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HADES: FIGURES, MYTHOLOGY, AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE GREEK
UNDERWORLD AND ANCIENT GREEK DEATH RITUALS
Alexandra Grace Bourne
HST 201: History of Ancient Greece, Dr. Wise
11 December, 2015

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Introduction: Geography
The Greek Underworld, otherwise known as Hades, is often described as being
broken into three main sections: the Fields of Punishment, where the souls of those who
were judged to have done great evil were tortured, the Plains of Asphodel, where the
souls of those who were judged to have been insignificant in their lifetime resided, and
the Fields of Elysium, where lived the souls of those who had been judged to do great
good within the world. The Elysian Fields were a happy place, and spirits sent there had
the option of being reborn on earth. Those who had achieved Elysium three times lived
in a special part of Elysium known as the Isles of the Blest.1 Tartarus is also referenced
as the deepest level of hell and the place where the Olympic gods threw the diced
remains of the titan Kronos, or Cronus, their father who ruled before them.
The Underworld had five main rivers, the Acheron (river of woe), the Cocytus
(river of lamentation), the Phlegethon (river of fire), the Styx (river of unbreakable oath
by which the gods took vows), and the Lethe (river of forgetfulness). Past the rivers lay
a gate guarded by the three-headed dog, Cerberus.2
“Upon death, a soul was led by Hermes near the entrance 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
1 (Evslin, Evslin, and Hoopes. The Greek Gods.)
2 (GreekMythology.com. “The Underworld.”)

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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.”3
The Underworld was not a happy place. Hades and his wife, Persephone, reigned
over the endless crowds of shades of those who died. The ghost of the great hero Achilles
told Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey that he would rather be a poor serf on earth than lord
of all the dead in the Underworld.4
Section two: Death rituals
The Greeks believed that at the moment of death the psyche, the spirit of the dead,
left the body as the deceased last breath. The Iliad emphasizes the necessity of a proper
burial and refers to the omission of burial rites as an insult to human dignity. It was
believed that if the burial rights were not followed, the deceased’s soul would never find
peace.
The burial rituals were customarily broken into three parts that were carried out by
relatives of the deceased, primarily women: the prothesis, or laying out of the body, the
ekphora, or funeral procession, and the internment of the body or cremated remains of
the deceased.5
Upon death, the body would be washed, covered with oil, and dressed to be placed
on a bed in the house for relatives and friends to mourn and pay respects. The bed would
be surrounded by wreaths of laurel and myrtle, which evoked love and immortality. After,
3 (GreekMythology.com. “The Underworld.”)
4 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece.”)
5 (GreekMythology.com. “The Underworld.”)

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the procession would take the body to the cemetery for burial. Greek law required the
ceremony to be finished before sunrise to avoid disturbing the city. Observation of the
deceased’s birth and death, celebrated with offerings of food and drink, would be held at
the grave to acknowledge the underworld existence of the soul.6 The deceased would be
buried with a coin, called an obol, under their tongue to pay the ferryman Charon for
passage into the underworld.
Section three: Figures, and monsters of myths
Hades
After defeating their father, Kronos, the three male Olympian gods, Zeus,
Poseidon, and Hades, drew lots to decide who would rule which domain. Zeus, King of
the Gods, would rule over the sky, Poseidon the seas, and Hades would rule the land of
the dead. Though he was the King of the dead, we was not Death itself (personified by
Thanatos).
Hades was the oldest of the male children of Kronos and Rhea. Later, he became
known to the Greeks as Plouton (which the Romans would later change to Pluto). Hades
was married to the goddess Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus and Hades’
niece.7
Depicted as stern and unyielding, the god of the dead was unmoved by prayer and
sacrifice. He bore a cap or helmet that made him invisible. Other symbols included a
drinking horn, scepter, cypress, a key, and narcissus. He was said to rest on a throne
made of ebony, and was also known as the god of wealth due to his possession of the
precious metals of the earth. He rarely left the underworld, as his presence was not
6 (Crawford, Benna. “Religious Death Rituals & Burial Customs of Ancient Greece.”)
7 (Greek Gods and Goddesses. “Hades.”)

