By
;' A'I'!nCIA H.
r. D.
AI'VrSOR:
BALI,
~~'ri\,Il'
Ll99
DH ••JON LA BY
'1' £\.0;;;."
,;lnrr:H.
"1
Rc\D~~'
1963
COLL;G'·;;
" t" r) -,
outline
I.
IntroducticJn to tb.e Study
A.
'~CODG
of' the'floer
1.
l\cc8~\ted
1.
II.
Time of writing
~rJle
UnderwoI'ld
A.
In' ornor
1.
B.
limi tationl3
ar1
G .:
laco
Geograpi'"ical location
In Virgil
1.
D8f.:crj;ption 0[' t. e jouL'nuy
2.
ni vi Dlon~3 of t
0
une' er~'or1d
G.
ComparLlOn of t.,e .costs
A.
NOll-lruman Inl:la.bi tants
2.
'X'11e Titans
3.
Evil s, Hecate, ITermes
!.j...
T: \6 furies
B.
Human Inhabitnnts
1.
2.
IV.
Descrh; tion
b.
T:eir attitudes tOl-lurd t::w undorHoI'ld
c.
T"·ioir' affect on t::le living
d.
T'.,eil"· need for burial
0,'
tl:sir
g.~"losts
a.
Heroes
a.
!,Unos and R;:;adarwnthys
b.
Sisyp{'Yos, Tantalos, 'llityos
c.
Hercules
d.
Gastcr and iolydouces
e.
Odys seu~o and Aoneas
Plulo:30phies of thl3 Poets
A.
:B.
v.
SpiPits of k!e dead
Reward and Puni sbment
1.
Dil'fer-oncee in the epios
2.
Heasons ror the differenoes
Natul'e of Han
1.
Stated by Anohises
2.
Com>ared '. d tIl Pluto
Gomment~1
on tho study
A.
Com.'arisons botv!Oon i;ugan and Chr:i.Gtian
B.
Conclusion to the. aper
Conce1.Jt~)
'lIable of Contents
Intr'oclu(~tion
to
The tmd()rwor1d
t
0.3
'6
study •
• • • •
a ,lace . •
i ;',11050 ilies of
t. e Poets • •
C01l1l1lC.m t s on 'I;he :.)tudy •
i-1ootnotes • •
BibliograpilY •
iv
1) B.,~,~G
1
• •
e,sc 11
•
• •
2C~C
•
. :'~go
• • • • •
• • • • • • pc,2;e
•
• •
iil
;!}3..ge
• • •
•
• •
•
• • • • •
•
Inhnbitmts of' tno LIndo :':"'IOI'ld •
•
•
•
,-..'
.
23
'x,
t_ /
~,
.. i
~~~~~;o
y;,
Introduction to t:.te study
Nan
h.s~.;
ahnly:.:f'clt a nO'('i to h.)liov0 in :::,ono fur.m
or :bu·;lortaltty.
tir..1c~;
In di':'('r;:.:'ont
Las .found expre 3Dion in
m::3.n~'l
varied
end cuI t;'J:>e [)
t~:.i~;
need
attorns of belief,
and t,o:::e a1"O describ::ld by the great l:ri tox's of oacl!. a:_;o.
T.:.:li::: study . .-Jill investigate the und·Jr\·lOrld as d08cribed in
t;1e Iliad und the Odysse1:
or .tomer,
and in the Aoneld of
'rJ:losepocts l,rrotc epics uhic'.: ha.ve stoed as clasc:ics,
Virgil.
and a close study oC t.Jose 1,Jorks shOiJ.ld give ;Jome indioa.-
tion of the ideas of their aut c:'c about deati, and ir'llnortali ty, 'Yhich can b'J related in mnny;"ays to oacll
ot~:er
and
to 'resont belief's.
undel~'World
rhe Tiur ;oso oi' tilL; paper' is to trace tc.le
onl~{ a~;
oe'n in the t:'lreo e;dcs lilontioned abol/o, using tne
S
t-;,:al1~;1~ltiGn8
of Rolfe and lfimphr.ie$.
HO:.'t cf t.e posearcL is
baC'3d Uiion tl1e orig:1nul so~:rc\33, ll~inc ':;,Qcondary :::;OUl'"ce
mn terial
~
I'i:'11arily for
ver::::inl i;:::ue
or
cornY'~ont
u~.~othdr
2.11.d. ')nl'iol;r.wnt.
]Jomer existed, or ,·nen h.c oxistod,
or' \.; at; he "JPote if net considol'oc1 in tn.i::
~:;tudy
'file contro-
aJer.
l"or this
l.t 1:: neC8:5>.:JUry to accopt these booles a::.; dElBcribing
a past age '(,; :5.c11 tl:s author
i.r::lSoli' knEn: only f:cQrn earlier
j,oets and from t!'s'di ticn, 1 and to aOC0!,t :.. im as the author
of tile IlIad and t;,;,o
Ody~;seI.
Iv
T esa books then
c~oal
,'its] a
Jorioc' ': :r:::d"tOl':'l notablo bot,
~_~il:l[)li,c.ity
eor' its
and its
cruol ty .... a ti."I!lO v;iton ()ld c1 vilizutlonn tJo:eo h:dnc in'iadod and
the national desire
l,Ul,,::
to rorun
Gscribod can in • a:ct
liOI110r'
tion of t
0
sixt~l
b'2~
'E:.o eociety
cc,nquo:('.
Elnd
dated -
,:,)0 r"", ap~;
to tile dO::itruc-
,£'roy, about 1194 B.C .... and in
~'art
reac~:od
baclr: to t, e dimmest antiquity.2
tm:ard t, 0 undeI'1,;orld and the soul had changod fl'om the
atti tudes of' earlier ci vl1izationfJ,
'.rho
f~gy~:tiaru;
SUCt:l
a:J ancient
E:~"Pt.
a:Jsocia t~d a groat ':Gal of magic 1,:1 t:, burial
cuStO!:U3. gaV'J some Subf3 tance to t e soul, a..l1d bollevod the
body lltlnortant eno-ugh to preserve.3
.:Jtop by
abolis~,ing
',")mar' took
a graat
aJ.r;loL1t all I:lagical )ractices, ritos,
and fo!"nulu:; fl'om ld::" books.4
,"2::: {larOOS believed in an
af'torli:f.'o contl·::;.11s(} by orc'n'od lam, of nature and t_Je
gOdE..
'I':.'ere
'~as
not the noed for the
the ::;u:)()rnaturn1.::r·:iic;, t:8
i!OI'ld of tho
GJ:>eek~:;
iEgyptian~.'
vms b0tter
. ogroe
feur of
had~)o;:·Elessed
l~no\'m
as the
and undo;.>:'-::.: toc,d and
Has t. ,us a loss t reat:::;ning un! verse.
exi~::tenco ~J'aS
01'
Irho undo!"'twrld t s
d;:ifinj,toly believed by the Greoks, but tHey
could only speculate individually upon
it:.:~
:':1.
ecif'ic
descriJticn, location, and lnhabltants. S
HOr1or could
ex:;ress only one man's concoptlon
beliof, and he
expre~I::?Gd
it au
D
0'-' t:~is
Doct c)oaling "lit ..
to est2cblish a dogma for
~.is
myt~;,
\,;ith no attempt
age.
Virgil probably wrote the A.eneid for two\urposes:
(1) to CorllrllG.1:101'ato nome [mc[ AClg'U:.:\tus, and (2) to flwY'ite an
v
1mi tati vo opic 1'0 l"oducil1..g SO{,1e image of tIl0
lif'o of' tho
n nob1 e
At t,o tim~
o:coic age.:16
.ciO
mannOl'~;
a.."ld
\.'Jroto, ? Home
'ori ta~;e and :'. 3. ineag.J 1"31 at ing tLe
:.:mlbodyi,ng all t:o des irablo:()l~oic tl'ui ts. 8
:~~or;lans
to tho
T e e.dc
cloarly im5.tntos t e OdysSGZ in Books 1 to 6, and t,10
Iliad In Books 7 to 12.
Book 6, "'l';.10 Lower ·.1orld, II is
much more dotailed than Homer's account, and ;.;oeras to be
.
copied mai:1ly from Hen lod and Luc:r·otius.
.:~or::ler,
0
7
Al tho ugj'c , unlike
Virgi,l "did not believe in the mytLs ••• , he brought
mythological peroonagos to life us no ono had done since
t::le Grtlok tragedians. ul0
tI10
quel~~tion
;,.)1_U~pO:JO
i)es i te ti ,6 interest a.rowclod by
of . irSil' s bolia!' in
.i~:
Hr'i ti:ng:3, for
t:~e
of this papoI' 'h'O Hill [lcce;)t tno Aonoid at face
value :tn our com: arison of' tho
vi
,.
t1,'O
IDotS.
