“Underworld gods”

Group 3
Adrian Caingat
Chasalle Joie Dotimas
 In mythology, the Greek underworld is an otherworld where souls go
after death. The original Greek idea of afterlife is that, at the moment
of death, the soul is separated from the corpse, taking on the shape of
the former person, and is transported to the entrance of the underworld.
Good people and bad people would then separate.

 The underworld itself—sometimes known as Hades, after its 

patron god—is described as being either at the outer bounds of the
ocean or beneath the depths or ends of the earth.
Geography

Rivers:
 There are six main rivers that are visible both in the living world
and the underworld. Their names were meant to reflect the emotions
associated with death.
1. The Styx is generally considered to be one of the most prominent
and central rivers of the underworld and is also the most widely known
out of all the rivers. It's known as the river of hatred and is named after
the goddess Styx. This river circles the underworld seven times
2. The Acheron is the river of pain. It's the one that Charon, also
known as the Ferryman, rows the dead over according to many
mythological accounts, though sometimes it is the river Styx or both.

3. The Lethe is the river of forgetfulness. It is associated with the

goddess Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness and oblivion. In later
accounts, a poplar branch dripping with water of the Lethe became the
symbol of Hypnos, the god of sleep.
4. The Phlegethon is the river of fire. According to Plato, this river
leads to the depths of Tartarus.

5. The Cocytus is the river of wailing.

6. Oceanus is the river that encircles the world, and it marks the east
edge of the underworld, as Erebos is west of the mortal world.
Entrance of the underworld
 In front of the entrance to the underworld live Grief (Penthos),
Anxiety (Curae), Diseases (Nosoi), Old Age (Geras), Fear (Phobos),
Hunger (Limos), Need (Aporia), Death (Thanatos), Agony (Algea),
and Sleep (Hypnos), together with Guilty Joys (Gaudia).