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welcomed by men or the other gods, causing him to also be removed from consideration
as one of the 12 main Olympian gods (along with Hestia) when other gods such as
Hermes, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus were born.
Persephone
Queen of the Underworld and goddess of spring, Persephone was abducted by
Hades in her childhood to become his bride. Her disappearance caused her mother,
Demeter, great grief so that the plants of the earth died (causing winter). Zeus required
Hades to return the girl to her mother, however, Persephone had eaten a few
pomegranate seeds, requiring her to stay in the underworld. It was decided that she would
spend half the year with her husband, and half with her mother, thus causing the change
of seasons. While she remained in the land of the dead, the world experienced winter,
and when she returned home flowers would bloom again.
Cerberus
Son of Typhon and Echidna, Cerberus was a three-headed dog with a serpent’s
tale, a mane of snakes, and the claws of a lion. His duty was to guard the entrance of the
Underworld, allowing the dead to enter, but letting none leave.
Hermes
God of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings, Hermes
acted as the messenger of the gods and guide to the Underworld. As such, he was the
only being other than Hades and Persephone who was allowed to leave the underworld
without consequences. He is the son of Zeus and Maia, and his symbols include talaria,

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a caduceus, a tortoise, a lyre, and a rooster. He is often perceived as wearing a winged
hat and sandals.8
Charon
Not to be confused with the centaur and brother of the gods, Chiron, Charon was
the ferryman of the dead. He was a spirit in service of Hades who received the souls of
the dead from Hermes. If the corpse was buried with the obolos coin for payment, he
would transport them in his skiff across the river to the land of the dead. Those who could
not pay the fee were left on the earthy side and haunted the upper world as ghosts.9
Thanatos
Thanatos was not mentioned much in Greek mythology, as Hades tended to be
more prominent. However, Thanatos, son of Nyx (the Night) and Erebos (the Darkness)
and twin of Hypnos (the Sleep), was the physical representation of death. Thanatos was
merciless and indiscriminate, causing both mortals and gods to hate him.
Minos, Radamanthus, and Aeacus
Three demigod children of Zeus chosen to be the judges of souls entering the
underworld, judging and sentencing them to their designated afterlife, as reward for their
establishment of law on earth. Son of Zeus and the Phoenician princess Europa, Minos,
King of Crete in his mortal life, Minos was the judge of the final vote. Brother of Minos and
judge of the underworld, Radamanthus was lord of Elysion and judge of the men of
Asia.Son of Zeus and Aigina, Aiakos was the guardian of the keys of Hades and judge of
the men of Europe.10
8 (Greek Gods and Goddesses. “Hermes.”)
9 (Theoi.com. “Kharon.”)
10 (Theoi.com. “Radamanthus.”)

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Sisyphus
An infamous soul condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder uphill, then
watching it roll back down again. Sisyphus was founder and king of Corinth and notorious
as the most cunning knave on earth.
It was said his greatest triumph (and also what condemned him to his fate) was
when Thanatos came to claim him personally for the kingdom of the dead. The god had
brought a pair of handcuffs, and Sisyphus expressed an interest, persuading Thanatos to
demonstrate their use—on himself. With Death chained, no one could die. When
Thanatos was finally released (by the war god, Ares, who was angry that no one died in
his wars), Sisyphus was ordered to the underworld to receive punishment, but had one
other trick.11
Sisyphus ordered his wife not to follow the death rituals. He remained unburied,
and no coin was placed under his tongue to pay Charon for his ferry across the Styx.
Sisyphus plead with Persephone the chance to return to earth to right the wrong. The
queen of the dead agreed, but when Sisyphus returned to earth, he forgot about his
funeral rights and continued to live for some time, until he was dragged back to the
underworld and punished.12
Tantalus
Tantalus was the son of Zeus and the Oceanid Pluto, married to Dione with three
children: Niobe, Broteas, and Pelops. Niobe had married the king of Thebes, but
mistakenly taunted that she had more in number and more beautiful children than Leto,
who had birthed Apollo and Artemis. Leto had her godly children kill Niobe’s children.
11 (GreekMythology.com. “Thanatos.”)
12 (Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology. “Sisyphus.”)

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Broteas insulted Artemis, who decided to turn him insane so that he threw himself into a
fire believing he was invulnerable.13
The story of Tantalus begins with him being a favorite of the gods, especially of
Zeus. He had often been invited to Mt. Olympus to dine with the gods as a guest.
However, one day he stole their diving food, nectar and ambrosia, and brought it to his
mortal friends trying to impress them. Then he revealed divine secrets he had been
entrusted with, and finally, either stole or hid for the thief Zeus’ favorite golden dog and
refused to return it.
The gods believed Tantalus would understand his mistakes and rectify them, and
so did nothing at first. Tantalus invited them to a feast at his home, but committed a terrible
crime, further insulting the gods: he killed his son Pelops and cooked him to serve to the
gods. Demeter ate Pelops should, however, the other gods understood what was going
on and refused to eat.
Zeus killed Tantalus for his crimes and destroyed everything he had created,
including his kingdom. Within the underworld, Tantalus was doomed to suffer starvation
and dehydration for eternity with the insult of being surrounded by food and water. He
was placed in a lake with a fruit tree above him, but whenever he tried to eat or drink the
tree and water would move away from him.
Furies
Also known as Erinyes (angry ones), the Furies were three female spirits of justice
and vengeance who were known for pursuing people who had murdered family members
and punishing them by driving them mad. When they were not on earth they dwelled in
13 (Greek Myths and Greek Mythology. “Myth of Tantalus.”)