The Under'l-lOrld as a l'lace
1':0 tU1rier.vorld in
~~;'II1el'
is ccnDido:r'od a
.laco, x'nt.cor than only a state of
googra.n~ic:J.l
l~lind,
~,('r'1e
location and :::aving
d0~'inite
oeen eying a
briof
;.y:::;ieal
~rartarus.t
elis place is !"o::er::>od to as i).ado:::,
or
.:·~rebus.
'rartarus and '£rebus are sometimes two
t~'e uncer.rorld, Tartarus the
deoper 0:' t2:1e t1.>10, t; e prison 01' the ~!)on:::; c,f
d1 visions of
art}:; Erebus :'hON} the dead pas ,::; u::; soon us
they die. Often, hOl-Jev~r, there is no
distinction bot::oen tf.0 t1>10, a.."1d eit:ler is
used, o.3i.Jecially 'rurtur"'..ls an the name fo!'
t ;:; '.:mtil"o low~r poeion.li
TL.e only clenr I'(,:forer.co to t':is divi:::,:i.on i:: givcn by
Zeu::.'
~
'hen U:) refer':3 to Tartar118 H'; being nas fal" belot·]
,lado,; as l;a~:ven is abovo t.:o '3arth. 1I12
rhe Greeks at timCD in4icated an aetuul, I'athor
t.:an a uur-e:ly mytcico.l, ui to
02'
t
:]eonw to bo locatod in t e ;.,'est,
reac:
t .. G land ot' t;,e d0ad, Circe
0
a;~
uncLPHorL.
It
'",thana directs
diroct~
Odysseus to
Hestor ;say::; t:,o Douls of.' dead
i}.eroo~
,.ave descended
IIdovm L'1to the ~ouse of doath. 1f17Lriron ,Jould ratller
Ilgo d:.',n to t.::G gatos c,f death before ho
Sa't'"
'l'roy
,iostroy{yl,1I18 and i11.ldromache 8poaks of Hector' as going
'rho undervmrld
o.~jsembled
god:,.!,
j_~:
clearly envisionod as b,Jing belo1-! the
(b~:cribing
Eados as bDing lIa bottoI'lloss
pit un;'er tile oarti, tt21 and du!>ing tll.e battlE) of t. e gods
bofol"O :?roy there
1JUU
fear blat
bre,3.k tho earth above ••• and lay
11> oseidon
o~
ga2:>t~Jsi_ak0r
should
on to evor-y eye those •••
abodos. 1I22
11 1:.er'o seem,:;
to
be a dofin! to contradiction in
,IernoI' I"ogardlng
t;F;
visited
Odys:JuUG, at Circets direction,
:la,
as.
question of whether
OdYSI3CU!3
sllcr'ii'icos to t e dead t:'.nd :Jponks -..dth thom.
.:::art;.
0 yssous nevor doc:; d:;:;;c:3nd.
'i'
0
actually
eil1uly
Alt ,ougll
sO:.l].;,
oC the
Later in tilO
DtOry CtdYS:10Ufl
smJ and con orsed easily . . lith various
ot~lor
innabi tants of :. ~ados Hho did not came u) to::-llln but kept
on about their bl<siness.
hero concorning the
j:::.101'O L:; a good deal of ambiguity
:-o~;ition e\f
Oi.'.ysseus.>mol' doe~', not
- 3 mention Odysseus t moving from t o)i t 01' 8110r1£'1co, but
Ody.sseuG at timof S6ems to be dOvin in the underl.:orld to
~!Uci!
un ext.ent t at he cnn speak v:ith EQrCllles and obBsrve
.i~erhaps
.Hinos.
C(~ysseus
is on a ti.reshold between tne
\wrld of the living and the underworld, but 1.1'
~;hcloundel..... lOl'ld
;;0
HoraeI'
fr'om 1ds position.
Eorner is a1:::,0 vaguo in his deBcl'1i9tion of' hado:;.
ray,-; of'
s(JGal~s
Helio~J
••• or the
bl"OOZOS
of' "tue cloudy gloorn.
?/
:!~O
of
<.
/';.ntic1eia
:()
Hado::
1iUS
,:escribod as
"gruesome (and) darksome,lI e"~7 and TIleoclymeno
going
t1
~h
••• down to !:'.orebo:J
ant the dark. n2G
_ ,
to ::Iad";J anci
\':;01:1 OdYSS0UfJ
::'l~oko
Th:ts
darlme~"s
mIT Cdr,) lir)lt among tile dead. :r29
f.,
crone to the
11..10
rId f s boun(! ary.
the Cimmerian .. 030 Ie ua:'l ulHuys in night.3G
II
ot:
t.O
In .fact,
land ot:
In apito ot:
this perpetual gloom, ;)dysseu:, ha/ no troublo ':,oeing the
souls of' l'eirosia,'; and tho others.
:;0l!10r'
uncel'1}O !.'ld.
give:] almost no pIwsical
10
(io~oel"'i
tion of' the
tolls of Ol:'ion t:dri ving ••• bensts ••• over
the meadov! of asphodel, n31, 32 and r;lOntions tLe l;lOadovJ o£
a3~J'·.odel
again in connection 1.•.r! til the souls of tJ.w doad
suitors.33~:;enelo·oeia 'talks
1,;1th
Odysseus about t:.:e two
gatO:3 of sloG'.
in Hac];:);:'):
into ,.:2l'obus and ;.
one cf :... or'n
miE~(1t
l'~.1ifj
be
~n:ch
out
,:inos judGing tho c:oud !lin t
OJS
of' lL,dc:3 'liit
there
\.'.~iCll lot;~;
~lOU:Je
suggostion that
und81~'JOrld
a buiJ ding in tho
0
~:
trongthens
state of half-existenoe.
'rne Odysse:;: ind:l.cates in one pan ,ac;e a s.·cond
divi~:;i(in
or
tho under-i:orld, evidently dlf'fer'ont f'roIfl the
moado'H of aop:nodol which
~'roteu:'
of the spir1 ts.
vla~
innabitod by t e majority
told Yenelaos he 1-loulc1 b·J taken
after death
to the Elysian plain at t.t:.o end of t~'a earth •••
i8 the plnco ..·,here lire i'~ easiest .for
illaw."1klnd: no snoH, no ;] tormy ',<Ind or l>aln, but
2ei!;j:yroe with hi[; gentlG whistling breeze evgr
coraes up from the Ocean to rei'r0S .. ; manldnd. j
T~;at
other t.:oan to gi'va s})ecii'ic Gxarn.plos of' iJUnisnmonts
suf'L'ol'c,d by u :;."'elrJ individual: in a fey! spec! L'1c sottings,
t':at
~;l'len
abo /0.
'1'0 reach t'e land of the dead Odysseus is told to
sail to the ends of th'::l earth,
the Ho!"ld t 8 boundary_
>.is
de~:dgn
on the
,~ep~la1sto s
shiel~
OCGano::;, vJhicil is
aCT'OSS
recognized thl!:;, for in
ho made :Co:::> 1,chl1le:3 he tlplnced
J
,iver' of Ocea..'1.os at t~:.Q extreme edge. 1I 37
<t
- .s BS!3ides Oceanos, thore are four otl:el' rivors connectod
f13:'e, and Cocyto:], t e
Achoro:n, -the
l'i VOl' 0
riv.~r 0:.'
r ;)ain.
st~rx, 'by "lhicll the god8 take
larnentution, f'lot,j into
Cocytos, is a br'anel::: of
t~1.38
OQ..
groat lln, . /ortnnce in Greek my tho lo L;Y •
~)tyx 81:;oms
t~'le
'1:;16 St;yx is of
An oath upon tile
to be the ono which no god could break
~lit;l­
out torrible p·unis1.:'.ment,39 as Calypso :~.clO\4S vL.on :::,11e
that is tl10 most aw:ful oath o.~ tho blossocl tiod :..: •••• 01+0
'r"E~S0
:C'i vors \vere rmpposed to be Uie boundar'io:) of
Eades.
Al1ticleia told Odysseua tllat tl:cere :'ore llgreat
ri veL's betltieen" the 1 andr; of t e 11vl~ and liades)!-1
Alao,
:~)atroelos t
8-11'1 t told Acililles that Ftl:'<8 souls
c f t!.le dead kee;:" me far u::ay, nor de
join therl.1 on
tl~e
t~:oy
;)ui'i\u:." mo to
ot}.,er ::dde or the ri verI! becauno
;md not boon buried. L-I- 2
.:_8
ro strangt;,8n tl'1e sugge;:;tion
11ever e:r'o::::sod tbO;30 riv.'l>:;.
lIe CI'00.:;cd only Oceanos before
he cr!!IlO to tiE': meeting I)lace
\Ji th
l'(3ir-o:;ias .43
l"cm:o.in::; ;)no contradiction lnvoJ.vin.£; t.e riVQ1's.
ave to
~·}hen
ero:~:;
ere
If t'::lOY
them to be admi ttod to th0 un('lol"..:or·ld.
