Speech on The Underworld in Greek Mythology :: Ancient Greece Greek History

Speech on The infernal region in Greek MythologyThe Underworld, better cognize as Hades after the god who ruled it, was a dark and dreary shopping mall where the weirdies, or souls, of those who died lived. In the next few minutes, I entrust tell you about how one came to die, the topography of the Underworld, and the beings whom dwelled there. Your whole life was planned and plotted by the Fates. The Fates were the three goddesses who controlled the destiny of everyone from the time they were born to the time they died. They were Clotho, the spinner, who spun the thread of a persons life, Lachesis, the apporitioner, who decided how much times was to be allowed each person, and Atropos, the inevitable, who cut the thread when you were supposed to die. When Atropos cut your thread you were dead and then you made your journey to Hades. Upon death, the shade is lead by Hermes to the entrance of the Underworld and to the banks of the Acheron. There were five rivers that made up the Underworld. They were the Acheron (the river of woe), Cocytus (the river of lamentation), Phlegethon (river of fire), Lethe (river of forgetfulness), and the Styx (river of hate). This poem, written by an anonymous writer, was written about the rivers in the Underworld. Abhorred Styx, the natural spring of deadly hate, Sad Acheron of sorrow black and deep Cocytus named of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful stream fierce Phlegethon Whose waves of torrent fire take fire with rage. Far off from these a slow and silent stream, Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks Forthwith his former state and being forgets, Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain. When one would die, the family would place one obol, or a coin, under the deceaseds tongue. This coin would pay as fare to Charon who would ferry the dead over the Acheron River. Charon is the ferryman who is often depicted as an sometime(a) sulky man, or as a winged demon carrying a double h ammer. Those who cannot afford to pay Charon were doomed to wonder the banks of the Acheron River for one hundred years. Guarding the Underworld was the three-headed dog Cerberus. He permitted new spirits to enter, but never one to leave. When you arrived at the Underworld, three judges determined your sentence.