Greek Beliefs On The After Life
By I.Lim
Who Is In The Underworld
The underworld is the kingdom of Hades and the dead. There are many inhabitants of the underworld, From Charon the boatman to, Cerberus, the three headed dog with a snakes tail that guards the underworld.
Major Inhabitants of the Underworld
Hades
The Ruler of the underworld, Hades watches over the judgement, punishments, and rewards the dead receive. He loves to gloat over how many dead there are in his kingdom. His most prized possession is the Helm of Darkness that makes him invisible.
Persephone
Persephone, daughter of Zeus, Hades wife, and queen of the underworld. She stays with Hades in the underworld for six months of the year, winter. Her close companion is Hecate, the goddess of sorcery.
Charon
Charon, the boatman, ferried you across the river of Styx to the underworld. However, if you could not pay him you would not be able to go to the underworld. Many stuck ghosts haunt the person that didn't put the coin in their mouth in death
Where Would You Go
Places of the Underworld
Depending on how you lived your life, you would go to The Pit of Tartarus, (really bad) Asphodel Meadows, (average/mediocre) Elsym, (nice) or The Isles Of The Blessed (awesome)
What Would Happen to You
What Happens
When you die, Hermes the messenger god brings you to the underworld where, if you payed him Charon would ferry you across the River of Styx. You then pass Cerberus The dog that guards the underworld, to Asphodel Meadows. There you wait to be judged by the sons of Zeus, Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthys. You could go to Pit of Tartarus Where you would endure eternal suffering, The Asphodel Meadows, when the judges could not decide, so you wander forever, Eslym, where you would go if you lived a good life, in Elsym you could drink from the River of Forgetfulness to forget your past life and be reborn, Or the Isles of The Blessed, you would have to be reborn and get into Eslym 3 times to go here, it's eternal paradise.
When Did These Myths Begin
When
These myths began in about 8th century BCE the regional after life was gloomy and dreary for all people. Then, somewhere around 4th century BCE it was changed to what it is now.