Hermes L;adr the
t~1ey 01'033
But t
~)OU1~1
i
~
or
the dead sui tors to Ilado s,
onJ.y Coeanos.4-4 with no :::ef'erence to other rivers.
- 6 rY.hi~
contradiction concerning the ri VOl'S und tho lac1:;: of'
t.at t.
Greeks had no de.fini to
0
. 'ol"ld, and that Homor '"ac'
C0nce.~~,
\-;1"i ting
tion of the und.er-
L'l'om old l'lyths, and was
probably moro intOI"0st0d in tc;lling a goo;' ;;tox'y than in
settin,;; up a ',attc 1"n oi' !"31igious b,:;:'!l1sl';j.
In or'. or te. dlscues Virgil's
clearly and in SI'eat dotall.
undorllorld \:1 tL a certain aeg1'00 '- f undar's t::nding, it is
VI of t, e
~)hysical
t~oneid,
nrr::ce
l;OHer
Horld,
Il
as it pertains to
(l.escri,:tion and location and the Gener's.l types
I r.
of in].abl tants .-~;>
J
Aeneas i::; teld by his father, Anclliseb. to visit
tim in the lower' worl(1, and to go to the
to obtain direction;..';.
Tile
~abyl Hum!:::
~3ibyl
ira ot
at Cunae
t~16
of tJ) trip and of the dlL'ficul ty of tric ret.urn.
de:::cribes Oocyto:,
lindoG.
.'3ephone.
Beforo
~:
1c:,
~:;Ul"rOl.ln'::
d(),~\con('ing,
f~enea~';
Aonear; follotJ,: b'o
danger
,,,lle
t. e centrfll Hood:] of'
mu;,t fine'. ,: " geldon
rJOV:3:J,
tiC
bi:L'c.~
of nL::;lC·t.lWr
Venu:!, and they lead hira to t;:G golden bO'..-lg:_ of l'<Jrnu,llone.
Nee.r the boug'
there I:; a
dr~r::
cavern ,111ch 1::; t,·:.() entrance
.. "'1 ..
Sibyl.
l' e next morning Aeneas and tho
l~eturn
,1b;y-l
to the cavern, otfel' sacri _'ic0~: to tiw gods oJ:
tl.18
ills '..:}1icl1 plague man.
th(~
but
~dm
:::iibyl tell:::
and Goeytos.
t.hoy are just _hantlUD.
Her'o old ,;.:'.aron is L'erryiIl(; tLe ,:;oul:_'. of
only buried 80ulfJ acro!::!s, and those
mlii: t ::: 'cond
pa~: 8
to
age.
t!~,:;
11
\'lJtO
ape unbul·iet;
"undred years bel'oro they a:pe allowed
Aeneas an.-· t.o
;.)ib,~l
Cl'O~:;':
t~le
silent :'ore;:<t
rivGr, are challengod by Charon, explain theil'
Cerb . . "
L01.~nd
the
of Holl, vdth t;lroe t.- ..roats and
ar(~
1"i VtCl.r and t.:,e cavern
flpiri t~; of
-'G"
....(;. ..[j'
0
j na"
J1hey
r;"].'~;n
tl"G'-)
... >.•) ~
convictod ,-
.... n(l,".
t.A.
.'. (. 'illts 'J:
c>
:::.l,.
I..
••'
i] ~~~
-"- .
__ •
...
Here al:,:tO aro thE :1uicl,
gladly it' t oy coul·-'.
"
.'
0
died young, a..l1d t, . 0
cr:U1 "'. fal ~\oly.
.;.n>y
-:)!'Onui..U1ces
;·anoc r,)-
sontonce •
, \-.ho ;,;ould return to life
- 8 1'he last field is occupied by \5al'l'ior:;.
hODole8:,; love.
Tnssu are rat: or
Aenoa~~
t~,e
c~)eak
30llC ,:·f tll0m
~~ibyl
now
liur:;:-ic_:
along as they
iie:r10US
To tnt;) rii!)lt is .·;lysium.
cross-roads.
To
are tall,
entranc.e.
~,trong
t.~le
gates guar,',"d by a;'ury w!.w rostricts
:ehlogethon, tne river of' i'il'o, a1:30 rurL
::,:a.te~-;.
Behind tu:: gate Aenoo.,S
hcaI'~;
boon boyond tho gato, cmd
ex:-:;laini~
~e:rore
.. ,obb:Lng and
the sOi..<nd:; uf: ortle1 punishnlont.l'he ,;;ib;,,-l
ont·:)!'.
COLIO
';:';.ere
left is 'J:ul'tarus and punL;l1mont fort:'jG vJiCk3d.
those
to
and some fleo fr'om him.
'Lno
to
unsub~:; tant:;'al.
~la'
never
t_,-lUt nO'):,lre ;."oLcl can
She o.xp 1::11n2 that RhadlJr.l:1nt!.'ys juclgO;3 all 2;uil ty
of '3vl1 there.
Tartarus wn:.:
t.e ,;ute,
b~~hind
bot't-/oen earth flnd
for iJhic:-; men
~n:Jmpu:,..I'n0
gol' en branch, und
ot t o Blossed.
dect) nc,
ti.·Jice the dL: tance
Slbyl l:tr:
l:Hmy
crinEJ~l
aro p,-,t buhind t-.ese gatos and tollfJ a
road are portaL; 9.nd
'l'La blO
il~;
tlE~
HOI'<'1\0net{!3 t"llacc),."
arch.Fay.
::'c!l
nov! come
to~ly~iu..."11,
Here livo heroes, poet::;,
a.ftr)l' truth, a:.'ld 211
vJ:10
greon and br'ight, ',;ith
8ati;.~'ied.
god,des " . erse.hone i',
t:'avGler:~
:30rv.: nankino..
gl"O'fOS
I'o!'o tho;oul.: o,t' t:,iG dGad
(':0
tlley had ('Jnjcyed Hhilc; 11 vi::.-:.
D.nd
:1::;
ti'lo
:101(,e
t~lO
seekers
;~21'd:;
land i3
T:'loado.:', and :.::traU:::l_.
\.:hatov:';I' they
:i::'"
'.lhatover
1\01'8 Aeneas and tho Sibyl
- 9 -
Ho:me.
l~ear
is of'
llC)l"Il,
Elysium there are t,,;:ir.L gat'] s
~Jhicb.
ina
o.l'~;leep.
J:>elsases truo shno.()s..-ne is of' ivory.
'uhicli releuses false
dream~::
t·:., the 1tJorld.
leave l'lnchisos b"y the gate 01' ivory
and,~enoas
to the land of t c 11' ing and joins
h:i.~
about an eartLqualce
whic~l
boes up
cori1LLdes.
woald "brins to 1if';':lt tl1.o
In the Iliad. the :;a.':1e
-
bofol~O
~rr()y.
!:~~tyx.
Both autL,ors
BlessBc~,
In boti:
although
undor~lOrlds,
C:le~;cribe
tho go' ;;, tako oath by
a separate) ,)1aC3 f'or the
ITOllUl" r:wntlciUE
describes it at great lengUl.
t
i:] onlJ 0:206 ~lnd Virgil
'oroGI'
and '111"311
botl'~
de ::ooribe the undoI't-w1"ld as being dark and i;loomy, h:i th
or ri'V81'S of nados are dl)scribcd hi bot,·: aut::..ors,
n.lt~J.Oug;.l
t, or,) still I'omain many qUCjstion,; concarning thi:. in
:~omer',
and Virgil is muc;
n:01'8
lucid in his explanation
- 10 -
of th0 ri ~je:r';:;', their locations, and
Homer leavos
t.c6
t},o rlril 0 r the v'orld.
iJ
UI'oses.
1"ite of' tlw ent4'ance to hades in
It is somOWhOl'G to tbo 1:out,
doubt.
cdr
t.;
In Vlrg:Ll
aCl.'O;~S
~=aCo s
Ocean, over
i,; definitely below
the oarth, and thGl'>1J a:;'e dei'ini to entl"ancos.
CUYana in t
e gro'.o
ofA.vernu~
"i"ii,or'.;; AenoElt'
One 1,; in
End
"lbyl
tLLG
dl,~~lcencied.
In Italy thoI'E) i3 a cavern in the d::.lley of'
JUllp3anc~tus
which is a Hbreathlng hole i:or tcrrible 1:-.1.8,
Allecto, a i<"ury,
this cavern ac a,ath to Hades.
