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The Odyssey

Homer · 8th–12th century BCE (composed earlier than c. 750 BCE; traditional authorship generally placed in the 8th century BCE) primary

passage 111 of 237 · BOOK I. > BOOK XI (12/12)

↪ you wandered here via “Hades afterlife punishment Greek Rome” — the connecting lines are tinted below

in brief
Hercules’ descent to Hades is contrasted with Ulysses staying outside, hearing terrible cries around him, fearing Persephone’s sending up the Gorgon’s head, and then ordering his men to sail from the river Oceanus as a fair wind rises.

not think he could find anything harder for me than this, but I got the hound out of Hades and brought him to him, for Mercury and Minerva helped me.’

“On this Hercules went down again into the house of Hades, but I stayed where I was in case some other of the mighty dead should come to me. And I should have seen still other of them that are gone before, whom I would fain have seen—Theseus and Pirithous—glorious children of the gods, but so many thousands of ghosts came round me and uttered such appalling cries, that I was panic stricken lest Proserpine should send up from the house of Hades the head of that awful monster Gorgon. On this I hastened back to my ship and ordered my men to go on board at once and loose the hawsers; so they embarked and took their places, whereon the ship went down the stream of the river Oceanus. We had to row at first, but presently a fair wind sprang up.

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topics: fate, destiny, and necessity · omens, portents, and signs · voyages and seafaring

The Odyssey · Homer · 750–700 BCE