A descent into Hades

1. A descent into Hades

2. Lake Avernus, the birdless lake; an entrance to the Underworld.

3. A map of Hades, Erebus or the Underworld

4. Hermes, in the role of Psychopompus, guided the souls of the dead to the banks of the Styx River. Psychopompus

5. Charon ferries the souls of the dead across the river Styx. The Greeks and Romans put a coin in the mouth of a dead person to be used as payment to Charon for the boat ride.

6. Dante and Virgil crossing the Styx

7. There are five rivers in the Underworld: Cocytus—wailingLethe—forgetfulnessAcheron—sorrow or woePhlegethon--fireStyx---hate;unbreakable oath

8. Thetis dips her son Achilles into the River Styx and he becomes invulnerable except for his heel.

9. Theentrance to the Underworld was guarded by a three-headed dog, Cerberus.

10. The king and queen of the Underworld were Pluto and Proserpina..

11. Here, with his dog Cerberus, Pluto is seen wearing the helmet of invisibility and holding the bident.

12. Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, was a resident of the Underworld.

13. Orpheus, son of Apollo, entered the Underworld while still living to retrieve his bride Eurydice from an untimely death.

14. Orpheus pleads with Pluto for the life of his bride Eurydice. Ixion Tityus Charon Danaids Tantalus

15. Pluto tells Orpheus to take his Eurydice, but“nolirespicere!””“

16. Orpheus disobeys Pluto’s command and “looks back;” Eurydice is lost for a second time to death.

17. When Orpheus refused to choose another bride, the nymphs torehim to pieces.

19. The head of Orpheus is flung into the Hebrus river, still singing as it floats along.

20. One of the Muses (probably Calliope, his mother) with the head of Orpheus

21. Sinners of the Underworld

22. Ixion on the wheel of fire Ixion’s sin was an attempt to rape the goddess Hera.

23. Sisyphus indiscreetly disclosed one of Zeus’ many amorous affairs. He went to Asophus, father of Aegina, with the details of Zeus’ intrigue.

24. For interfering in Zeus’ affairs and for trying to escape from the Underworld, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a rock up a hill forever.

26. Tantalus, forever hungry and thirsty, while standing in water up to his neck and with moist fruit hanging above.

27. Tantalus’ punishment was assigned because he fed his son Pelops to the gods.

28. Demeter, the only deity fooled by Tantalus’ trick, ate Pelops’ shoulder. Hephaestus made a new shoulder for Pelops out of ivory.

29. The Danaids filling the sieve with water; this was their punishment for murdering their husbands on their wedding night.

30. 49 Danaids The one Danaid who did not obey her father Danaus and refused to murder her husband Lynceus was Hypermnestra.

31. Odysseus in the Underworld

32. Odysseus journeyed to the Underworld to speak with Tiresias.

33. In the Underworld Odysseus saw the shades of many of his comrades at Troy, including Achilles and Agamemnon.

34. Odysseus also saw the shade of his mother Anticlea, who had died in his 20 year absence.

35. Aeneas and the Sibyl of Cumae

36. Aeneas saw the shade of Elissa, or Dido, while in the Underworld.

37. Anchises shows his son Aeneas the future heroes of Rome.

38. Psyche with Charon Psyche entered the Underworld to steal Proserpina’s beauty for the goddess Venus.

39. Hercules wrestling with Death for the life of Alcestis Thanatoswas the god of death.

40. Theseus and Pirithous went to Hades to kidnap Persephone. Pirithous was seated for eternity in the chair of forgetfulness.

41. Editorial cartoon using Thanatos, death and Bacchus, god of wine, to condemn the vagaries of alcohol.

42. Orpheus respexit.

44. Jupiter strikes Asculapius for raising the dead.

45. Eleusis

47. The return of Persephone

48. Orpheus loses Eurydice for the second time.

49. Souls of the virtuous and noble spent eternity in the Elysian Fields.