U3t:;,d
'I'lle undervJorlc: in L oruor l...ras in all
and sLo.dowy.
'I'b:is may,.uvo como from.
to ()oscll'ibo a spec:U'ic place
into ,_ogma.
',~'hL
,-';Ol"ld
hi:~
0::'
vague
i.:::; lacL of (l'o:.:iiI'6
could bi.) trunslated
lac}: of do scription may also
a re s u:~ tor tJ:e ve ry no. tUl'e
dea.l t.
~d;.ich
af:l)ect~
tho myths Hi t
~'
l1U'"iS
boen
~ ~~i cll ,to
Vi1"gil, on t;, . .c othor hand. described i.-d ')under~ln
careful detail, "orhapc in ordor t.:.: enl'ry out
poJ.i t:! cal allegol'·Y.
The di ffer'.:ll1c.J s in ,) u.}.. .,poseB
cri:'ltionr: of the t'toJO un l ' ,.~rworlds.
Inhabitants of the UnderrvlOrld
1100..
T::ey cast lote ::'01' Sh:'lr03 of tho lmivor'se, 3....1'1d
:Zeu:.:. drc1: the hoavens, >o::;e5don t
r}
~J:n,
and Fa.des the
En.de s abduct<:;d . 8!'Sep.;1onc, t c cau:y'1ter of
underworld.
CeX'es, godd:):.:' or' g:!'·ain.
tog(}tl-~or
ruled the un'8T"1>TOrld, and tiero terI'ibly feared
by t,:o living.
the C;ods. 1Ill.8
l.festor said to:;';
Ir • • •
only
~lnde8
is
~')itiless
':';'..'on tt,Q go':; did not welcome ::Iados Llnd did
not look for'1..Jard to Lis:.ni't'oqu::mt vi.'. its to C1 YT.1pCS. :.9
Altl;oug., Eaclos
D.nd.r'erse~·:;;one
'cera tho ··n"inc:1. 0.1
gods and !"\.llers eft: iG l:.n.er'vl()J"ld, there
divine er semi-divine ini:labit.9.!lts.
tl:3
::lOn
of tl':e 'l'1 tun
':C'll.r·tarus.
Cceanc.f:,
0rono.~;
LlG
..
l!~:dc)l
l":u.:n;;
ot Lor
In 'J.lartarus liV0d tile
:Jet~lronod
piver
1riO:;"O
!.is :t'ather r!TIc1
enc:.Lrc1ad t;e oart:.
- 12 ~lad
he had
before tIIO Olympians bocome suprome.
Hera,
in the Iliad, apoko of tho IIgodr; under tartaro::;,:ho are
called the Titans."SO
Some of the other extra-human inhabitants or Hades
wer'c Sloep and h1.s brct er "!eat>, dreams, and many evils
vlh1ell plague man<ind. 5l
WaC,
!Ieeate also dwelt belolt~.
he
sometimes called C'ueen or Hall and sometirllo::; referred
to si...'TI.:)ly a:J a IlpoHer in .~leaven, a power in 11011. u.s2
eI'rIl0S. tho gods' messongor, evi60ntly had t,'9;>ouitlon
of sumnoner to the
Ol:ym;)or;
'l.,ri th
10', 'or
world,
t
a1t~,lough ~le
Lo lad
t; .0
lived in
souls of
1.'11.0 final divine inhabitants or Hados 'liJer'o the
Puri{')s~,
or
8rinyo~;,
t o daugl1ters or
Nig:~t.
1'i10Y 'Here
do£:crihed in tho t,oneid as:
Tliin i'ien('~~, or trl1e, !'Jisters named te;uries,
Daughtopr; of NiC t, idth ~naky coils, and :;)inions
L.:'.ko tho~}e c.:t' vIind. They are attend.nt spirits
Boror!) th~:l U;rono of Jove and uhot t::e 1'ear:.;
')t ;)ickly mortals, ';(hen t.:6 king of heaven
Contri V8~.~ diseaso or c'roqq!.'Ul death, 01" i'rig:ltens
'1111e gull ty tovJns in Har.5;,
There
j~s
a
contre.d·~otion
of the fi'Uries,
UL
involved in the dwelling place
the above quotation places
t.'.lOOl
near
Zeus, ovidently in ,lympos, but in otl .. OJ' r''J . .:01:'ouces t"1.ey
aro definitely said to in: .ubi t Hado s.
In the Aeneid,
- 13 -
to tho )laco of l/lmisil ont in Fodos beyond
.
~'ib y 1 cnu1d no-t 2:0 • 57
an.
d "C.ne:-:.
YtV ,
'.i ll""cto,
" s"'cc)nd
;'Uv
u.
v
"
I
wa,~
·.i~dc.::. Ao!1'OD.S
.'1.
;:;ont by nero. to f·,tart war botween the 'l11'ojans and
I\'l''''cto'
,-"
. ,.in·!.;,',,., IId ,.'''l_'11',!1''' -1'''' "[;,.0·11"""",, dal"l:; ,.",_,:n.do··'s.u58
.~
I ,QtimllJ' and ,;'-'Y
lC!
The
thj~rdrUry WEtS
•
_
'.-
_.1.1.
-
•
fif.egaol"a, but nei tiler
jTOr;tOl'>
..
nor Virgil
assigned i·.er a specif'ic task.
'I';.1.e F'uries were usually considered t.i:le just
punishers ot: evil. 59
The fulfillment of'
·'t
'" .
ubO
. he spec i a.l d u t y oi' tD.O.'.!i?UIY'8S.
if
t!~O
':j'urio~:
;\vengors.
If
was al::::o
CUr'80C,
It is not clear
1)ero t e same t.ilree as tilO Pates, or
:CJO,
the Pates l-Jere tllree goddes:Jes
W.co
spun
tho tLJ:'ead of 1L'eC'ol"> each mortal and cut it off when
the span
O:~'
111:.; li:.':'o
Un;:.:
fulfil10 .1::,:10-::1
\181'8
nnd evon Zeus cotl~d not chnnge t eir docreo. 6l
ot:ton I'e .'erred to in
all-polJori'ul,
'r . ~ey are
and Virgil a,,: chocking a lii'e
:.~omor
or tying off t;~e thl'oad of' life. 62
T:',e dead in both:iomer and Virgil were "empty
shells u63 witll no I/strengt: or
hThen
Odysnem~
tried to embrace
she told him, lias soon as
t.~lO
boned, the sinews no longer
')OH3r
hi~j
left in (t:-tom) .1I61j.
mother and could not,
Spirit leaves the \:hlte
old flesh and bones toget" . er -
the blE2Lzing fire consumes them all; but tho soul fl1 ts
away fluttering like a dream. nbS
Aenea~> also tried to
- lL~ ..
embraoe his father but "the image fled like tile bl'oath
of' the Hind or a dream on Hingsa,,66
Achilles described
Fatroolos t sl:>irit as a Hsou1 and u phantom but no real
llf'~3 in it at all. ft67T~e~;0 ~»)'lr:i.ts welte seemingly
de',ri/od of senoatlon.
'reiresiac !lalono had
and
These spiriii~; considored
othors aI',,) flitting si:adows. ,,68
blood retrl.:1shing as vT1ne is to
~ense,
1:1
mnn.
ivhen Ody::sous
e.llmred the snir:i.ts to drink tl'!o blood of :;acri.fice,
t:~ley convo rsed :!i th him and told "\vila t L1 true. u69
Tlle ir
lives ;:!eemeo. to be but a fhadowy reflection of life on
In t:'e main they pursued t eir 01(1 occupation~J, 70
eart}-:.
but they did not enjoy this life.
They we:t>e:
merely the perpetuation of tho snadol'is of
departed ;~,umanity, 'strengtb.lo~lS shader::; t
,.,ho live on the gloomy nlains of asphodel,
feeding u \on dear memol'i-:;s. and incapable
of keen emotions or a.rr:y real m.mtal or
fjl.ysical progress or action..!nly a fe~l
great sinners, like l'antalus~ doomec; to
eternll,l torture, or revored beings like
henelaus,.redestined to t;:lO 'Blessed I ..;les'.
arc ordained to any ro,cd imrllortality.71·
.
T:·is attitudo of coro:.,lete unhap;:;inoEs in t~.;.e under\Jorld
"las a::parent in both Herner and Virgil.
Lycaon ~las f'much loth to do II to HFldes. 72
s?~il~i t
In t.he ,I.liad,
Turnus'
Itwent 1-li th a moan indignant to the Shlll,do~JS .. n73
Perhaps the most comorehensive statement 13 made by
Achille 3
f
ghost 'f..1.ilen he tells Odysseus he "would I"ather
be IilO1illnon to a yeoman i'annol" on a ~lr:lcdl holc.ing than
lord p~u"amount in the kingdom or the d0Ud-. H7L f.