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the underworld to torture the damned. Their names were Allecto (endless), Tisiphone
(punishment), and Megaera (jealous rage). The sisters were usually depicted as revolting
hags with bats’ wings, black skin, and hair made of serpents. They carried torches, whips
and cups of venom to torment their victims.14
Section four: Famous myths
Orpheus and Eurydice
Son of a king and the muse Calliope, Orpheus was taught by the god Apollo to
play a golden lyre, and he grew up as a poet and musician. He was so good that men,
animals, and even trees would stop everything they were doing and follow him to listen in
peace and wonder. One listener stood above the others: Eurydice, whom he married.
One day, Eurydice went to the river to bathe, and a man saw her and began to
chase her. She ran wildly trying to escape and stepped in a pile of snakes who bit her
where she died. The man left her body there, where Orpheus found it at dusk when he
went looking for his bride. Orpheus turned away from her body and took the nearest
entrance to the underworld to reclaim his wife’s life.
Though the living were not permitted to enter the underworld, Orpheus managed
to sing and play his lyre so well that he enchanted his way past Charon the ferryman, past
Cerberus the three-headed dog who guarded the gates to the underworld, past the judges
and the souls of the dead straight to Hades’ palace. Though Hades would not fall for
Orpheus’ music, it did affect Persephone, who begged the king to listen to Orpheus.
Hades granted Orpheus the chance to return to earth with his wife, on one
condition: as he travelled through the underworld he could not look back for her, or she
14 (Myths Encyclopedia. “Furies.”)

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would be gone forever. Orpheus bade farewell and made his way back through the depths
of the underworld dreaming of his bride. At the last moment, just when he saw the light of
day seeping into the darkness, he began to question if she really was following or if Hades
was playing a cruel trick. He glanced back quickly and saw her. But as he watched her
spirit melted away and was forever lost.
Hercules Twelfth Labor
The twelve labors of Hercules are infamous. The twelfth and final labor was meant
to remove him from earth for good, but did not succeed. Hercules was tasked with bringing
Hade’s three-headed dog, Cerberus, guardian of the gates of the underworld, to earth.
This Hercules did. He went to the Underworld, assisted by Hermes. Hades and
Persephone allowed Hercules to borrow the hound, which he promised to return, provided
he could capture Cerberus without the use of any weapons. Hercules wrestled fiercely
with the hound and won, subsequently completing his twelfth task and beating the
attempts to defeat the mighty hero.15
Persephone’s Abduction
Daughter of Demeter and Zeus, Persephone was a beautiful young goddess
beloved by all who beheld her. It was her beauty that caught the attention of the god of
the Underworld. Hades, lonely and filled with desire, wished to make her his bride. He
approached his brother Zeus to ask for Persephone’s hand. Zeus encouraged Hades to
take the girl, which he did. Erupting out of the depths of the earth in his chariot of death,
Hades snatched the girl from a field of flowers and carried her off to the Underworld.
15 (Seton-Williams, M. V. Greek Legends and Stories.)

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Demeter searched the ends of the earth for her daughter, but to no avail.
Eventually, she approached the sun god, Helios, who sees all. Helios told her of Zeus
giving permission for Hades to take the girl and grew furious. Upon hearing this news, the
grief-filled mother caused all plants on earth to die. Though fields were sown, no grain or
plant of any kind grew on earth, and a famine struck the mortals.
Eventually, Zeus had no choice but to bend to Demeter’s will and bring
Persephone back to her mother. The king of the gods sent Hermes, the messenger of the
gods and the only person other than Hades and Persephone who was allowed to leave
the Underworld after entering it, as he also conducted the souls of the dead to its depths.
Hermes flew to the Underworld in his winged helm and sandals and entered Hades
obsidian palace. He told the lord of the dead of the plight that cursed the earth from
Demeter’s sorrow and rage, and of Zeus’ order to return the girl to earth. Hades
begrudgingly obliged and gave the girl a pomegranate for the trip to Olympus, as she had
not eaten during her captivity and was very hungry.
Demeter was overjoyed to have her daughter returned to her. However, she also
feared treachery by her brother Hades and asked of the girl if she had eaten anything
during her captivity. Persephone had eaten three of the seeds of the pomegranate, and
those who eat or drink in the Underworld belong to the Underworld. Therefore,
Persephone would have to live three months of every year in the Underworld with her
husband, one for each seed consumed, and the rest of the year was allowed to return to
earth and her mother. While she was gone no plant would grow on earth as Demeter
mourned for her daughter, and when she returned life would once again bloom, thus
creating the seasons.

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