11.9 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What was death thought to be the start of in Ancient Greece
Death was thought to be the start of a long spiritual journey through the Underworld
What was the Underworld?
What is another name for the Underworld?
Why is the different name for the Underworld called that?
The Underworld was the world of dead souls (called ‘shades’).
The Underworld was sometimes called Hades
The Underworld was sometimes called Hades bc it was named after the god of the dead and the king of the Underworld, Hades
What were dead souls called in Ancient Greece
Shades
What was believed to separate the Underworld from the world of the living
A mythical river called the River Styx, separates Underworld from living world
What were ‘gateways’ to the Underworld?
River Styx, deep caverns, cave tunnels openings in the earth
Who decided a persons destination after death
Atropos
Who was Atropus
One of 3 goddesses (Fates) who controlled life on earth
Who were the 3 Fates
Atropos, Clotho and Lachesis
Who led dead souls into the Underworld
Hermes, the messenger god
What is a messenger god
A god whose role is to deliver messages between humans and gods
Definition of 3 Fates in ancient Greece
three goddesses who controlled destiny and the course of human lives
Who rowed the souls across the River Styx
Charon, the ferryman
How did the dead souls pay Charon for the ride across the River Styx
With a coin placed over their mouths before they were buried
What happened to dead souls after they crossed the River Styx
They were judged by deities according to the life they had led on Earth.
What decided where a soul ended up in the Underworld?
The life they had led on Earth.
How many places could souls end up in?
3 places
Names and descriptions of the 3 places a soul could end up in
Elysian Fields- for the souls of heroes who had the favour of the god Zeus.
It was happy peaceful place
Asphodel Fields- for the majority of human souls, who were not not heroes, nor all good or all wicked
It was grey misty boring place
Tartarus- for wicked ppl.
torment and misery surrounded by layer of night
What was the name of the three-headed dog in the Underworld?
Cerberus
What did Cerberus guard?
The entrance to Hades
Why did Cerberus guard the entrance?
To stop the dead from leaving and the living from entering.
Q: How was the body prepared in ancient Greek funeral customs?
The body was washed, cleaned, a coin put in the mouth, eyes and mouth closed, oiled, and wrapped in a cloth.
How and where was the body displayed before the funeral?
The body was displayed for at least a day in the main courtyard of the house, facing the door.
What happened after the death was announced?
Friends and relatives were told, and loud grieving was done, sometimes with hired mourners.
LOUD NOISES WERE MADE TO SHOW RESPECT
Describe the burial procession.
.’
The body was taken to the burial place at daybreak, with men in front, women behind, and loud wailing and music.
LOUD NOISES WERE MADE AS A SIGN OF RESPECT