- 1.5 The souls in
llade~\
occasionally, but not always,
may have some influence upon tho 1i ving.
fnpnnor says
he can :'draw God's 'dJngeance uponll Ol'yssuas ij~ he isn't
buri~ prom.ptly.75
But we cannot tell it :C;l;H;}nor i:.:: going
to do teis j:d..rnse1f or if Cdysseu~ 'Hould be punished by
Zeus for neglocting :nis {1uty to his friend.
the
(~oad
earth
a'~
do not
SEo1em
In HO:r.lor,
ablo to knovl:JrOsent events on
they mm.;t learn nO::8 about their friends and
loved ones f'rom visitors to Ilados or fpom the newly dead.76
Yet 11.c11:1.1103 s:;oaks to ':,d.roaelf in regard to Patroclos
tinding out in Hades t ,at Hector's body has been returned. 77
This ph3:,aso may have
Aci:ille8 to elho"!
~ i!;;
b'-~en
sirllply an expression HDed by
determination not to l'oturn h.:.e body.
In the Aeneid, there
connect:ton
bf;,tvTe'~:n
Pa.troclos 1
gl:~ost
only bo:E'or·o it
sO'}"1'US
to be sligi ,tly more
tho li vmg and tho dead.
could ratuI'n and speak wit ..
't<Jrt,
pro>ol~ly
buried.
In the Iliad,
Achilles
I'utroclo,'..;
t
says. tI::Jover again sh:J.ll I coma back i'rom Ilac10 S
you
j}QV(3
given mo my portion of fire. n78
Aeneid, Turnus calL,; u)on
tl~e
Iff;hado\.;:,~
11
~".,:.an
onoe
But. in tIle A£..J?,ill,
the s;)i:C'it of AncLisos returns to [, eal£: 'L-Jith
Anchi!h),], has been buried for sorae ti..'1lo.
::,~)ix'i t
Aenoa~:,
after
Alsc, in the
in Ii&doD to
protect him,79 an aot w leh ,,'ould 11uve been pointloss if
t:-le inhabitants
Or:'
the undervlOrld we!'\':) totally inoapable
of a.ffecting the Horle; of the living.
'rhe .final connection
- 16 bet'\rieen ti-:e worlds of t:e 11 ving and the dead is
S.lOwn
by J'mc;·:lses as;:e describes the future of Rome, and by
tL6 ver-:.r fact teat the spirits in ii:lisium 'L-vere ;')lanning
to retcu"l1 to eartil as 1i ving men again.
One of t,. e most complicated a::,'eas associated
1,Ii til.
tll.~
burial
mytholo8,7 of' t'::le undeJ:'\wrld is the matter of
,~ustoms.!\'lthouglt
tL.es6 an,;) Hithout question
intorre1ated "dth D.Il.Y discussion of the undeT''teJorld j for
the "ur:;Joses of this paper the investigation can include
only death and burial customs as tney definitely affect
the unc'e:MvorlCi in Homor and Virgil.
In both :'Iomer and Virgil, the ("ead mu::::t be
buried or cremated before they can enter har:ios.
J:'atroclos
told AChilles:
'Bury me '.·:ithout delay, trmt I may pass the
gate s of Hades. l1hose ohantomz hold me off',
the soUls of those whose work is done; they
'H111 not ::;u1' "er no to join them beyond the
river, but I wander aimlessly about the broad
gates of' ~~e house of Ezdes'. 80
In the ,Aeneid, Charon '!rJill not ferry t3:1e unburied for
one hundred years. 81
It seems that complete separ'ation
of' soul and body is necessary so tho soul can join the
dead in Uades. and
thi~
separation can only be obtained
by destruction or burial of the body. 52
'11he tldead 'Vlere
capable of di1'.f'orent degrees of happiness. and ••• this
de':ende,: in great
I;1ea2~UI'e
t}:e:ir 111'0108::; oorpnes. n83
upon tIle treabnent accorded
T~::;.is dependence of tile soul
- 17 1.1 "on
trE'atment accorded tile dead body holds true in
Virgil 1;00, as is
S;'O\'iU
by Palinurus r great ha}y,iness
at being proro.i: ed J'emembrance upon earth. 84
actual
(~remation
In Homer,
In
via::; neceasar'y to aatis1'y the soul.
Virgil, tilore is li ttlo di.fferenco s. ,own
tion and sirflple burial.
In most
ca~H3S
bet~-Jeen
crema-
burial soemed to
refer to an actual placing of the bedy in t.:.le
eart-~'-
and
erecting a monumont abovo it.
:i"'rom t:10 above discussion concerning t.e masses
of t e dead, this
~'tudy
can mov::: into a consideration of
sarlle individual fonnerly-nuroa..':1 inhabitant:; of Hades.
~:v:o
of
v·(}o
r:er(~
thG~;G
B)ccif5.c
·\,Jere Hinos and
sons of Z;eus and judges in Hades.
judge in the Odyssey_
8.
por!3on~
forme:!:' King
f)i'
Je held
"0.
Rl1adamanti~ys ..
t~:lnos
was
golden rod tmd (gave)
Grete and sup;)o~:edly cl">Uel and inflexible. 87
In tho }l..eneid, Minos judgod thofte flwhom false sGntence
brought to death. 1t88
ffiladamanthys p1ll1ished the guilty
and he a.rd confo s s ion in the Aene ld, t.I9 although he lias
mentiloned in T:fomer as being only a golden-haired inhabi-
tant of tile lnysian Plain. 90
He acquired His position
because he >ad been a just judge on eart.
e',ics do not elaborate beyon cl this point
..'.:."16
u-~)on
three
the judgos
of' Trade s, nor do they mention the logendary t.hird bl'other,
Aeacus.
- 18 The three wi ose punisl:unents in Hades
i.1e1"0
most
clearly defined by both Homer and Virg5.1 were 3isyphos,
?antulos, and rrl tyos •
?,i s7Pllo 8 incessantly pushed a
h.ug<:J :3tone up a hill, and just as it reached the crest
it rolled baok.Gx,r sterni ty he had to push t.hat stone.
No reason vJa~Ci given for hh: puni2hment in Homer or V:trgil,
but Hamil ton said he was puniDhed for revealing a t::ecret
of' '~~eus. 91
Tantalos stood in a.1alw in Eade!1 and Wa::
forever hungry and U-;i1'sty.
There i;;ere fruit trees over
his head, but as ::loon ae he reached 1'01" ti"e l"l"'ui t the
Hind bleH the branche:
U}).
T.e laIr€) Hater came to his
chin, but as soon a:J he tria, i to drink, the Hater
As vrith SiDyphos, t>.ere wnn given
rec,Jded.
tor hie, puni!3P..ment by Homer or Virgil.
t11at i1,e
10'1 D.;:!,
'punished because
banquet 1'01' tLe goos. ('2
j
by having
t'ltJO
y.la[~
Hamilton explained
sel'ved his son
Tityos, a giant,
'lova~;
aD
a
punished
vul ture:~ forever tearing out .:.ds liver,
Hhidl grovJ baok
"This
j1G
reason
110
con~ltantly,
just to be eaten again.
lds punishment because ,ehad laid violent ,:la!lds
on Leto, the famous con~:'ort of Zeus. u93
Anot:"er former mortal particularly singled out
in Hades
HaS
Hercules.
According to Odysseu;:'1 he stood
forovor in Hados holding rd.;} bow lias if just about to
shoot. n94
Only ids pha.'>1tom is in Hades, l1but Hercules
bix/welf is wit:h the immortal god::;. a's llappy
8.8
the day
- 19 ....
l~:J long. n95
T.'ere in no explanation given for ~:uoh a
singling out as the narrative ind:lcates his heroism.
only and remains r;ilent about any tL10ological question
concerning his
bles::;cdn~ss.
Hercule::;~
llke Aeneas and
Odysseus, had made a tri,-, to the underL'orlC:; 1-1hilo living.
A;,~
:h1s t'l.·.rel.fth labor h0 had stolen Oerb l3rLls, tie H.'und
or
Lell, r).ad taken it to
'1Ttd:::
journey L,:
m,~ntioned
:Jnd uad retux'ned it.
eart~~,
in both ti.le \JClyssoy and the
Aeneid, but little detail is given, and what iH gi/en
(:oo:~
not add to our
:)ictU1~e
or
or underatanding of'
t_!9
underworld.
Castor and Folydeuces also have a va.l'iatlon or
the :ort vilege accordec1
~:ercule2,.
