The Underworld Annabel Orchard Ixion in the Underworld, red figure amphora c. 330 BCE. hAp://www.apcon.gr/pelion/images/
mythology/centaurs/ixion.jpg The Underworld
Some literary sources
Greek:
Homer, Odyssey 11
Homer, Iliad 20, 23
Plato, Republic: ‘Myth of Er’
Roman:
Virgil, Aeneid 6
Virgil, Georgics 4
Annabel Orchard The Homeric Underworld Hades (Ais, Aides, Aidoneus):
•  brother of Zeus
•  Division of spheres: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades
•  Lord of Underworld, Host of the Dead
Persephone – consort of Hades
“House of Hades”, “Hades’ (place)”
= the Underworld, the geographical location
Annabel Orchard The Homeric Underworld geographical location:
Homer, Iliad 20. 61-5: below earth
Homer, Odyssey 10, 11: across Ocean Annabel Orchard The Homeric Afterlife Odyssey 11:
•  Final destination for (almost) all, no
differential treatment
Exceptions in Odyssey (not in Iliad):
•  Castor and Polydeuces
•  Herakles
•  Menelaus: Elysium, Odyssey 4. 561ff
Annabel Orchard The Homeric Afterlife Homer, Iliad
•  Psyche – “breath”?
(Death of Hektor, 22.
361ff)
•  Eidolon – “image”?
•  Importance of proper
burial
(Ghost of Patroklos,
23. 65ff)
Annabel Orchard Hypnos, Thanatos, Hermes and the body of Sarpedon. AJc Red Figure calyx krater, signed by Euphronios, ca 515 BCE, Metropolitan Museum, New York, USA , Cat. No.: New York 1972.11.10 hAp://www.theoi.com/Gallery/N12.1.html The Homeric Afterlife Odyssey 11:
•  Bleak view of afterlife
•  The dead are
senseless, gibbering,
insubstantial
Elpenor, Odysseus and Hermes. Athenian red-­‐figure clay vase about 475-­‐425 BC. Boston (MA) Museum of Fine Arts 34.79 William Amory Gardner Fund. Beazley Archive, Oxford, Photo E3302: hAps://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/dic_onary/Dict/ASP/dic_onarybody.asp?name=Elpenor Annabel Orchard Notorious criminals
Odyssey 11
•  Tityos
•  Tantalos
•  Sisyphos
Other sources: vase
paintings, Virgil,
Georgics, Aeneid
•  Danaids
•  Ixion
Annabel Orchard Ixion in the Underworld, red figure amphora c. 330 BCE. hAp://www.apcon.gr/pelion/
images/mythology/centaurs/
ixion.jpg Virgil, Aeneid 6
•  Much more complex topography
•  Tartarus: for ordinary mortal sinners
•  Elysium: a special zone for the
enlightened
Annabel Orchard Virgil, Aeneid 6
•  Moral differentation, reward
•  Transmigration of souls
Influenced by ideas of Pythagoras, the
Orphic writings, Plato: eg Republic,
“Myth of Er”
Annabel Orchard The hero’s quest to the Underworld •  Ultimate heroic feat
•  Rite of passage aspect: death and rebirth
Annabel Orchard Heroic quests to the Underworld
Heracles
Apollodorus,
Library
2.4.12ff
Homer,
Odyssey
11. 717ff
Annabel Orchard Heracles and Cerberus at the gates of the Underworld. AJc Amphora aAributed to the Andokides Painter and Lysippides Painter, ca 520 -­‐ 510 BCE: Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, Cat.Nuo.: Louvre F204 hAp://www.theoi.com/Gallery/M12.2.html Heroic quests to the Underworld
Theseus
Apollodorus,
Epitome 1.24
Virgil, Aeneid
6. 393ff.
Annabel Orchard Heracles (right) rescues Theseus from the Underworld. AJc red figure lekythos: hAp://www.uncg.edu/cla/slides/heraktheseus.jpg Heroic quests to the Underworld
Orpheus
Virgil, Georgics 4
Ovid,
Metamorphoses 10
Hermes, Eurydice and Orpheus, Roman copy in Pentelic marble of a c. 420 BCE Greek original, Musee de Louvre: hAp://www.mam.gov.mo/2008041201/
photos/large/2008041201093.jpg Annabel Orchard Typical Underworld features
Rivers, water
•  Pyriphlegethon
(flaming fire)
•  Styx (Hate)
•  Cocytus (Wailing)
•  Acheron (Woe)
•  Lethe (Oblivion)
Charon the ferryman
Annabel Orchard Charon and Hermes. AJc white-­‐ground lekythos by the Sabouroff painter, date unknown, Na_onal Museum, Athens: hAp://www.uark.edu/campus-­‐resources/dlevine/Charon.jpg Typical Underworld features
Thrones of Hades and Persephone
Judges:
•  Minos
•  Rhadymanthus
•  Aeacus
Annabel Orchard Typical Underworld features
Cerberus:
guard dog
Aeneid 6.
417ff
Heracles and Cerberus at the gates of the Underworld. AJc Amphora aAributed to the Andokides Painter and Lysippides Painter, ca 520 -­‐ 510 BCE: Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, Cat.Nuo.: Louvre F204 hAp://www.theoi.com/Gallery/M12.2.html Annabel Orchard Orpheus and the Underworld hAp://wingedsandals.com/arts/wingedsandals/story_me/orpheus.htm Odysseus’ Underworld journey • 
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• 
• 
• 
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The significance of storytelling Oral tradi_on-­‐ a world without wri_ng and with few images Storytellers in the epic so far-­‐ Phemios, Demodokus, Nestor, Menelaos, Helen Odysseus tells his own story in his own words: 1st person singular Who is the audience? Us, Phaiakians Is there an agenda to Odysseus’ storytelling? Annabel Orchard Women in the Underworld •  Antiklea tells of life on Ithaka
•  Persephone sends women to talk to
Odysseus: Alkmene, Epikaste, Leda,
Ariadne et al: Odysseus’ agenda
Odyssey 11. 387ff
•  Odysseus pauses: Arete speaks
•  Alkinoos requests an encore
Annabel Orchard Agamemnon on women and homecoming Agamemnon’s story: 11.395ff •  infidelity and treachery in the home •  Aigisthos •  Klytaimnestra Agamamnon: “Land your ship… gone forever.” Homer, Odyssey 11.533-­‐5 (Fitzgerald, tr., NY, 1998) Annabel Orchard Achilleus on death and glory Achilleus: “Let me hear … exhausted dead”. Homer, Odyssey 11.577-­‐81 (Fitzgerald, tr., NY, 1998) Annabel Orchard Aias’ anger • 
• 
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the compe__on for the armour No forgiveness: Odysseus to Aias: “My lord…your pride”. Homer, Odyssey 11.669-­‐70 (Fitzgerald, tr., NY, 1998) Annabel Orchard Herakles’ salute • 
• 
Herakles : the hero who transcends all limita_ons Odysseus sees ‘a phantom’, but he himself is with the gods (11.717-­‐21) “The eyes … the sunny world?” Homer, Odyssey 11.732-­‐7 (Fitzgerald, tr., NY, 1998) Annabel Orchard Next lecture Trojan War and Nostos: Odysseus