
Ancient Greeks describe the underworld as a sunless place where the dead go. The early writers said the underworld is one place, that, “All souls, regardless of how exemplary or dishonorable their earthly lives might have been, ended up in the same place after death.”. Later writings, such as the Odyssey, Iliad, and Aeneid, suggest the existence of at least 4 regions of the Underworld each serving a different function. These regions are named Tartarus, The Fields of Mourning, The Asphodel Meadows, and The Elysian Fields. The underworld also has 5 rivers that are named the Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe. The Styx is the river of hatred and unbreakable oaths. It circles the Underworld seven times. Acheron is the river of sorrow and pain. Cocytus is the river of lamentation and wailing. Phlegethon is the river of fire that leads to Tartarus where the worst people go. Lethe is the river of oblivion and forgetfulness where dead souls can drink to forget their life. It is said that it is a place where the soul prepares for reincarnation. Most ordinary people go to the Asphodel Meadows while only the best reside in the Elysian Fields. Souls that inhabit the Fields of Mourning are those who were hurt by love. (The Underworld, 2019)
The Underworld. (2019, November 5). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Places/The_Underworld/the_underworld.html
Works Cited
The Underworld. (2019, November 5). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Places/The_Underworld/the_underworld.html
Art, A. D. of G. and R. (2003, October). Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm
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