"Zeus granted them the
"ri vilege of Ii ving on al tel~nate days,
in Olymr,oc:, Dnd one in the grave. 1196
one
'\.-JaG
ahvays
It is not clear
vihether on tho alternato days they are
t:,c grave or if' tey are in Hades.
30
~d_1119ly
buried in
G":'ysseus do';) . .; not
:lee theca on his joux'Uey, and nof'urther eJq,11anation
:L~
gi:ven concerning tho reason for .:;uoh an unusual ex.istence
after death.
Altl-oU[:;, not permanent inhabitants 01' the under-
Horld, Gdys som; and '\eneas certainly need to be considored
to
~30me
of'
~;tre:ngth
extent.
T ey shared t 0 heroic and classic traits
of body and mind, bravery, :::;kill in battle
-
20 -
and council, favor "dth tho godr:, und nobility.
'I:hey
oach were tested throug.,.f-J. many years of suffeplng,
tllrongL f'ighting a great bettIe, ond by
sea journeys
be.fol~o
t
endtU~'ing
long
ey vlere \<Jorthy to ap ;)roa~lJ. Hade s.
Bach received instructions :Crom a 'Homan connected
tole gods .ibyl.
GdYf1~;aus
i'l">om 0irce and ',eneft:'
l'rom tile
But t ey 'c'!e,re 1"leroes Cor t1,JO dif'ferent rea'c;ons.
11ho enc1 of Aeneas' journey
the beginning for
1J118
He obeyed tb() stat:.'d rules of
fulfilled tile 1-Jill of' rate.
gohlg.
\oJ 1 th
tilO
gods and r:.eruly
0(lY830118
lIo hac; t:omething to return to.
not directly to the '\"i11
or t.',e
but to a mysterious destiny
gO(;'"
whic~
~ioma.
1s returning, not
OdY::~;:leus
L; subject
nor to h:i!",1so1r,
ruJ.t'ills i tsolf despite
tIle hatred of ?oseidon during these journeys u2tel' tile
Tro jan \':a1".97
-- ---
P.i:1iloSOT):··ics of' the Poets
~----~-----
In batt', }lomer and Virgil, there are many, many
inhabitants of t 0 undorworld.
3uicido~:,
dc.'::crihos a place for
for llerOO,J.
He alBo
drav.)~;
Vix'gil de:Jcrlbo0 :J0Veral
I
fer infant:,
fOl'
love.['s,
very definite bounda::.'Lis botween
:;,)Gaks only once oi' the 31y:::ian Plaint'l, and describol.:;
no J Iff'eront region:; of the un.".eritwrh:
grou~):,
ot souL:.
asphodel
"\'JaS
£'01"
differont
Instead he ::Jays tL.at the meado"; of
inhab:1.tE:H: by lIyoung men and
brid~"l'J,
men ••• , tender maidens, ••• warrior's, tletc. 98
old
In Hemer,
too, there appeared to be no actual puni:)hmont except,
t:~.at
suffered by
l'antalo~~,
othOl' s.ouls simply
··;~tisted
SisYi:;;l:lOS, and Ti tyos.
l1'12.e
in a state of emptiness.
Virgil def'ini tely listed many crime s for wi.leb mortals
obvious differences in the state of the inhabitants of'
the two underworlds,
~
.e.,
tllat in Virgil's undeMvorld
t:.",,6 wic;ked are punished and the good rewarded a.'I1.d in
~iomer
thore is no de:Cinite c:ercention of re-.'ard and
- 22 -
a nubjedt of discussion by other
~:ri terG.
'JI. U1rank said:
The culprits of (Virgil 1 s ):,1 artal"U.3 are not
merely t e legendary offenders against exacting
dEllties •••• T,;e virtue~; t~'at w:Ln a place in
l:":lysium indicate a .fuBlon of religion w1tl1
b.uraanitarian synr,Jathies •••• 9~is :~lysium is far'
rEl!tlOVed .from nomer'~, limbo.
Tt;i,3 d1:L'ference iZ3 enlarged upon and a y)al·tlal
eXplarultlon is offered by
• Y. dellar:
TrIG Sixth book ot the Aeneid owes its existenoe
to the eleventh book of theOdyssey. but the
shadowy conce,tlons of the Homeric 'Inferno',
suggested by the im,ulses of natural curiosity
and the yearningD of hu.man affection, are
anlapged and made mOi..'e dafini te, on the one
hClIld, by thoug ts derived :from flato, and, on
t':iG ot~ler, by th,} proudest r.'lemories of :ioman
!1Ltory, from i.b.o L:;g(.~nd'; 01:' the Alban kings to
the 1-Jarlike and neacef'ul tl"'iUlni~~s of trid
Augustan [1.ge. lOO '
.
The w'lole of t.e Sixth Book ••• is inspired by
t o feeling of tho g.:>:>eater Spi.l'i tunl life \vhich
a~Jai ts man bey::,nd the grave. • •• 'f,.o sen::;e o:f
d61vout a\-JG is the chief mUl'k cf distinction
betH0ElU t ,0 'InfOrl'1o' of' Virgil and that of
IIemer •••• The dead do not a!Jpear' to Virgil
ll1€lrely a:~; t~e sha/cwy inhabitant" of an
unSUbstantial "JQrld.... In the grandeur of
moral beliet' 1<1· lcll in:-~'~ir8;j' ix·g11 t s repreflsntution, in eli; recognition or tJ.1G everlasting
distinction between a l5_fe ai' 1"13 t00usne~:.; and
of' unrlghteoucno3:'. of' ~Jurlty and of impurity.
he but rzYJroduces tct.~l'ofoundest ethical
intuitions of ?lato. 0
In Virgil. Ancliises ex,)lain;:, to Aenes,(J t:le nature
of body and DOul, the reason for tli6 need of an underHorld, and wily and>ow
oar·th.
~)·irits
becolfle ready to peturn to
Thi.': exnlanation is given in regard to the souls
- 23 of ti:.e £'utUl:'e ~.eI·oe~, of Home as they gathel" about the
Let.dO.
This philosophy L, bost eXiJlained in Ano.hises f
own wOl:>ds, thus:
f S~ ,e :.oed or life is a spark of fire, but the body
A clod of earth, ~ clog, a mortal burden.
Hence humans fear, desire, gl'ieve" enG are j,,;yi'Lll,
(md eV'. Hl Hhen li t'e :L3 0var, all t, e evil
Ingrained so long, the adulteratod mixture,
The plagU:J~'3 and ;,jestilonces c-;f the body
Ht:;luain" pe:(·~;i::it. ~;o tno!'e must b:; a cloan,:ing,
By penalty, by punisl.unee:t, by fire,
By fn';eeT) of ~·dnd, by vJate:r" s ab[lolution,
Beforo the [;ui 1 t i~f gono. Guc.h (,.f' u~ :,;u.ffers
£::3 ovm ~;ect;;lio.r ghost.
But ·the "B;Y comes
'ii~en 'He [:_re :(.:\l1t t'roLgl) ·"ide'..lY:·:L1.1Y1,
J' 0 ?ielcis of t~.:o Blos:;ed, a fOl'; o.r U!"
to
Until tho turn of t:Ur.G, tLe i.ihoel of' age;_~,
linger
:\' ap:3 of i.' t 0 taint, and loa:- 33 tho core of -;pil~it
r' . . .lre 80n::('), -;ure flame.
',. t.nclus.r.d year.~ puss over
nd td god calls the countles:~, 1.10.,t to Lethe
;':hero momcry iE' <".t!lDullod, and cul~ ape vIi.l1ing
~)nce ~IOr'e tc onter :'Lnto TL'Ol'tBl bodi03. 1102
IJlato said that ti"le
bod~
soul L: a pm:'e spirit"
never ettain to
t:0
~caeking
truth
a:~
ane, loa:,:·nir...e;.
long as
the body D.nd its 11uny dbtraction;;.
t~}e
deGtrt1.ction of t
truth.
Since death i
body, trw
wi~;e
8
'rhe
is an evil and a .l.;:l.ndrance.
body may
HO
But
n.:cJl1
'e 1:::: bu!>('l<;':ned
lJi t~]
Only at'ter death and
po:s.::.;ss
Hi~,dOl1l.
2.'heil,
a freeing of the soul t':r'orn the
man !JOlcomes
c.eat.~.
can
-
.-
\,
21...
lato alsc believed that everythlnr; had an o),)osite,
vli'lich It Hont to or
C9JllC
~'rom 01' "ln~~:
th;:~
in
process of'
'l'hereforo, lif8'::; Op;)o::lteL: dea.til.
becoming.
But the
cycle ls stornaJ. and, to be carn:;;}.ete, the soul, even :tn
d '3ath,
mU~j
t be bccomjug again.