 On the opposite threshold is War (Polemos), the Erinyes, and

Discord (Eris). Close to the doors are many beasts, including 
Centaurs, Scylla, Briareus, Gorgons, the Lernaean Hydra, Geryon,
the Chimera, and Harpies. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be
seen where false Dreams (Oneiroi) 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 Golden Bough. Charon is said
to be 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 ferries across most souls, he turns away a few. These
are the unburied which can't be taken across from bank to bank until they
receive a proper burial.
 Across the river, guarding the gates of the underworld is Cerberus.
Beyond Cerberus is where the Judges of the underworld decide
where to send the souls of the dead — to the Isles of the Blessed
(Elysium), or otherwise to Tartarus.
TARTARUS
While Tartarus 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 grows the roots of the earth and of the unharvested sea.
 " Zeus cast the Titans along with his father Cronus into
Tartarus after defeating them. Homer wrote that Cronus
then became the king of Tartarus. While Odysseus does
not see the Titans himself, he mentions some of the people
within the underworld who are experiencing punishment
for their sins.
Asphodel Meadows
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.
Mourning Fields
In the Aeneid, the Mourning Fields (Lugentes Campi) was a section of the underworld reserved for
souls who wasted their lives on unrequited love. Those mentioned as residents of this place are Dido, 
Phaedra, Procris, Eriphyle, Pasiphaë, Evadne, Laodamia, and Caeneus.
Elysium
was a place for the especially distinguished. It was ruled over by Rhadamanthus, and the souls that dwelled 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, however, later on, those who were pure and righteous were considered
to reside in Elysium. Most accepted to Elysium were demigods or heroes.
Deities
Hades
Hades (Aides, Aidoneus, or Haidês), the eldest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea; brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera,
Demeter, and Hestia, is the Greek god of the underworld. Therefore, while Hades' responsibility was in the underworld, he
was allowed to have power on earth as well. However, Hades himself is rarely seen outside his domain, and to those on
earth his intentions and personality are a mystery.
 In art and literature Hades is depicted as stern and
dignified, but not as a fierce torturer or devil-
like. However, Hades was considered the enemy to all life
and was hated by both the gods and men; sacrifices and
prayers did not appease him, so mortals rarely tried. He
was also not a tormenter of the dead, and sometimes
considered the "Zeus of the dead" because he was
hospitable to them.
 Hades was sometimes referred to as Pluton and was
represented in a lighter way – here, he was considered the
giver of wealth, since the crops and the blessing of the
harvest come from below the earth.
 Hades was sometimes referred to as Pluton and was
represented in a lighter way – here, he was considered the
giver of wealth, since the crops and the blessing of the
harvest come from below the earth.
 Hades was sometimes referred to as Pluton and was
represented in a lighter way – here, he was considered the
giver of wealth, since the crops and the blessing of the
harvest come from below the earth.
Persephone
Persephone (also known as Kore) was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and Zeus. Persephone was
abducted by Hades, who desired a wife. When Persephone was gathering flowers, she was entranced by a narcissus flower
planted by Gaia (to lure her to the underworld as a favor to Hades), and when she picked it the earth suddenly opened up.
Hades, appearing in a golden chariot, seduced and carried Persephone into the
underworld. When Demeter found out that Zeus had given Hades permission to abduct
Persephone and take her as a wife, Demeter became enraged at Zeus and stopped
growing harvests for the earth. To soothe her, Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld to
return Persephone to her mother. However, she had eaten six pomegranate seeds in the
underworld and was thus eternally tied to the underworld, since the pomegranate seed
was sacred there.
Persephone could then only leave the underworld when the earth was blooming, or
every season except the winter.
Persephone herself is considered a fitting other half to Hades because of the meaning of
her name which bears the Greek root for "killing" and the -phone in her name means
"putting to death".
Hecate
Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the Moon, 
magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery.
The Erinyes
The Erinyes (also known as the Furies) were the three goddesses associated with the souls
of the dead and the avenged crimes against the natural order of the world. They consist of 
Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.
 They were particularly concerned with crimes done by children
against their parents such as matricide, patricide, and unfilial
conduct. They would inflict madness upon the living murderer, or if
a nation was harboring such a criminal, the Erinyes would cause
starvation and disease to the nation. The Erinyes were dreaded by
the living since they embodied the vengeance of the person who was
wronged against the wrongdoer.
 Often the Greeks made "soothing libations" to the Erinyes to
appease them so as to not invoke their wrath, and overall the
Erinyes received many more libations and sacrifices than other gods
of the underworld. The Erinyes were depicted as ugly and winged
women with their bodies intertwined with serpents.
Hermes
While Hermes did not primarily reside in the underworld and is not usually associated with the underworld, he was the one who led the souls of the dead to the
underworld. In this sense, he was known as Hermes Psychopompos and with his fair golden wand he was able to lead the dead to their new home. He was also called
upon by the dying to assist in their passing – some called upon him to have painless deaths or be able to die when and where they believed they were meant to die.
Judges of the underworld
Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus are the judges of the dead. They judged the deeds of the deceased and
created the laws that governed the underworld. However, none of the laws provided true justice to the souls
of the dead, and the dead did not receive rewards for following them or punishment for wicked actions.
 Aeacus was the guardian of the Keys of the underworld and the
judge of the men of Europe. Rhadamanthus was Lord of Elysium
and judge of the men of Asia. Minos was the judge of the final vote.
Charon
Charon is the ferryman who, after receiving a soul from Hermes, would guide them across the rivers Styx and/or 
Acheron to the underworld. At funerals, the deceased traditionally had an obol placed over their eye or under their
tongue, so they could pay Charon to take them across. If not, they were said to fly at the shores for one hundred
years, until they were allowed to cross the river.
 To the Etruscans, Charon was considered a fearsome being – he
wielded a hammer and was hook-nosed, bearded, and had
animalistic ears with teeth. In other early Greek depictions, Charon
was considered merely an ugly bearded man with a conical hat and
tunic. 
 Later on, in more modern Greek folklore, he was considered more
angelic, like the Archangel Michael. Nevertheless, Charon was
considered a terrifying being since his duty was to bring these souls
to the underworld and no one would persuade him to do otherwise.
Cerberus
Cerberus (Kerberos), or the "Hell-Hound", is Hades' massive multi-headed (usually three-headed) dog with some
descriptions stating that it also has a snake-headed tail and snake heads on its back and as its mane. Born from 
Echidna and Typhon, Cerberus guards the gate that serves as the entrance of the underworld. Cerberus' duty is to
prevent dead people from leaving the underworld.
 Heracles once borrowed Cerberus as the final part of the Labours
of Heracles. Orpheus once soothed it to sleep with his music.
 According to the Suda, the ancient Greeks placed a honeycake
(μελιτοῦττα) with the dead in order (for the dead) to give it to
Cerberus.
Thanatos
Thanatos is the personification of death. Specifically, he represented non-violent
death as contrasted with his sisters the Keres, the spirits of diseases and slaughter.
Melinoë
Melinoe is a chthonic nymph,
daughter of Persephone,
invoked in one of the 
Orphic Hymns and propitiated
as a bringer of nightmares
and madness. She may also be the
figure named in a few inscriptions from
 Anatolia, and she appears on a bronze tablet in
association with Persephone.
The terms in which Melinoë is
described are typical of moon
goddesses in Greek poetry.
Nyx
is the Greek goddess (or personification) of the night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or
near the beginning of creation and mothered other personified deities such as Hypnos
(Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), with Erebus (Darkness).
Achlys
is an ancient Greek goddess who symbolizes the mist of death.
According to some ancient cosmogonies, Achlys was the
eternal night before Chaos.
Styx
was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys,
thus being one of the Oceanid sisters. She was the goddess of the River Styx, and wife
to the Titan Pallas, with whom she had four children; Zelus, Nike, Kratos, and Bia.
Eurynomos
was a flesh-devouring daimon (spirit) of the underworld who stripped the flesh from the
rotting corpses of the dead. He was depicted as a man with black-blue skin seated on a
vulture's skin. Eurynomos was associated with carrion-feeders such as vultures and meat-
flies. His name means "Wide-Ruling" from the Greek words eury- and nomos.
The dead

