The Lower World of Ancient Mythology

The Infernal Regions were underground places sheltering the dead. They embraced four different regions: Erebus, Hades, Tartarus and Elysium. There were four rivers: The Styx, Acheron, Cocytus and Lethe.

Tartarus

Was the place of the gods of the lower world and their train. It spread a long way inside earth, and was surrounded by triple wall of brass. No dead mortal ever penetrated into Tartarus.

Elysium

Was the residence of virtuous souls after death. Some of the ancients placed Elysium in an African island, some in Italy. The name Champs Elysees in Paris means Elysian Fields.

Hades

Was the terrible place of all punishments and tortures, a land of fire supposed to be surrounded with fearful marshes and brazen rivers which left no hope of escape to the dead.

Erebus

Was the underground place nearest to earth, the way to Hades or Elysium.The ancients believed that the shadows of the unfortunate who had not been buried whould wander for a hundered years in Erebus before they knew where to settle.

Styx

Was a famous river winding round Hades in circles. Its waters were supposed to run with mud through darkest lands. The gods always swore by the Styx.

Acheron

Was the river like the Styx. It was represented as a very old man clad in damp cloth, with an owl generally standing by.

Cocytus

An infernal river, ran into the Acheron. Its stream was supposed to be made of tears of the wicked. It was the river of Lamentations.

Pluto

Was the third son of Saturn and Rhea, to whome the lower regions had been given when Jupiter was given Heaven and Neptune the Ocean. Pluto dwelt in Tartarus. Because of his ugliness he could never find a willing wife, and had to carry off Proserpina, whom he made queen. His attribute is the cypress, the dark foliage of which express melancholy and greif.

Proserpina

Was a beautiful maid, daughter of ceres and queen of Pluto. The ancients believed that nobody could die had not Proserpina herself cut the threads of their lives with the aid of Atropos.

Charon

A son of Erebus and Nox, conveyed the shades of the dead over the Styx and the Acheron. Charon was old and mean, and those who had no money could not enter his boat. This is why the ancients never failed to put a coin in mouth of their dead. Those who had not been buried were not entitled to the crossing, and the legend supposed them wandering for a hundred years on the river bank. Charon is pictured in sombre garb, sullied by the black slim of the foul waters. He stands in his boat and plies the oars.

Cerberus

Pluto's three-headed dog, was the keeper of the gates of Hades. His part was to prevent the dead from getting out of their prison, and to prevent the over-curious from entering it before they died. On ancient medals Cerberus always stands by Pluto, but on buildings he is generally chained up by the side of Hercules, who dragged him from the lower worlds.

Rhadamanthus

Was the one of the three judges, with Aeacus and Minos, before whom he dead had to appear after they were buried. Their tribunal was called the field of Truth, because neither lie nor slander could approach it. Rhadamanthus was represented on a throne holding scepter

Aeacus

Was one of the three judges of dead, with Rhadamanthus and Minos. Aeacus was the father of Peleus and the grandfather of the famous Achilles.

Minos

Brother of Rhadamanthus, was one of the three judges of the dead. We most often see him sitting among the shadows of the dead.

Nemesis

Is often mistaken for the one of the Furies. Nemesis should be called the goddess of compensation. Her part was to deal as equally as possible with happiness and misfortune for mankind. Had a man been very happy so far, Nemesis was to send him his share of trials to balance the good. or vice versa.

Thanatos, or Death

Was the implacable enemy of mankind. He dwelt in Tartarus, Thanatos was supposed to have a heart of iron and bowels of brass. Some sculptors close his eyes, veil his head, and give him a sickle, the attribute of death.

Lethe

after the dead had remained a certain time either in Elysium or Hades, they were entitled to reincarnation in another body on earth. But before they left the lower regions they had to drink water of river Lethe, which would wipe out all memomries of their former life. Our words lethal and lethargy come from lethe, which means the sleep of forgetfulness.

The Furies

Were the ministers of the vengeance of the gods on mankind. There were three principal Furies-Alecto, Tisiphone and Megaera.

These names of gods and goddesses and of other creatures of vivid imagination of man in the classical lands, are far from exhausting the personnel of the old mythologies. Anything that was striking and mysterious was personified as a god, and the varying attributes of the gods became the framework of ancient poetry. A knowledge of mythology is a key that unlocks for us an understanding of the world in its brilliant youth. Many writes of modern times draw upon the old myths.