'fuus th';)oul in lID.' er:l
lilUSt have a lif'e of som.e ki.nd, and. :n.ust be !lloving tcvhlrd
com'plate lifo ag£tin, i.e., life on oarth.
!<"'rom this ccmes
the ph:tloc_;ophy of Anc>i:;{)s in regc.rd to Lethe and
of' t~~.e ~;OllJ.S of t,.e .future great
Ne'lerthelo;;s, thoro i:; a
action but
8.
to ).If':;J again. 103
n':;:r.l8..!1:'.
d~.:t.'t'eronca
return
i:,;L(:)
in x'ene,ning behind
means of using a great soul
tOkfn~d
t:.18 e10ry
01' HOMEI.
By
is
0.
~:!.jeaklne';
retul"n to life v:la
r,et~le,:jirgil
of' a kine, of in:tm.ortali ty
contrast, HC\m,:lx' never
describe~;
fOl:-
obI. ionsly
the soul.
his undel"'\-!orld a::., leading
to any immorta.lity.
In fact, it is not clear
not th::: splr1ts liv-e
f'Ol·(:;V'.;l"
no gllO?t
b~'
in Hados,
name older than the
tion before hirn. 104
In
':~econd
a8
·rli',~·t;[}.el'
or
Odysseus m<:mtions
or third ge:nera-
Dickinson said in rogar'; to tld.: laok
of int€:rest in immortality t, at t o
IL~c itself I not in tLe bolief
0:'
Gl~eeks
IIfoun~].
j-.,-,y in
a resurroct.icn. 1I105
Comments .9.!! the
In this Goction I
~; tudy
~3ha.11 dL:;cU'''_~
briefly some
related concern:.; l,·!hlch ::ave dovoloped during t e coux'se
or
thi:~
study.
(-orne of
t:~ese
idea.~:
ation oJ:' t:':o orig],nFl.I' OUrCf:1E.
oomparj. sonf-) of
a~l
tho~'
t~:e
Ul1.o.erHorld
l.roro f'ounc: in secon-
They (-\re centel"'ed around
bC'li(~ f::
cf EmOl'" p-.nd Vlrg51
relnte to Chrir:,.tlanlty.
Bot';iomer .md Virgil
;<:0
ltcH'nlos, or Hereury, as
urgo l'.::i.m to O',dJn his uyos to his fate and to leuve
Aenea~:l
is caug]t in t.;s
.fulfl11:1 his .function
in
thi~':
a~:
~!orldly
lite vd-c:
'ido.
: 'ido and nwst
:::umrnonor to a bottor ,(Torld -
in:3 tGnce to a meta horieallysium ,:)ven in lif'e
a:: o.oc>!·od to
'113
beyond tilL; '·'or]'/:.
usu:l.J. :.'unction as
Sllrfl..m.onur
to a. 1:1.:Co
He leud:::; Aoneas a' ay from t,t.)
of i2"7lcranOe vrhicil is d.eath for tho :':·ul.
,;loop
Didc~el"e
is
oymbolic of' the plr3asuret:: c:f mortality, ·Hhio.::' are f'atal
for the vlell-boing o' the: ::!oul.
i~'ido
i~;;
or oarth not of
spirit, and Aenea'J receivi)':. the divine.-,elp trom an agent
- 26 of' grac:e \-!hicl: enable~} him to ascend the path of virtue. 106
In both Bomer and Virgil, liac'.8:;
~::oul
::ver-j
i~~
easy to attain.
pro--,orly interred goes to t o und3rworld.
But thu rogin of blisD is hal'der to reac.Ll, in.olvGs a
Jonger journey, and ls open to only a ehoDon feH.
'::lud to trovel throW?,.c, the
0ntll~e
uno ep'.wrlcl, except '1'ar-
taru.:, bofol"'G he could reach ;:;aYsium.
In Homer, only Lenelau:' L: in the Land
poet!:! livi)d there II
oC t
D
Ble:3sed, Hnd that is t. r,ugh no virtue of l-:tis
A:J:03o.1'::.;o11 ;:;aid:
ThL~
Only ile:r.'oes and
Oltr.n.
lli'upadise i:; invuf'iably exelw;iv8. n10 7
1a p'.Jrfectly in
~ecordanee
"'[..lith tbe Christian eoncopt
of a limitod entry into ileaven to ·'illiei"'. tho biblical
verse l'l-la.l1Y are calle~;, but few ape chosen \I may refer. lOa
'r'.nis d(ll:non..Jtrates
anot~:eI"
rut::(H' startling l'elationshil,
botue·n 80lll';; ':Jagan anti CCu... i;:Lian belLi'S.
An::ther shnilarlt;y of beli8f bet:loen
)oots and Christianity
!:;laee
'.~'I·
i~l
fOllD,-~
b8~ore
'oat..
'.l'h:Ls
he
e~uld
i!!ach hero had to be
0
pl~cG
of lifo-aftor-
testing might be com£::arable with the idea
of - urgatory, ,·,.here
admittied to
entor t
two
in the conee;;tion of' a
temporary punlstll11ont.
te5tad
the~;;e
011e
~i~tornity.
:::nust be cloans·ad bofore being
Anc.ls/)s said tile soul must be
cleansEd of its conrwctlon ',!i th t
,0
body, 8.l1.d 2;ly:.. ium
1->7aS a ,lace of t'itn'orary ?:'8 ~tic]ence and clean:-;lng, jus t
- 27 In the Aeneid, Aenee.:,; could pick tho goll:on bOugp.
"if :··ate is ca1ling. lIl09
difF'
\,;Uf3
f,~·r'
no reason ote:('
c·~mpletely
Also, f-alinuru:::::, t.',c )ilot,
th~,n
fate,
set by' t;;o god:.;.
an:,;
A::m(JQr;'
dG:~tiny
'.;.thi:3 . . .Jhole conception ot
.:.laving no control o. er one t s c"::.)stiny ir:; ::Jomo,;,lat cOnl'al;a.ble
to t.:).c idoa
'Jf,jr,~destination
held by many Cnri::;vian:;.
r·fany i'urit[ID2 believed tl,1at mon \-lere calL:d to Ji.eavGn or
'{ell
b~: fore
birtl, an' t::oy coul-:
(~:o
nothing during life
to cango tiJ,i: v';J!"dic t.
In other areas
of' belief
b0tHeE.w:~
t~,ere
are still otJ.lCP similal'i ties
,:agan and ChI'i:::tian.
a 8uurdian at t.;,e gate
r,rhore is always
tiJ.e aft,;rorld.
0:.'
I:; G:n;beru!3.. in Virgil ::. t
In IIorn-J,c i t
Ge'rberus and l'itJi,h<.me, in
i,;
Christlan1°cy- it L; i"jter.
i'~
e numbol' thr'0e
;1
S
H1 ayf:. boen .:; ncrec to
iv10urners in Homel called u.:on
ttl,iir
.runc'~':}L;,
thl'G8 tim,)s.
{'Htd t l,'se t'fmes at
E1nd 1<.c11.11:1 es rode a'lx'lA.t ratroclo~] I barrow
'l'netyx encircJ.Jd l!lidas nin;;) tJ,m'.)s, a
3quare of thre::;.
Hi th tl.'.o
t~1~3il'
l~lan;ind.
In GhrisUanity, tm-ee is
a:~.;ociat;od
~:I'in1 ty.
'£he afterl>Iorld iD. any time 1:0 aSf.wcia ted \d t~}
t.;orldly ploozc::ure:: or indescribable glory.
In . . irgil,
- 28 food, .Etnd \Jomen.
Many modern concopts center a.round
a Heavem of Great magnificence
.;rc;,enc:e
0'''>
T':·ey
a
;:av~J
~':,av'~'
IH'0.
2.
t:~e
un~J er~:orld~
b:3cn diSCUssed, ccmrlared, Hnd
also been llkon'Jd to rn.Cl'e rec3ut
lira-aftGr-d0nt~.
been
by the
an infinite; God.
Thr01..1gnout thi 3 pai.) 0r,
and ViI-gil
madcqL~a'.~urD.b10
of Homer
contra~1ted.
boliGi'~~
in
In alI
nece: for Y:.:v.r.. to bsJ.:i.!)ve in
~'cne
.form of' aftor-
T: 0 af'tert·:orld a::: (lencribed i.n literntul' e 3Dems
to be colcrod by
OXLUrLlus
t~
of gres.t
e times3.nd tden.:· of tLc: a::.:d.:.hor;:-;, and
~;tory
telling, great invontion, and
per:..;one.l 3.51'8 aftol' Q:)a.t .•
:?ootnotes
..
5)
''r~Tl..I(
t.'IIIt
"
_'.•
10~J.
".,--_.oet~;
7
"r,
I v
':,.'
"
(;j.V.
