A map showing four of the rivers of the Underworld. There were four major rivers plus the Lethe. Styx – The river of hate. It separates the living from the dead. Cocytus – The river of lamentation. Acheron – The river of woe. Phlegethon – The river of fire. Lethe – The river of forgetfulness.

Charon is the ferryman who ferries the souls of the dead across the River Styx. Each soul must pay an obol (a small coin) to cross.

Hades has a threeheaded dog who guards the entrance to the Underworld. His name is Cerberus is the offspring of Echidna and Typhon.

There were three judges in the Underworld. All had been mortal men but were chosen to be judges because of their wisdom. The three were Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus.

After judgment, the souls of the dead were sent to Elysium (the Elysian Fields) or to Tartarus Elysium, where the souls of the virtuous dwell. Tartarus, where malefactors are eternally punished.

Famous Evildoers in Tartarus

Tantalus was a son of Zeus who often dined with the gods. To test their omniscience, he wickedly killed his son Pelops and fed him to the gods. Only Demeter took a bite. The gods restored Pelops to life and gave him an ivory shoulder to replace the bite Demeter had taken.

To punish Tantalus, Zeus sent him to Tartarus where he is cursed with insatiable hunger and thirst. He stands in a cool stream, but whenever he bends to drink, the water recedes. Above his head dangles luscious and fragrant fruit, but when he reaches for it the wind blows it out of reach.

Sisyphus Because he had reported on Zeus’ amorous activities, tied up Death, and then cheated Hades by returning to life, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill. When he has almost reached the top, the boulder rolls back down to the bottom of the hill, and the whole process starts again.

Ixion was invited to banquet with the gods, but he conceived a lust for Hera. Zeus found out about his desires, and when he attempted to seduce Hera, Zeus placed a cloud in the form of Hera in its place. For violating the law of hospitality Ixion is bound to a wheel of fire which constantly burns as it turns.

The Danaids (The daughters of Danaus) The 50 daughters of Danaus were forced to marry the 50 sons of Aegyptus. Danaus ordered his daughters to murder their husbands on their wedding night, which they all did with the exception of Hypermnestra, who did not murder husband, Lynceus. The Danaids are forced to fill a large vessel with water. Both the large vessel and the containers they use to transport the water are full of holes.

Tityus was a giant who attempted to assault Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis killed him. He was condemned to Tartarus, where he is tied down for a vulture to eat his liver each day. It grows back overnight.

Heroes Who Visited the Underworld Orpheus Odysseus Heracles Theseus Aeneas’ father Anchises shows him the souls of future Romans in the Underworld. Aeneas’ guide was the Sibyl of Cumae, an oracle of Apollo.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. He accompanied Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. His main role during the quest for the Golden Fleece was drowning out the Sirens as the Argo passed by their rocks by playing his lyre.

• Orpheus, while going through the woods with his lyre, happened upon an oak nymph named Eurydice. • He fell in love and they were soon to be married. • However the satyr Aristaeus began to pursue Eurydice on the day of her wedding • As she fled she was bitten by a viper and died.

• Because Orpheus was very distraught, his beautiful music turned to blue and woeful tunes • Every human and animal alike felt his pain • Orpheus was decided to enter the Underworld and plead for Eurydice’s soul from Hades and Persephone

• Orpheus managed to soften Persephone’s heart through his woeful tunes, and Hades cried tears of iron. They permitted Eurydice’s soul to be released. • Not so fast, Orpheus, here’s the catch… You can’t look back at Eurydice until you both return to the world above!!! • So off Orpheus goes, up through the underworld, not knowing whether or not Eurydice is truly trailing his steps

Upon exiting the Underworld, Orpheus immediately turns around to see Eurydice fading back into the Underworld Orpheus had broken his vow not to look back until they both were out of the Underworld Orpheus decides to live the rest of his life devoid of female companions, for this he is torn to shreds by a group of Maenads

Heracles • Heracles’ 12 th and final labor was to bring back Cerberus from the Underworld • Athena and Hermes assisted Heracles into the Underworld, where he scared Charon into taking him across the River Styx.

Hades attempted to defend his gates from the assault of Heracles, but Heracles shot him with an arrow. Hades fled to Olympus where his wounds were tended by Paeon, a god of healing (the name is later applied to Apollo and Aesclepius). Hades then agreed to let Heracles take Cerberus, provided he use no weapons and not harm the dog.

Theseus and Pirithous Theseus (of Minotaur fame) and his best friend Pirithous decided to abduct wives they deemed worthy of themselves - Helen of Sparta and Persephone They first captured Helen for Theseus and planned to hold onto her until she was old enough to marry. They then headed to the Underworld. Theseus left Helen with his mother, Aethra, before leaving to get Persephone for Pirithous.

Hades caught wind of the plot to steal his wife, and pretended to offer his hospitality to Theseus and Pirithous when they arrived. When they sat down to feast, snakes coiled around their feet trapping them in Chairs of Forgetfulness.

The Dioscuri (Helen’s twin brothers Castor and Pollux) took Helen and Aethra back to Sparta before Theseus’s return. Heracles eventually rescued Theseus, but the earth shook when he tried to free Pirithous, and so to this day Pirithous remains in Hades as punishment for seeking to steal Hades’ wife.

Odysseus in the Underworld

Odysseus journeyed to the Underworld to speak with Tiresias.

In the Underworld Odysseus saw the shades of many of his comrades at Troy, including Achilles and Agamemnon.

Odysseus also saw the shade of his mother Anticlea, who had died in his 20 year absence.

Aeneas and the Sibyl of

Aeneas saw the shade of Elissa, or Dido, while in the Underworld.

Anchises shows his son Aeneas the future heroes of Rome.

Psyche with Charon Psyche entered the Underworld to steal Proserpina’s beauty for the goddess Venus.

Hercules wrestling with Death for the life of Alcestis Thanatos was the god of death.