Mapping the Underworld Journey

Underworld Journey

• Students will be creating a map to the Underworld.
• The map can be presented in various forms: straight lines, wandering paths, circular maze, dangerous vortex.
• The map must include all the names listed in order of descent.
• The names listed are: Acheron, Aeacus, Aeneas, Asphodel Fields, Cerberus, Ceres, Charon, Cocytus, Danaids, Elysium, Erebus, Eurydice, Fates, Furies, Hecate, Hercules, Ixion, Lake Avernus, Lethe, Mercurius, Minos, Morpheus, Nemesis, Odysseus, Orpheus, Phlegethon, Pluto, Proserpina, Psyche, Rhadamanthys, Sisyphus, Somnus, Styx, Tantalus, Tartarus, Thanatos.
• Students will have class time on Wednesday and Thursday to create their maps.
• There will be a review and quiz on Friday.

Underworld Journey

• Students will create a map of the Underworld by the end of the lesson.
• The map can be presented in any format including a straight line like a road map, a winding path like a table-top game, circular like a maze, or dangerous like a whirlpool or a vortex.
• Names on the map should be in order of descent.
• Classtime will be Wednesday and Thursday, review and quiz on Friday

Characters of the Underworld

• Acheron: River of Sorrow. One of the five rivers of the Underworld.
• Aeacus: One of the three judges of the Underworld, responsible for the judging of criminals, along with Minos and Rhadamanthys.
• Aeneas: Trojan hero. One of the few heroes to visit the Underworld and return back to the world of the living. He was given a tour by the Sibyl of Cumae and he met his father Anchises in the Underworld.
• Asphodel Fields: a large expanse of neutral ground that serves as the middle ground between Elysium and Tartarus.
• Cerberus: The three-headed guard dog of the Underworld. Stands guard at the entrance of the Underworld, preventing those outside from entering and those inside from exiting.
• Ceres: Roman goddess of agriculture and mother of Persephone, Roman version of Demeter.
• Charon: The ferryman who brings the souls of the dead across the river Styx to the Underworld. He charges a small fee for his services, which must be paid with a coin placed in the mouth of the deceased.
• Cocytus: River of Lamentation. One of the five rivers of the Underworld.
• Danaids: Daughters of Danaus. In Greek mythology, they were condemned to spend eternity in the Underworld filling a bucket with water that was constantly leaking.
• Elysium : The paradise of the Underworld, reserved for the good and virtuous.
• Erebus: The region of the Underworld between the Earth and Tartarus.
• Eurydice: wife of Orpheus who was killed by a snake bite and sent to the Underworld. Orpheus famously tricked the gods of the Underworld into returning her to the mortal realm but his disobedience led to her being sent back to the Underworld.
• Fates: The three goddesses who controlled destiny. They were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.
• Furies: The three goddesses of vengeance – Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. They were responsible for punishing wrongdoers.
• Hecate: The Greek goddess of crossroads, ghosts, magic, and the night.
• Hercules: Greek hero.
• Ixion: King of the Lapiths. He was condemned to spend eternity on a burning wheel for the crime of murdering his father-in-law,
• Lake Avernus: A lake in southern Italy.
• Lethe: River of Forgetfulness. One of the five rivers of the Underworld. Souls drank from this river before reincarnating back into the world of the living.
• Mercurius: Roman messenger god, equivalent to Hermes in Greek mythology.
• Minos: One of the three judges of the Underworld, responsible for the judging of criminals, along with Aeacus and Rhadamanthys.
• Morpheus: The god of dreams. He is often depicted as a winged god with a horn of sleep.
• Nemesis: The Greek goddess of retribution and revenge.
• Odysseus: Greek hero. Odysseus spent several years in the Underworld. He spoke with Tiresias and other legendary figures including his mother in the Underworld.
• Orpheus: Musician and poet. He was allowed to visit the Underworld to retrieve his deceased wife, Eurydice, but broke a rule and was unable to take her back with him.
• Phlegethon: River of Fire One of the five rivers of the Underworld.
• Pluto: Roman god of the Underworld - equivalent to Hades in Greek mythology.
• Proserpina: Queen of the Underworld, wife of Pluto, Roman version of Persephone.
• Psyche: Greek goddess of the soul.
• Rhadamanthys: One of the three judges of the Underworld, responsible for the judging of criminals, along with Aeacus and Minos.
• Sisyphus: King of Ephyra. He was condemned to spend eternity in the Underworld pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down again when he reaches the top. The punishment was given to him for deceiving the gods.
• Somnus: Roman god of sleep, equivalent to Hypnos in Greek mythology.
• Styx: River of Hate. One of the five rivers of the Underworld. It served as the boundary between the mortal world and the Underworld.
• Tantalus: King of Sipylus who angered the gods by stealing nectar and ambrosia from Mount Olympus. He was punished by being placed in the Underworld where he stood in a pool of water that he could never reach, as well as under a fruit tree with fruit that constantly escaped his grasp.
• Tartarus: Deepest region of the Underworld where the worst criminals were punished.
• Thanatos: Greek god of death - considered personification of death and not just a guide.

The Underworld in Latin Class

• The text is about an assignment for a Latin class.
• Students have to make a map of the Underworld.
• The names of key figures and locations of the Underworld are provided in a numbered list.
• The map can be made in different ways: as a road map, a game board, or a maze.
• The assignment is due on Wednesday and Thursday, and there will be a review and quiz on Friday.

Underworld Figures

• The list of names features Greek Gods and figures associated with the Underworld:
  • Charon: Ferryman of the River Styx
  • Cerberus: Three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the Underworld
  • Pluto: God of the Underworld
  • Proserpina: Queen of the Underworld
  • Thanatos: God of Death
  • Minos: Judge of the Underworld
  • Rhadamanthys: Judge of the Underworld, associated with judgment of the good
  • Aeacus: Judge of the Underworld, associated with judgment of the wicked
  • Sisyphus: Condemned to eternally push a boulder up a hill in the Underworld
  • Tantalus: Condemned to eternally stand in water and have fruit dangle just out of reach
  • Ixion: Eternally bound to a fiery wheel in Tartarus
  • Furies (Erinyes): Goddesses of vengeance
  • Nemesis: Goddess of retribution
  • Hercules: Hero who descended to the Underworld
  • Orpheus: Musician who journeyed to the Underworld to retrieve his lost love, Eurydice
  • Aeneas: Trojan hero who traveled to the Underworld
  • Odysseus: Greek hero who encountered the Underworld

Underworld Locations

• The list includes locations associated with the Underworld:
  • Acheron: River of sorrow
  • Styx: River that separates the world of the living and the dead
  • Cocytus: River of lamentations
  • Lethe: River of forgetfulness
  • Phlegethon: River of fire
  • Erebus: The region of darkness where souls wait for judgment
  • Tartarus: Depths of the Underworld where the wicked are punished
  • Elysium: Region of the blessed in the Underworld
  • Asphodel Fields: Where the souls of the ordinary reside
  • Lake Avernus: A location associated with the Underworld
  • Fates: Three goddesses who weave the threads of life, death, and destiny

In this creative project, students will design a map to the Underworld incorporating various routes and key figures from mythology. The map must accurately reflect the descent order and include significant locations like Acheron, Elysium, and Tartarus. This assignment is a mix of artistic skills and knowledge of mythological themes.