>p. v-vY-::'l.
.!~an:i.l
'.(11 t
to!.!"
hlt~:()loQ
(l~en.
Y(Jl'k, lCj!,.~2) _ ,'.
11 :Cbirl.. p. ~:19
,
--
"'1
J. C
iC'-,A\
i; orrw 2
... i:lul,
~").
, 'l,he Ilia.d. tran~:. ".".
.............--,
<I"
It,.
,.
1 ;.
1~)
10
'j?
-':t;,.
Ibid.,
-Ibid.,
-Ibid.,
--
~~-~-~
p. 13(,'.
p. ll!+.
p. 213.
p.
[~<) •
~flli·, p. 21.',7.
1'.' !~., p. ?(A.!, •
~".
.:3.
- 30 20 OdY8~:;ey, ))p. 248-2L1-9.
~~1 Iliad, p. 9;~.
237.
:23
~~dyssey,
:24-
Ibid.
'-::5 1~,
•.• 116.
p. 11.
26 Odlssal, p. 118.
29 l bid • , p. 136.
30
lEJd.,
p. 116.
31 f~[;p~:,odel ::~\ a
L'lo\.nr F:-::Lctl
April visitors to Gl-·e.s co t inl; 1 t
gX'O,IS
in Gp{~i::c·:).
:Ln
a cheorful o!'lOn, but a
little later' it 1080:: t:.L; ::appy qu~.cllty.
.:'~.~ Oi'tCYl g:c'OWS
in gj,"aveyar'df' and other {·€!serted::lace;~.
T__ oma~
• 'lOJ'11Jorcr, I if~ 1.r the "~omeric 'i~I~, oreL~cx>k,
19":'7),
p.
467.
32 gdyi..i 'f:\f~y, p. 126.
53 Ibid., p.
;~1..l.6.
34 1·bid • ,
210.
'I.
3::) Ibid. , :)
.
126.
36 1~·, pp. 52-53.
?
--',
rJ
l~, p.
38 uSJissey,
r'
~27
t:~
~
•
p.
114'.
39 :',. ,,'. l':Rir, ~ie::;iod: TI:s roams and j;i'l:'agments
(Oxfol'el, 190B), . p~~"59-61.
40
gdys say, :~~. 62.
[i_1
lE.!i!.,
p. 11C.
- 31 ,~l:lad,
n. 266.
,eymour, p. LiS8.
2h6.
tiS Virgil, l':~e ).eneid of \firgil, tl"B.,.'1s. tlolCo :,'urr.piries
(liTe':: Yor!", 19SIT; pp. 143:175.
L~6 _~., p. 215.
i7Ibid., p. 197.
48 ~liad,
p. 105.
Lj,9 Hami1 ton,~ .ytholo6Y, p. 29.
50 ~liad, p. 169.
5'1 E.am11ton,
Lytholo~,
52 ~aneid, p. 152.
~1~_ i.eneid,
D.
-
::>:::>
"
l~·, p. 366.
::;:'0 Ibid. ,
-57
.
D
. 193.
~lli· , p.
58 l bid • ,
6,
95.
'0.
163.
189.
Albert G. Keller, Homeric Society
p. lL:-l.
61 .!~, p. 195.
62 .•;, ""ne
id·,:e
',-. - 293
~
•
b3 Odx~;:"ey, p. 116.
64 I~., P. L~3.
(Ne~.'
York, 1913),
- 32 -
66 ..:.eneid, ,:,. 168.
67
f
"
00 _OdVS80\,
Y
h
D.
11~.
•
69 Ibid., ~. 117.
-
'
70 ~,eymollr, p. 463.
71 ,'ill:i.am :3.
o.vi:,',
New York, 1914), ?p. 2fJ7=2
6'e-Y
in Cld
.-
72 Jliad, , . 246.
73 Lanei.!! .. ?
370.
74
75
.9dyssey, p. 125.
76
I£.!.£· ,
;)
77
l:.~iad,
~)
Jbid., p. 117.
.
.
12h.
293.
78 Ibid. , p. 267.
79
--
80 Iliad,
81
.,
..
p. -i5q
eneid
--
PI> •
i'en:,~d
.!~~.
p•
266- 267.
It::l~
.,:..;
.
02 G. :';. Hylona~.. l1Hotn"Jric unc'! :'Iyconaean Burial Ctu;toms,"
Arnortct1]: Jsmrnal of :"ir·chaeol0t.?il.:L,II (1S!(.8), 6?
B3 j',Vt..1.i.J
~:o.V"'·-.r 1--'.
Pr·o, -r'o
"~..J'
IIfJ
:"ndboo'"
-'f '..._"",I~I.i.~
Ji~~\'l:-,r"ic :"J't'ud?
(,-.",
~ ~
~
..i:{V\~~
-t'e...
'"
....
1905), p. ;~!03.
156-157.
[)S'
~Jdy::; !:; ey ,p.
126.
151.
- 33 88 ~eneld. ~. 15B.
80/ Ibi(:., p. 163.
'
90
9 d y336;[,
Ci?
~~
~.,
rb-
'J
p. 82.
,'.
)3 ~)dJ8sey.1
c'}"7
•.J •
Pl.:. L~6-~27.
9J.~ Jbid., p. 1'~7.
95
'[b'd
,
J. •
96 ~., footnote p. 121.
97
~C.
~) • . eliot,
:)01£fme,:~ :~evie;'l,
98 9dy330Y,
l'Vir'gil and t,:"e :";,}ristian
orld,:1
IXI (1953), 9-10.
p.
116.
'ru:nk, ~'!ir[£11:
101 ~.,
I'':'
1~2
1 ' "Lt.,
"
j-7-'
.)-,'37 Lj.•
1
enelOd I p· 10'9 •
~JYnO '",·r ,
,'",,' ('
oJ v .,.
"
n"
t-;:,l.
~
Ie'S' Go1d:'3-. orthy
(No; :{cl'k,
4{'v ......~ - , "",
"' •
, ' t~
t-') \,J.
(,
::':e
Dickin~>on, ThE:)
1927), p. 3<1.
;}l"'6e}:
:1 6 J • . 'oal'son, ::Virgil's Divine Vision,
L~rI
(l e/ ,o" II. , 37 - 3':3
\.:
~.
,"i'lo'Ot!'"1'V
:..:..:.::..:=--::
. . .~JI
1,
8
Jlatthel,l X.X.II:
:1:", Buxton,
'. 7L!.•
Vle\! o:f' l,ii.'e
._,-- --,H
C.i.as::Jicn1
--.,'---
Bibltographx
J·13a.n~J.
Bickol"stet"
~!Virgil,
iI
;;incrclopaedi~
Uri tannioa.
(1963 ad.), XXIII, 179-182.
from
t,'-0
Greok Civiiizs.tion -_
. Iliad to
Bormal'.:j, 1\..!ld:r'8.
--
t~.e
-
": a:r't.lenon, L(HWOn,
...
~---
19;(.
131'o,mo, :~onry. ilandbooL of HOn~31'ic 3"!.;udy, London and
NeJ1 York and J30mbay, 190.s:-
Buxton, Cnar10s
CaJ:"Y,
and
}·l.
"to(~en.
.::~rOl)ilet3
Ham~
off, 1'. J e
G~21{ snd horaan,,:oFld, NOH
Cu:rnont"
c..f 110aven
~ ~11,
19l~S.
Cambridge,
iJife and i'llou llt in tile
York, 19!+0.
.,fterlit'e in 30man
<':ranz.
}:"c:lgani::)}~,
NUA '{ork,
1i.J59.
Davl~"
,\111io]"f1
;~;t'3~:C'n~;..
D3]l in O:Ld At.ttens., Cllica..;o,
191!:.
ickln30n, Gold?wortby L.
(:'ard8n Gi.ty, Hew ~{or&:,
i:-aic.G,T. 3.
;1'v~_rf;:;:i.-:. anlJ t.ne Ciwi.:::tia...Yl "ol'ld,:; .
2~. Y}·<::'·"';, LXI (Srilluary, 1953), I-HI_e
'rnnk,
61tlDnee
\lirr:;il :
..-'-'----
?u:::,tG] ole Gculang3~', Ihu"n8. 1)eneSe
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Hronilton,
'~ci.itt'e
'';''110
Hythologr, Nel.,' '{ork, 191.1.2.
Tha Greek La;y, Neil'l York,
19L~2.
I!Undor '~or'ld, ff~:ncyclopaodi2 ~)f ,',eligion
Jru'10D·",;tlngs TN<:n".-
York, 1922), XlI,
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191D.
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:',NI (J'anuary" 1961), 33-38.
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150.
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Lonc1c'n, 1()07.
Virg-il.
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York,- 1951.
and