 In the Greek underworld, the souls of the dead still existed, but they
are insubstantial, and flitted around the underworld with no sense of
purpose. The dead within the Homeric underworld lack menos, or
strength, and therefore they cannot influence those on earth. They
also lack phrenes, or wit, and are heedless of what goes on around
them and on the earth above them. Their lives in the underworld
were very neutral, so all social statuses and political positions were
eliminated and no one was able to use their previous lives to their
advantage in the underworld.
The idea of progress did not exist in the Greek underworld – at the moment of
death, the psyche was frozen, in experience and appearance. The souls in the
underworld did not age or really change in any sense. They did not lead any sort of
active life in the underworld – they were exactly the same as they were in
life. Therefore, those who had died in battle were eternally blood-spattered in the
underworld and those who had died peacefully were able to remain that way.

Overall, the Greek dead were considered to be irritable and unpleasant, but not
dangerous or malevolent. They grew angry if they felt a hostile presence near their
graves and drink offerings were given in order to appease them so as not to anger
the dead. Mostly, blood offerings were given, because they needed the essence of
life to become communicative and conscious again. This is shown in Homer's 
Odyssey, where Odysseus had to give blood in order for the souls to interact with
him. While in the underworld, the dead passed the time through simple pastimes
such as playing games, as shown from objects found in tombs such as dice and
game-boards.
 Grave gifts such as clothing, jewelry, and food were left by the
living for use in the underworld as well, since many viewed these
gifts to carry over into the underworld. There was not a general
consensus as to whether the dead were able to consume food or not.
Homer depicted the dead as unable to eat or drink unless they had
been summoned; however, some reliefs portray the underworld as
having many elaborate feasts. While not completely clear, it is
implied that the dead could still have sexual intimacy with another,
although no children were produced. The Greeks also showed belief
in the possibility of marriage in the underworld, which in a sense
describes the Greek underworld having no difference than from
their current life
 Lucian described the people of the underworld as simple skeletons. They are
indistinguishable from each other, and it is impossible to tell who was wealthy
or important in the living world. However, this view of the underworld was not
universal – Homer depicts the dead keeping their familiar faces.

 Hades itself was free from the concept of time. The dead are aware of both the
past and the future, and in poems describing Greek heroes, the dead helped
move the plot of the story by prophesying and telling truths unknown to the
hero. The only way for humans to communicate with the dead was to suspend
time and their normal life to reach Hades, the place beyond immediate
perception and human time.