Ulysses and the descent into the Hades

Herafter a few passages from Odyssey, in the translation offered by:

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~joelja/odyssey.html.



 
 
 
 
 

"And the goddess answered, 'Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, you shall none of you stay here any longer if you do not want to, but there is another journey which you have got to take before you can sail homewards. You must go to the house of Hades and of dread Proserpine
to consult the ghost of the blind Theban prophet Teiresias whose reason is still unshaken.

(Odyssey, book X)

back to Circe

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When your ship has traversed the waters of Oceanus, you will reach the fertile shore of Proserpine's country with its groves of tall poplars and willows that shed their fruit untimely; here beach your ship upon the shore of Oceanus, and go straight on to the dark abode of Hades.

(Odyssey, book X)

back to poplars

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You will find it near the place where the rivers Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus (which is a branch of the river Styx) flow into Acheron, and you will see a rock near it, just where the two roaring rivers run into one another.

(Odyssey, book X)

back to rivers

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"When you have reached this spot, as I now tell you, dig a trench a cubit or so in length, breadth, and depth, and pour into it as a drink-offering to all the dead, first, honey mixed with milk, then wine, and in the third place water-sprinkling white barley meal [the alphita, as Homer called it] over
the whole."

(Odyssey, book X)

back to sacrifices
back to 10-th canto

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
... but when the sun went down and darkness was over all the earth, we got into the deep waters of the river Oceanus, where lie the land and city of the Cimmerians who live enshrouded in mist and darkness which the rays of the sun never pierce neither at his rising nor as he goes down ..

(Odyssey, book XI)

back to Cimmerians

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When I saw them coming I told the men to be quick and flay the carcasses of the two dead sheep and make burnt offerings of them, and at the same time to repeat prayers to Hades and to Proserpine; but I sat where I
was with my sword drawn and would not let the poor feckless ghosts come near the blood till Teiresias should have answered my questions.

(Odyssey, book XI)

back to poured blood

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As for you, Achilles, no one was ever yet so fortunate as you have been, nor ever will be, for you were adored by all us Argives as long as you were alive, and now that you are here you are a great prince among the dead. Do not, therefore, take it so much to heart even if you are dead.'"'Say not a word,'he answered, 'in death's favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead. ..'"

(Odyssey, book XI)

back to Achilles

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"First light me a fire," replied Ulysses. She brought the fire and sulphur, as he had bidden her, and Ulysses thoroughly purified the cloisters and both the inner and outer courts.

(Odyssey, book XXII)

back to sulphur
back to Photo "E"