Underworld in The Odyssey: Odysseus Visited Hades’ Domain
The Underworld in The Odyssey plays a crucial role in Odysseus’ return home to Ithaca. But to fully understand how he entered the land of the dead, how he managed to escape safely, and why he had to venture into Hades’ territory, we must go over the play’s events.
The Odyssey Summarized
The Odyssey starts at the end of the Trojan war. Odysseus gathers his men onto their ships and heads towards Ithaca. In their journey, they stop by various islands that do them more harm than good.
In Sicily, where the Cyclops reside, they encounter a cave filled with food and gold. The men feast upon the plethora of food and marvel at the riches found in the cave, unknowingly immersing themselves in the belly of a beast. The cave owner, Polyphemus, enters his home and sees Odysseus and his men feasting on his food and ogling his riches. He closes the cave entrance, blocking the only way out with a boulder as Odysseus demands the giant for food, shelter, and safe travels. The Cyclops pay Odysseus no head as he grabs two of the men near him and eats them in front of their crewmates.
The Ithacan men eventually escape the clutches of Polyphemus but not without blinding the Greek demigod. Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, begs his father to exact revenge on his behalf, and Poseidon follows suit. Poseidon sends storms and perilous waters towards the Ithacan men’s way, leading them to dangerous islands that bring them harm.
The storms lead them to the island of the Laistrygonians, where they are hunted like animals, preyed upon, and eaten once caught. The giants treat the Ithacan men like game, allowing them to run, only to hunt them in the process. Odysseus and his men barely escape as they have severely dwindled in numbers. As they journey on the sea, another storm is sent their way, and they are forced to dock on the island of Aeaea, where the witch Circe resides.
Odysseus becomes Circe’s lover and lives on the island of Aeaea for a year, only to be persuaded by one of his men to return home. We then find Odysseus in the Underworld searching for the blind prophet’s knowledge and is warned never to touch Helios’ beloved cattle. His men pay no heed to this warning and immediately slaughters the animal once Odysseus is away. As punishment Zeus sends a thunderbolt their way, sinking their ship and drowning the men. Odysseus, the sole survivor, washes ashore the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso resides.
When Does Odysseus Go to the Underworld?
On the island of Circe, after defeating the witch and saving his men, Odysseus ends up becoming the Greek goddesses’ lover. He and his men live in luxury for a year, feasting on the island’s livestock and drinking the wine of the hostess. Odysseus, enjoying his time in the arms of the beautiful Circe, is approached by one of his men, asking to return to Ithaca. Odysseus snaps out of his luxury-induced haze and settles on going home, reinvigorated to return to his throne.
Odysseus, still fearing Poseidon’s wrath, asks Circe for a way to travel the seas safely. The young witch tells him to venture into the Underworld to seek the wisdom and knowledge of Tiresias, the blind prophet. The very next day, Odysseus travels to the land of the dead and is advised to travel towards the island of Helios but is warned never to touch the sun god’s beloved cattle.
How Does He Go to the Underworld?
Odysseus journey to the Underworld through the River of Ocean located on the island of the Cimmerians. Here he pours libations and performs sacrifices, pouring blood into a cup to attract the souls to appear. The souls appear one by one and start with Elpenor, one of his crewmen who broke his neck and died after sleeping on a roof drunk the night before they left. He begs Odysseus to give him a proper burial to pass through the river of Styx, for the Greeks believed that a proper burial is needed to pass on to the afterlife.
Eventually, Tiresias, the blind prophet, appears before him. The Theban prophet reveals that the god of the sea is punishing him for his disrespectful act of blinding his son Polyphemus. He foretells the fate of our Greek hero as he encounters the struggles and obstacles in his home. His return to Ithaca is foretold as he reclaims his wife and palace from the wretched suitors as well as traveling to distant lands to appease Poseidon’s rage.
Tiresias advises Odysseus to head in the direction of the Helios’ island but not to touch the beloved golden cattle of the young titan; otherwise, he’d suffer a significant loss. When Tiresias departs, he meets his mother’s soul and learns of Penelope’s incredible faithfulness and his son, Telemachus’ completion of his duties as a magistrate. He also discovers his father’s shame. Laertes, Odysseus’ father, had retired to the country, unable to face the fall of their house as Odysseus leaves the throne of Ithaca vacated.
Odysseus and the Underworld
The Underworld in The Odyssey is portrayed as the pool that holds the souls of the dead. Only those adequately buried underground or in a tomb are allowed to cross the river of Styx into the Underworld as they pass on. The land of the dead is symbolic as it represents death and rebirth. As such, Odysseus learns a great variety of lessons allowing him to know more about his past, future, and responsibilities as a leader, father, husband, and hero.
Odysseus visits the Underworld to seek knowledge from the Theban prophet Tiresias but gains much more than just advice from his journey. The first soul he meets is Elpenor, one of his men who died from a broken neck as he fell from the roof after a night of drinking. This encounter makes him realize his failure as a leader. His responsibility to the crew does not end at the end of the day or outside his ship.
Leaving the island of Aeaea in such haste made them forget Elpenor and inevitably caused his death. Despite not being a Hero, Elpenor had the right to be remembered and cared for as a member of Odysseus’ crew, yet he is left to the wind as they depart the island without a second thought, without the knowledge of the young man’s death. This event is an essential lesson for Odysseus, who shows little to no care for his crew’s safety, as seen several times in the play.
Elpenor represents those who serve under Odysseus whom he owes his success to. Despite not being a king, Elpenor still fought in the Trojan war, still followed Odysseus’ command, and still held great importance to the significant success of Odysseus in his journey.
From Tiresias, Odysseus learns of his future and how to navigate the obstacles to follow. He learns from his mother of his wife’s and son’s great belief in him, reinvigorating his determination to return to their arms and claim his rightful place on the throne.
Hades Role in The Odyssey
Hades, known as the unseen one, is pitiless as death pities no one, a clear statement of the inevitable faith all is to face. He is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon and is one of the three big gods that handle a kingdom or domain. Hades is depicted in images with his beloved dog Cerberus, who is said to have three heads and snakes for tails. In The Odyssey, Hades refers to the land of the dead as Odysseus goes to the Underworld to seek the advice of Tiresias.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve talked about Odysseus and Hades as well as other interesting characters, we understand the role and significance of the Underworld in this play. Let us go over some key points of this article:
The Underworld in The Odyssey plays a crucial role in Odysseus’ return home to Ithaca as the land of the dead makes our Greek hero realize his responsibilities as a hero, father, and husband.- Odysseus visits the Underworld as per Circe’s advice to seek the blind prophet Tiresias to acquire the knowledge of safely returning to Ithaca.
- Tiresias advises Odysseus to head to Helios’ island. Still, it warns him never to touch the golden cattle, but much to our Greek hero’s dismay, his men slaughtered the beloved livestock and are punished by Zeus in the process.
- In Hades, Odysseus learns various things as he meets different souls. From Elpenor, he knows of his responsibility as a leader; from his mother, he understands his wife and son’s faithfulness, belief, and loyalty; from Tiresias, he learns of his future and the obstacles he faces.
In conclusion, the Underworld is the changing point in Odysseus’ psyche as he ventures home; not only does his will to travel home become reinvigorated, but he realizes his responsibility to his people, family, and crew. The Underworld helped him understand who he is as a leader and who he wants to become, allowing him to face the consequences of his actions bravely as well as to fight for his family and land. And there you have it! The Underworld in The Odyssey, its role and significance in the Homeric classic.
